/">News From The CountryMan Inn

Celebrate Mid Summers Day at The Countryman pub and restaurant in West Sussex

Come down to The Countryman pub and restaurant in West Sussex on Thursday 24th June to Midsummers Day!

Enjoy the:

• ‘Bluegrass’ band in the garden: Bluegrass music is an American Folk style with Fiddles, Mandolin, Banjos & Bass… Just think of The Beverly Hillbillies!
• BBQ all evening
• Guided walk around the Knepp Estate starting from the Countryman at 5.30pm, and finishing back at the pub.
• Only £10 per person

More about Mid Summers Day, courtesy of Mysterious England: The festival is primarily a Celtic fire festival, representing the middle of summer, and the shortening of the days on their gradual march to winter. Midsummer is traditionally celebrated on either the 23rd or 24th of June, although the longest day actually falls on the 21st of June. The importance of the day to our ancestors can be traced back many thousands of years, and many stone circles and other ancient monuments are aligned to the sunrise on Midsummer’s Day. Probably the most famous alignment is that at Stonehenge, where the sun rises over the heel stone, framed by the giant trilithons on Midsummer morning.

Find out more about Blue Grass Music by clicking here.

So what are you waiting for? Call 01403 741383 to book your ticket.

Magog Morris Dance at Christs Hospital – Come and see them at The Countryman on Tuesday 25th May at 6.30pm

Believe it or not, another bank holiday (31st May) is just round the corner, and to celebrate the May Festival we are holding a special event. Yippee!

Come to The Countryman pub and restaurant in West Sussex and celebrate May festival of dance on Tuesday 25th May at 6.30pm in our famous garden. We will get the garden party going with Pimms, a hog roast, real ales and a giant Paella! OK, we know that Paella isn’t actually a traditional English dish. Think of this as a cosmopolitan evening at a traditional country pub!

Did you know?

A morris dance is an English choreographed folk dance accompanied by music. The morris dancers use props including bells, sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and tobacco pipes.

Morris dancing dates back to the 15th century, and has been popular to day in both the UK plus other countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, Cyprus, France and New Zealand. There is even the Artic Morris Group in Helskinki and Stockholm.

It is refreshing to know that English tradition is still popular abroad.

We look forward to seeing you at The Countryman very soon!

Alan Vaughan on the Jo Talbot Show, Radio Sussex

Catch up with Alan on BBC radio Sussex and Radio Surrey on ‘Dig It’ with Jo Talbot on Sunday 25th April.  Alan’s subject is called “From the plot to the plate” and it is on between 11.30am-12pm. This show is on BBC iPlayer, so if you miss it, Click here to log on.

You can meet Alan in person if you come on down to The Countryman! Experience fine country food, ales and wine at this beautiful West Sussex pub.

Horsham District Food and Drink Festival

It’s not long now until the Horsham District Food and Drink Festival 2009. It starts on 
5th September and runs until 4th October 2009.

You can take part in The Big Nibble in Horsham Carfax as well as stacks of other events. Pick up a programme of events from us here at The Countryman in Shipley.

More good news … We are celebrating this prestigious event by giving 10% discount on all Countryman purchases throughout the festival. You can enjoy the home grown produce in our restaurant while you are
watching the free roaming Longhorn Cattle & Exmoor Ponies.

We have added much more to our home grown produce:

• Countryman own label Jams & Chutney’s
• Pickles & Relishes
• Sussex Gold Salad Dressings

To book or reserve a table, call 01403 741383.

National Volunteer Week has really struck a chord with local publican and proprietor Alan Vaughan of the Countryman Inn situated in the rural village of Shipley, West Sussex.

Having recently acquired a small plot of land behind the popular country pub, Alan would like to extend his support to local volunteers’ by inviting them to and by way of thanking them, he has generously decided to provide the volunteers’ and members’ of their families’ with meal vouchers in return for labour hours’.

“I’m fully aware that Volunteers come from all walks of life, and I get upset when society pigeon holes these people because there are a variety of reasons why people are not working; as an active supporter of the Community, I feel that we should provide good old fashioned support for everyone and be less judgemental too”. “ I’m also protective of any Volunteers’ who may be on benefits, and since I don’t want to jeopardise their income have decided to provide my team with “on the menu meals”, because I further believe in a pound for a pound and I simply don’t have the time to prepare the land myself”.

Known for his vigilant support in the community, Alan is also part of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s land share scheme and a proactive supporter too of the “keeping it local campaign”.

In so, all produce is meticulously bought and gathered from local suppliers’ within a strict twenty mile radius of The Countryman Inn. Perhaps this is why the pub deservedly so, wins much praise and awards.

We have opportunities for Diggers, Recyclers, and all manner of usual tasks expected when preparing rural land and anyone who would like to volunteer their services should contact Alan Vaughan on:

01403 741383
countrymaninn@btopenworld.com
www.countrymanshipley.co.uk

Ends

We are listed under ‘Best Sussex Eating Experience’

This is the fourth year of the Sussex Food and Drink Awards!

We at The Countryman care about where our food comes from and want to support our local producers and farmers as much as possible, and these awards are intended to reward and encourage businesses like The Countryman, who use and promote our wonderful Sussex produce. Just some of our superb local suppliers are listed below.

Bough Cottage Farm
Downsview Farm
Bakers Farm
Cocoa Loco
Sean Hutchings
Bob Phillips
Crumbs Farm Shop
Steve Hardy’s Syswood Fruits
Brighton & Newhaven Fish Sales
D & D Selsey Fisheries
Dark Star Brewery