Cider, sea bream and Brighton Blue: West Sussex wonders recommended by Gravetye Manor chef George Blogg

Gravetye Manor’s Michelin-starred head chef George Blogg, who earned his stripes at The Square in Mayfair and Le Champignon Sauvage in Gloucestershire, takes seasonal food, foraged and kitchen garden produce very seriously indeed.

The grounds of the 16th century country house hotel, within easy driving distance of Glyndebourne and the botanic gardens at Wakehurst Place, are considered some of the most influential in English gardening history.

When he’s not at work in the kitchen, Blogg can be found at his favourite Sussex farm shops, or enjoying a day out at National Trust properties such as Standon House and Garden with his six-month-old son. “They have magnificent ancient apple trees,” he says.

Here are his other local recommendations.

VILLAGE PUB

"The head chef Alex Jacquemin at The Cat in West Hoathly serves consistently good food. It has a lovely atmosphere: down-to-earth, unpretentious and friendly. I just have a main course, as the portions are large. I recommend the fish dishes on the specials board, which are simply, beautifully cooked.

"At the moment I’m drinking Old Man from the Long Man Brewery, a dark Sussex ale that’s only brewed during winter. They have a pint they call the Mother-in-Law as well - my mother in law is lovely, I’d just like to say - but the joke is that it’s old and bitter, as it’s half a pint of Old Sussex and half a pint of Sussex bitter. West Hoathly is a quaint village close to Gravetye, with street fêtes and a church."

Cat Inn, North Lane, West Hoathly RH19 4PP; 01342 810369; catinn.co.uk

CATCH OF THE DAY

"There’s an excellent fishmonger in Hove run by a fisherman’s corporation, called Brighton Newhaven Fish Sales. It’s right next to where the boats land and the fish is awesome, the best you can buy anywhere. They supply restaurants like Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester and The Ledbury. Environmentally and morally, they’re an excellent operation, since they only have boats that are less than 10m long and don’t tear up the sea bed with a massive trawler.

"They’re targeted to specific, sustainable fish species. The fishermen get paid the proper wage, and there’s no middle man at all. I’m quite spontaneous, but at the moment the gurnard is incredible - it’s such a great fish. It’s meaty, and you can use the bones for beautiful stocks. It’s the bouillabaisse fish of choice for the French. Soon, we’ll have bream and cuttlefish coming in."

Basin Road, Portslade, Brighton BN41 1WF;  01273 414707; brighton-fish-sales.co.uk

CHEESE

"Not far from Brighton Newhaven Fish Sales, there’s a warehouse called The Cheese Man. They supply the industry, but they’ve just opened a counter within the warehouse where the general public can go and buy cheese. They’re huge supporters of local cheeses: they stock about 250 British cheeses, from Sussex, Kent and Hampshire.

"I like the Brighton Blue from High Weald Dairy, which just won a Super Gold in the International Cheese Awards. The Brother Michael is good too. It’s a brine-washed cheese, a little pungent, but quite light. It’s got a lovely balance of creaminess, acidity, and salinity, as a blue cheese should have - but it’s not like a Stilton. It’s a good lunchtime cheese, just as Taittinger is more of a lunchtime drink than Bollinger."

High Weald Dairy, Tremaines Farm, Lewes Road, Haywards Heath RH17 7EA; 01825 791636; highwealddairy.co.uk

FROM THE FARM

"Plaw Hatch Farm on the edge of Ashdown Forest is a biodynamic farm with a dairy herd and is lovely to visit. You can buy its raw milk, cheeses, yoghurts, kefir and cream, as well as fruit and vegetables, eggs and organic yarn. Another is Grange Farm, which is more game-oriented and champions local produce from the  Balcombe Estate. They have fantastic roe venison and wood pigeon, which is also found at Gravetye.

"Trenchmore Farm is another really cool producer: it’s not open to the public, but they make amazing unpasteurised Sussex farmhouse sparkling cider called Silly Moo. The farmer, Andrew Knowles, is a passionate farmer, rears wagyu and Angus beef crossed with Sussex cows. He’s a real local hero."

Plawhatch Lane, Sharpthorne, East Grinstead RH19 4JL; 01342 810201; plawhatchfarm.co.uk