Bite-size review

Bubbles and boards at Black Lion Street

We’re no slouches when it comes to getting out and trying new things, and a fight nearly broke out in the office when we received an exciting wine tasting invitation from top Sussex wine merchants Sheridan Cooper’s, Ridgeview Vineyard and The Golden Lion’s Greene Room (upstairs at the Cricketers in Brighton’s Black Lion Street).

For those of you who don’t know, Ridgeview is one of – if not THE – most established sparkling wine producers in Sussex, making bubbly exactly the same way as Champagne.

Please-use-2Their products repeatedly win international awards, regularly trouncing the French at their own game, and Ridgeview is a family company dedicated to the production of the highest quality sparkling wine using traditional sparkling grape varieties and methods.

We had the chance to try some from every one of their range, from the light golden Bloomsbury to the rich Pinot-dominated Cavendish (which we decided is our favourite).

And the awards are well-deserved. The wines are elegant and classy but reasonably priced, many excellent wines coming in at under £30 a bottle retail.

Sheridan Cooper’s are responsible for the deployment of Ridgeview through Sussex into bars and restaurants and Sheridan’s Andy Rice played host alongside Ridgview’s CEO Tamara Roberts. It’s always a delight to see Sussex businesses doing well and we’ve seen both these companies grow exponentially over the years.

Also exciting to see the Cricketers fielding a new menu for the private space upstairs. Golden Lion’s Leanne Day explained, “The food upstairs in the Greene Room for parties is now really different to our rich pub grub type menu downstairs.

Please-use3“We do that kind of food really well but for events and private parties it’s better to have something else, so we’ve devised a lot of new options, including the cheese and charcuterie boards. It’s a different menu and we’re really pleased with it. Have you tried the charcoal cheddar?!”

We did indeed try the charcoal cheddar which you can see on the board – it looks a bit like black pudding but is a lovely creamy mild cheese. The cheese and charcuterie boards were perfect to go with the wine and we’re looking forward to checking out the rest of the new menu soon.

We concluded that the Greene Room is a good place for a party. The Ridgeview an impeccable option for drinking, and so much better than prosecco (yawn), and that the sharing boards are the perfect partner. But don’t just take our word for it…

www.sheridancoopers.co.uk
www.ridgeview.co.uk
www.cricketersbrighton.co.uk/the-greene-room

About Sam Harrington-Lowe
As the managing editor Sam is responsible for all the Title publications and works diligently to develop the brand and support relationships with all partners and clients. She runs things with her dedicated PA Ms Alice Pickle Pug