Something Fishy Going On...

And that something is Hastings Seafood Festival taking place on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th of September at Rock-a-Nore in the Old Town where you get a chance to taste and buy seafood which is caught and landed in Hastings by the local fishing crews (the catches of dover sole, herring and mackerel are sustainably managed under the Marine Stewardship Council accreditation scheme which certify the fish caught). Other produce include locally sourced wines, ciders, ales, locally baked breads, lots of gorgeous cheese and preserves - and there is a great selection of local produce - you just have to nip in to Judges Bakery based in the Old Town High Street to see what is produced in this region; Bookham cheese and butter being one of them; Neal's yard stocks their vegetarian version of Parmesan - which Delia Smith is also a fan of. The wet fish shops in Rock-A-Nore are a treat and I'm now hooked on squid marinated in oil with garlic, red and green chilli and szechuan pepper fried for a minute in oil (served with the best local chips in town from The Dolphin - there's always an eager queue). The razor clams, samphire, herring and mackerel are top of the list. If you are feeling in the mood for a quick bit of street food at the weekends, try Tush and Pat's Fisherman Rolls served from converted boat situated by the tall black netting huts - the ultimate fast food! When Tush and Pat start to power up their cooking apperatus and the first wafts of that fishy-tinged blue smoke snakes its way into the air, just watch the queue of hungry passers by start to form a queue on the pavement.