Nostos wins the Dogs Dinner, a chefs' contest for canine critics, by one point

Nostos won this year’s Dogs Dinner competition by one point, with a snack built on a meat broth. Four local kitchens made dog treats for a panel of canine critics on Saturday 10 October, on the terrace of Cecconi’s at Brighton Beach House on Marine Parade.

The vet Dr Marc Abraham OBE, who is based at Mewes Vets in Rottingdean, hosted the annual event with the food and drink group BITE Sussex^1,3,4. Boho Gelato, Nostos, Soho House and The Winkle each brought a bite-sized snack. The entries included venison biscuits, pumpkin and chicken crackers, vegan frozen treats and doggy fruit pancakes. The dogs’ humans helped with the scoring, and Andrew Kay from Latest TV checked the result.

In 2025 the winner was chef Adriana Rios from Soho House, and Nostos in Palmeira Square was among the entries. This year’s bowl was designed by the Pottery Painting Café in North Laine.

“We spent days perfecting the meat broth for our autumn-inspired dog treats, so it’s wonderful to see our four-legged judges approve,” said Kyriakos Baxevanis of Nostos.

“Many venues say that they’re dog-friendly but on arrival are barely dog-tolerant,” Dr Marc Abraham said.

Owners had pastries and coffee on the terrace, and the money went to RSPCA Brighton. The sponsor, Creature Clothes Store on Bond Street, gave each dog a handmade rainbow bandana.

BITE Sussex’s next event is a Waiters Race on Thursday 15 October at Brighton Racecourse. Bartenders and waiters from around the city will race over 200 metres with a tray of food and drink, to open the last raceday of the flat season. Racegoers can bet on a waiter, with proceeds going to the Justlife charity.