Over the weekend I took the plunge after living in the City most of my life, and finally did the Brighton and Hove open top bus tour. One of the interesting facts they came up with is that we have more bars, cafes and restaurants per head of population than any other city in the UK.

We are already lucky enough to enjoy a wealth of fantastic farmers market, organic food and farm shops, and The Tin Drum at Seven Dials has recently  re-branded as a charcuterie, adding a great new dimension to their offer of home bred and home grown produce. Already a great fan of their Hove restaurant, I am looking forward to checking them out.

With that in mind, summer is proving to be a great time for the foodies amongst us, with this week being a particular milestone.

This Thursday sees the opening of  Thornes Foods  in Upper Gardener Street, promising locally produced wares,  a cafe and restaurant. Then on Friday, the fabulous Cook moves from its current location on Western Road along to Church Road, Hove. For the busy amongst you, who occasionally need to throw a ready meal in the oven or microwave, do check them out. Their dishes are home cooked, use healthy and nutritious ingredients, and the meals are good enough to serve at a dinner party. My personal favourite is the Moroccan spiced lamb tagine.

Eating seasonal, local food is not only good for us, but by supporting our local independent businesses, we can help them compete with the High Street giants, so let’s get behind these new initiatives and help them succeed and maintain our reputation in Brighton and Hove as the place to be for foodies.

• Tweet