Sussex


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plot-twists-and-pinot-with-elizabeth-day-the-pig-in-the-south-downs-madehurst-16-sep"><strong><a href="https://www.thepighotel.com/events/an-evening-with-elizabeth-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plot Twists and Pinot with Elizabeth Day</a>, The Pig in the South Downs, Madehurst, 16 Sep</strong> </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-53-1000x667.jpg" alt="Novelty dining experiences in Sussex" class="wp-image-74898" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-53-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-53-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-53-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-53.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Elizabeth Day isn&#8217;t just a hit podcaster and relatable fashion plate, she also happens to be a bestselling novelist. To mark the launch of her latest, <em>One of Us</em>, she&#8217;ll be hunkering down at the Pig for a cosy chat and intimate supper. The evening kicks off with her favourite tipple, a Dirty Vodka Martini, and continues with a three-course meal and wine pairings with each course, including the author&#8217;s beloved Pinot Noir. She&#8217;s famously candid, so you can expect her to tell it how it is when fielding questions about writer&#8217;s block, how to create credible characters, and any literary puzzlers you&#8217;re to put to her. Buy an advance copy of the book on the evening and you&#8217;ll be able to get it signed. £120 pp.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seasons-a-taste-of-cowdray-midhurst-27-sep"><strong><a href="http://A Taste of Cowdray" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Seasons: A Taste of Cowdray</a>, Midhurst, 27 Sep </strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/03/5-2.jpg" alt="Novelty dining experiences in Sussex" /></figure>



<p>Is there nothing Cowdray can&#8217;t do? Already a renowned destination for the likes of polo, luxe stays and award-winning farm produce, it&#8217;s about to get its own cookbook,&nbsp;<em>Seasons: A Taste of Cowdray</em>, featuring over 80 recipes. To celebrate, they&#8217;re rustling up a four-course dinner that revels in the Estate&#8217;s rich flavours. The menu&#8217;s been designed by executive chef Ben Jupp, who will introduce each dish, explaining how it&#8217;s been inspired by the book&#8217;s pages. £75 pp. You can also take home a copy of the book at a reduced price. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-book-swap-and-cocktails-at-the-star-alfriston-5-sep"><strong><a href="https://www.muchadobooks.com/eventsandhappenings/book-swap-and-cocktails-at-the-star" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Book Swap and Cocktails</a> at The Star, Alfriston, 5 Sep</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-55-1000x667.jpg" alt="Novelty dining experiences in Sussex" class="wp-image-74906" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-55-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-55-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-55-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-55.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: Much Ado Books</figcaption></figure>



<p>Alfriston&#8217;s Much Ado Books has to be one of the most enchanting bookshops in the country, never mind the county. They&#8217;re teamed up with their neighbour in the village, The Star, to host a book swap and cocktails evening. Bring along a book to trade, loved or perhaps loathed, and leave with another. There&#8217;ll be bookish chat to savour in between and something delicious to sip. You can also pick a ‘Blind Date’ book, hidden by wrapping with the merest clue on view before you commit. £6 pp. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bluebell-railway-s-golden-arrow-train-service-13-and-27-sep-4-and-11-oct"><strong>Bluebell Railway&#8217;s <a href="https://www.bluebell-railway.com/special/golden-arrow-evening-dining-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Golden Arrow</a> train</strong> service, 13 and 27 Sep, 4 and 11 Oct</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-56-1000x667.jpg" alt="Novelty dining experiences in Sussex" class="wp-image-74909" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-56-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-56-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-56-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-56.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: The Bluebell Railway</figcaption></figure>



<p>All aboard for the Bluebell Railway&#8217;s three-and-a-half-hour dining journey — but not if you&#8217;re wearing jeans or trainers. Muddy&#8217;s view on dress codes is that there&#8217;s a time and a place — this being very definitely one of them, you&#8217;ll want to look your sharpest. Pre-boarding drinks and hors d&#8217;oeuvres are followed by a three-course meal with seasonal accents and views of the scenic Sussex Weald. Venice may not be on the itinerary but the steam-era glamour exudes Orient Express vibes. £99 pp. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-autumn-foraging-workshop-at-gravetye-manor-east-hoathly-30-sep"><strong><a href="https://www.gravetyemanor.co.uk/whats-on/autumn-foraging-workshop-with-fern-freud/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Autumn Foraging Workshop</a> at Gravetye Manor, East Hoathly, 30 Sep</strong> </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-60.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-75418" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-60.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-60-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-60-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-60-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-60-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Take a walk on the wild side with foraging teacher and wild food expert Fern Freud. Her blend of botany, storytelling and practical tips (safety&#8217;s covered!) spans everything from cooking with nettles to concocting wild flower syrups, all wrapped up in an informative wander. Equally alluring is the prospect of pastries on arrival, with a two-course lunch that you won&#8217;t need to forage for &#8211; wine, too &#8211; rounding off the morning. £170 pp. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-halloween-murder-mystery-night-tottington-manor-henfield-31-oct"><strong><a href="https://tottingtonmanor.creventa.events/events/book/fub8oifP" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Halloween Murder Mystery Night</a>, Tottington Manor, Henfield, 31 Oct</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-59-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-75397" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-59-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-59-2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-59-2-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-59-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-59-2-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: Tottington Manor</figcaption></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s 1925, and Lady Violet is throwing one of legendary soirées, setting the scene for an evening of gin, jazz and&#8230; Murder? It&#8217;s most definitely on the menu in this immersive mystery featuring six very much alive actors, an apt dress code (1920s glamour, naturally) and a three-course dinner at a hotel whose restaurant has been garnering serious foodie attention of late. £65pp. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-introduction-to-still-life-painting-with-dani-humberstone-the-bell-in-ticehurst-18-nov"><strong><a href="https://www.curioushouse.net/courses/p/introduction-to-still-life-painting-with-oils-with-dani-humberstone-tuesday-18th-november-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Introduction to Still Life Painting with Dani Humberstone</a>, The Bell in Ticehurst, 18 Nov </strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-57-1000x667.jpg" alt="Novelty dining experiences in Sussex" class="wp-image-74911" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-57-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-57-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-57-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/08/Untitled-design-57.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: The Bell in Ticehurst</figcaption></figure>



<p>This one&#8217;s a lunch rather than a dinner, but the fruit isn&#8217;t for eating, it&#8217;s your model. That&#8217;s what artist Dani Humberstone&#8217;s specialist subject is, and she&#8217;ll be sharing simple techniques of a kind used by the Old Masters, magically bringing layers of colour and texture to life. It&#8217;s an intermediate course, perfect for those ready to raise their painting game while enjoying a convivial feast of local produce. Materials are provided and you&#8217;ll get to take your painting home to finish (Dani will be available to give advice via email). £130 per person. </p>


Dinner and… A book launch? Novel scoffing and quaffing experiences

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