The Sussex Food Awards

We've almost run out of cards and leaflets for the Sussex Food Awards 2009/2010, so we thought we'd mention it online again. This is the fourth year the competition has run - and as well as voting for your favourite Sussex eating experience (which is the category we're in) you can also vote for your favourite farmer, food producer, drink producer, food shop, young chef, butcher and farmers' market.

It's not entirely altruistic, either - if you vote you'll be entered into a prize draw to win two tickets to the Sussex Food & Drink Awards dinner in January 2010.

Planning for winter

Well, we passed the autumnal equinox this week, which means summer's officially behind us. And it's the last weekend in September, too. Fortunately the sun's shining today, so it doesn't feel much like autumn - and we've just heard something that's bound to lift our spirits when winter finally arrives. Apparently there are plans to bring a temporary ice rink to the Royal Pavilion gardens for Christmas. Our fingers are crossed... and we'll be heading there with a mug of hot chocolate as soon as it opens!

Calling all loyal customers

We've mentioned our loyalty card before - but we wouldn't want you to miss out, so we thought we'd mention it again. Pick one up and ask us to stamp it every time you buy a coffee. When you've collected eight stamps we'll give you your next coffee completely free. That's a free coffee every fortnight for our weekday visitors!

Vote for us in the Sussex Food Awards

We're delighted to have been nominated for the Sussex Food Awards. If you're a fan of The Laine Deli, you can vote for us online. Simply click the button below and register your name & address to vote for us in the "Best Sussex Eating Experience" category.

The closing date for entries is 16th October. Thank you for your support!

Hello, blondie

Here at The Laine Deli we're big fans of the chocolate brownie... but did you realise it has a lesser-known relative called the 'blondie'?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a 'blondie' isn't just a woman with blonde hair. It's also a small square cake that has a cream or golden colour. You'll find that a blondie has the same dense texture as a brownie but isn't usually chocolate flavoured.


And that ends today's lesson. Class dismissed!

WhiteAir 09

WhiteAir 09 takes place this weekend in Brighton. It's a festival that combines extreme sports and music on Brighton seafront. There's a good collection of local bands, including Brighton's British Sea Power... and there'll be plenty of action to watch or participate in, with the RAF Red Arrows expected this morning and the RAF Falcons parachute team arriving on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Brighton graffiti

Brighton's developed quite a reputation for graffiti, with much of it authorised by the city council and local property owners. Cityclean is the council department responsible for removing anti-social graffiti... and it's also responsible for working with local aerosol artists to decorate a number of approved sites.

There's plenty of graffiti art to see within a short walk from The Laine Deli. A couple of minutes up the hill is the Prince Albert pub, with its famous Banksy "kissing policemen" image, while a wander down Kensington Street will reveal some of the city's largest artworks.

Keith Floyd

Farewell Keith Floyd; cook, restaurateur, TV presenter and all-round food enthusiast.

Outside catering for Brighton & Hove

As we've mentioned before, we're not just a delicatessen - and we're not just a coffee shop. We're also ideally placed for catering to businesses in Brighton. We can supply a wide variety of food for corporate lunches and working breakfasts. In fact, The Laine Deli will handle all kinds of events, whether you're organising sandwiches for a birthday tea or custom cakes for a product launch. Call in and ask for more details, or telephone Natasha on Brighton 686665.

The Americano

We've previously talked about the cappuccino, the espresso macchiato and our fondness for Lavazza beans. Now it's the turn of the americano.

The Caffè Americano is simply an espresso with hot water added. The result is a black coffee that can be served with or without milk. If you're after "a normal cup of coffee", this is the one for you. It's the closest in strength to filter or instant coffee, except it's fresh and therefore has a different (we'd say considerably better!) flavour.

Coronation Chicken: the result

You may not remember - but back in May we were wondering about adding the curried magic of Coronation Chicken to our sandwich menu. Well, we've done it. In fact, it's been a regular fixture for a few weeks now.

Just a couple of minutes from Brighton station

We've previously described The Laine Deli as being just a couple of minutes from the railway station - and now we have proof!

Take a look at this video, which shows a (slightly erratic!) walk from the station to our coffee shop in just two-and-a-half minutes.

Under pressure

It's hard not to become a little obsessed about coffee when you're making it all day. Did you know that the average espresso is produced using pressure of 9 bar (around 130 pounds of pressure per square inch)?

That's nine times the pressure of the earth's atmosphere!