TV chef to share favourite recipes during harvest event at Parham

It will bring together the very best of homemade food, locally-grown produce and small holding, as well as activities such as deer walks and seasonal cookery demonstrations in The Kitchen Theatre.

This new event is an amalgamation of Parham’s previously successful ‘Grow Your Own’ and ‘Autumn Foraging’ events and is based around the burgeoning interest in cookery and food, both eaten and home-grown.

On Saturday September 26, ITV’s This Morning chef, Phil Vickery, will be demonstrating some of his favourite seasonal game recipes from his recent book ‘Game’, with the ingredients being sourced directly from the Parham Estate.

On Sunday September 27, Rosemary Moon, a local cookery writer and demonstrator will be back at Parham by popular demand and showing visitors how to create delicious dishes with the very best fresh produce of the season.

There will also be an ‘outdoor working arena’ where there will be demonstrations by heavy horses and gun dogs, as well as stalls with ferret keepers, sheep and pig owners and bee keepers, all happy to offer advice on how to look after their respective animals.

Enjoy guided deer walks through the ancient Parkland and veteran trees.

The first records of the deer herd in Parham Park date back to 1628 and today they number around 350 animals and are carefully managed by the gamekeeper to maintain their distinctive dark brown coats.

Also in the park, visitors will be able to view inside the restored Dovecote and the Ice House, both of which date from the second half of the 18th century.

The Dovecote houses around 700 small nesting boxes and would have provided the household with fresh meat during the long winter months.

The Ice House would have been filled with ice collected from the ponds in the park during the winter months and once packed in straw, the ice could survive during the summer months and was used in the making process for ice cream and sorbets.

Visitors can also browse exhibition stands of local food suppliers including a truffle expert, crafts and outdoor living sundries, or relax and enjoy the live jazz music with the Gordon Curtis band duo.

Tickets for the weekend can be purchased, in advance, from the Parham website, www.parhaminsussex.co.uk. All on-line bookings receive a 10% saving.

Report and pictures contributed by Zanny Gilchrist.