The Sidedoor Blog

RNLI kicks off a new Summer SIDEDOOR!

2011-12-17T04:44:00.012-08:00

We've decided that from now on, as well as the Christmas event, there will now be a summer fundraiser SIDEDOOR.

This year's summer SIDEDOOR will be on Friday June 15th. The fundraiser for 2012 will be for the RNLI new lifeboat. Half of all ticket sales will go directly towards this great cause.

We have an amazing band to entertain us for the evening "Sue Rivers and The Good Times". There's the wonderful voice of Sue Rivers with Jo Fooks on saxophone, Jim Treweek on electric piano, Pete Ringrose on bass and Buster Birch on drums. We've been fortunate enough to have this band before at SIDEDOOR and we know that you'll enjoy them. www.suerivers.com

The menu for 15th June will be published asap, but for now, rest assured that the food for SIDEDOOR in June will be up to the same standard as usual i.e a superb and truly delicious three course meal. Please let the hotel know your menu choices in advance to avoid wastage.

SIDEDOOR nights are always terrific fun, as our regulars know, but being able to raise money at the same time is a great way to support charity.

Tickets are £30. Get yours booked soon! For tickets and to give menu choices please contact The Afton Hotel on 01323 733162.

CHRISTMAS SIDEDOOR 9TH DECEMBER 2011

2011-12-17T04:33:00.000-08:00

The evening was a fantastic success and a great time was had by all. The food was superb and the band played several encores because no-one wanted the evening to end. This is what SIDEDOOR is all about!

CHRISTMAS SIDEDOOR FRIDAY 9TH DECEMBER 2011

2011-07-01T02:09:00.000-07:00

Friday 9th December is the date for our SIDEDOOR Christmas party night and it's going to be fantastic. On stage we have Kit Packham's superb band 'ONE JUMP AHEAD' This is a band which presents an irresistible blend of jazz and blues with swing and jump-jive styles, generating a highly charged atmosphere aimed at the feet! www.onejumpahead.co.uk

Tickets are £23 and they sell well in advance for this event, so get yours booked soon. Either pop into The Afton Hotel in Cavendish Place or telephone on 01323 733162. You also need to give your menu choices for the evening in advance of the evening. Our chef, Ross, has done us proud yet again with a delicious menu. Make you choices from the following:

Duck & Orange Pate served with fingers of Granary Toast

Chilled Melon Slices garnished with Forest Fruits

Asparagus Soup finished with Cream & Chives

******

Traditional Roast Turkey, Chipolata Bacon Roll, Stuffing & Cranberry Sauce

Sirloin of Beef, Roasted Vegetables & Red Wine Jus

Warm Goats Cheese Salad & Cranberry Relish (V)

******

Christmas Pudding served with Brandy Sauce

Chocolate Fudge Gateau with Ice Cream

Selection of Cheese & Biscuits

Chef's Winter Compote topped with Creme Fraiche.

******

Coffee & Mints.

FRIDAY MARCH 11TH

2011-01-11T03:18:00.000-08:00

The 'Tarbabies' will be back on stage for our next SIDEDOOR on Friday 11th March !!

This popular band produces a brilliant blend of all the great sounds from the late 60's to 70's including 'The Who', 'The Beatles', 'The Rolling Stones', 'Monkees','Doors' and many more.

As well as music guaranteed to get your feet tapping, there's a delicious three course meal included. We've even been able to reduce the cost of a ticket to only £20!! We can do this by changing things a little. In future, we'd like everyone to let us know their menu choices in advance. This way we can minimise wasting food and pass on the saving to you !

Please choose from the following:
White Bean and Pancetta Soup with Crusty Garlic Croutons
or
Thousand Island Grapefruit with Prawns.
******
Slow Cooked Beef Steaks in Wine, Paprika and Bulgar Wheat
or
Breaded Plaice Strips with Lemon Worcester Sauce and Red Coleslaw
or
Cranberry and Brie Wellington (V).
******
Profiteroles with Cream and Caramel Sauce
or
Chesse and Biscuits.
******
Coffee and Mints.

Contact The Afton Hotel to order your tickets and to give your menu choices on 01323 733162 or email marcogiorgi@hotmail.co.uk.

Christmas Party 2010

2010-12-13T01:35:00.000-08:00

'The Good Times' certainly gave us a brilliant time on Friday evening December 10th!

Sue Rivers was amazing as always, accompanied by the rest of this accomplished band: Pete Ringrose on bass, Jo Fooks on sax, Buster Birch on drums and Jim Treweek on keyboards.

Thanks also to Ross our chef for producing yet another yummie dinner for us all to enjoy - the banana pud was the stuff of legends!

Don't forget to book your tickets early for the next SIDEDOOR on Friday 11th March 2011. Tickets will be only £20 for the same quality evening of good live music and a superb three course meal. On stage will be the popular 'Tarbabies'.

We have decided to minimise a waste of food and reduce ticket prices by requesting that people place their menu choices in advance of the evening. The menu will be available for the next SIDEDOOR on this blog shortly. To buy tickets and place your menu choice, please contact 'The Afton Hotel' on 01323 733162.

CHRISTMAS PARTY NIGHT 2010

2010-10-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

Well it's that time of year again and this year's Christmas Party on Friday 10th December promises to be a good as ever.

On stage we have the wonderful Sue Rivers and 'The Good Times !' (www.thegoodtimes.co.uk).

This is a versatile and experienced band which produces an impressive wealth of music to listen or dance to. Sue Rivers has a beautiful mellow voice and she is renowned for her musicality (www.suerivers.com). Available on the night will be Sue's brand new CD ' From the very Start' which features some wonderful arrangements - perfect as a memento of a great night or that extra Christmas gift!

There is also a delicious seasonal menu to look forward to. Please make your choices from:

ASPARAGUS & AVOCADO SALAD WITH HONEY,GINGER & BASIL.

CHORIZO TOMATO BUTTER BEANS.

******

LOCAL FREE RANGE TURKEY WITH CHESTNUT AND CRANBERRY STUFFING,

DRESSED SPROUTS, CHATEAU POTATOES.

GRILLED SEA BASS FILLET, PETIT POIS VELOUTE, DUPHIN POTATOES, PRAWN BUTTER.

VEGETARIAN POT AU FEU.

******

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PUDDING.

BANANA RUM TOFFEE TATIN, CREME FRAICHE.

CHEESE & BISCUITS.

******

COFFEE & MINTS.

Tickets are £25 and there are still a few left. To buy tickets or to order your menu, please telephone The Afton Hotel on 01323 733162 or email marco@sidedoorafton.co.uk.

3rd BIRTHDAY PARTY PHOTOS from FRIDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER 2010

2010-09-13T04:38:00.000-07:00

SIDEDOOR'S THIRD BIRTHDAY

2010-06-25T04:10:00.000-07:00

The next SIDEDOOR on Friday 10th September is its third birthday!

To celebrate, we've reduced all tickets to £20. Lots of people have got their tickets already so its going to be a fun-filled evening that rocks in true SIDEDOOR style. Get yours soon!

On Stage is the popular 'SEYMOUR'S JUMP', a band which produces a special blend of high energy Swing, Jump Jive, Rhythm & blues, Rock & Roll along with Hot Jazz and Smooth Soul.

'SEYMOUR'S JUMP' played at our very first SIDEDOOR back in September 2007 and we're thrilled they're able to join us for our party.

Ross our chef, has created a menu for the evening which will not disappoint. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements. The choices are:

Chicken Liver Parfait & Apple Chutney Granary Toast

Pumpkin & Cumin soup with Carrot Tuile (v)

******

Grilled Beef Fillet, Wild Mushrooms & Port Mustard Mash

Delice of Salmon with a Herb & Pinenut Crust

Medeteranean Vegetable Tart with Dolcelatte (v)

******

Rustic Chocolate Gateau & Cream Chantilly

Trio of Strawberries, Jelly, Salamis & Sorbet

Selection of Cheese & Biscuits

******

FRIDAY 11TH JUNE

2010-04-12T04:11:00.000-07:00

For our June SIDEDOOR, 'SUE RIVERS' will be performing with 'THE GOOD TIMES !' in a truely professional style. Sue is known for her musicality, her natural mellow tone and the sheer emotion she pours into her performance. The versatile and experienced band, with bass, drums, sax and piano, produces an impressive wealth of fantastic music to dance to or just listen to. You can check out the band's website at http://www.thegoodtimes.co.uk/.
Tickets will have an 'earlybird' discount of 10% if booked before the end of 29th May, making them only £22.50 for what will be a great evening! Some people have had a little trouble getting tickets through 'paypal' so it's best to obtain yours by telephoning 01323 733162, or by calling in at the reception of 'The Afton Hotel'.

The menu for the evening is a choice of ...................

Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Egg & Chives

Caribbean Fruit Cup.

********

Roast Duck Breast, Vanilla & Lime Mash with Pomegranate Sauce

Grilled Sea Bass Fillet with Spinach Pine Nut Crust & Tomato Concasse

Butternut Squash Mediterranean Couscous (V).

********

Poached Pear, Mascarpone Red Fruit Jelly

Steamed Treacle Sponge, Custard & Clotted Cream Ice-cream

Cheese & Biscuits.

********

Coffee & Mints.

MARCH SIDEDOOR

2010-03-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Were you caught on camera during our SIDEDOOR evening on March 12th?

The evening produced the same fun and frolics we always look forward to at 'SIDEDOOR' and the standard of musicianship was superb from the incredible 'TARBABIES' . Jools Dunkley certainly knows how to get us up on the dance floor, producing a wealth of great music from the 60's and 70's.

Other SIDEDOOR events to look forward to are 'THE SUE RIVERS BAND' on June 11th, and 'SEYMOURS JUMP' on September 10th (which will be SIDEDOOR'S third birthday!).

Tickets are offered at a 10% discount for both these events up to two weeks before the night.

They can be booked from 'The Afton Hotel' on 01323 733162.

FRIDAY 12th MARCH 2010

2010-01-12T03:15:00.000-08:00

The 'TARBABIES' are back !!! This is a great band who are well known for their versatile and professional musicianship. It's guaranteed to be a fun night so get your tickets booked soon, while you can still take advantage of the earlybird offer of 10% 0ff the price (until Friday 26th February. Please note, the 10% will be returned at the door if tickets purchased on-line).

Ross, our chef, has come up with another irresistible menu for us to enjoy:

GALIA MELON, SLICES PASSION FRUIT COULIS and KIWI FRUITS

BREADED SCALLOPS with HALOUMI, ROQUETTE with BERNAISE SAUCE.

**********

GRILLED NOISETTES of LAMB CHAMPVALLON

BAKED SALMON SLICE EN PAPILOTTE, LA RATTE POTATOES and ASPARAGUS

SLOW ROAST PEPPERS and SHALLOT TATIN with STILTON CREAM (V)

**********

SOUFFLE RICE PUDDING, STRAWBERRY and CLOTTED CREAM

RASPBERRY PANNACOTTA SURPRISE

CHEESE and BISCUITS

**********

COFFEE and MINTS.

PLEASE LET US KNOW OF ANY SPECIAL DIETRY REQUIREMENTS.

CHRISTMAS SIDEDOOR 2009

2009-12-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic evening! The food was scrumptious, the wine flowed and people boogied the night away to the fantastic sounds of 'The Kit Packham Band'. We almost didn't let him go home at the midnight hour!! No-one wanted the fun to end.

Above are some pics from December SIDEDOOR. We'd like to wish our fellow SIDEDOORERS a very happy Christmas and many best wishes for 2010, Marco and Cathy.

We had to disappoint people who wanted to come to SIDEDOOR in December because we got sold out early. Three months seems like a long time away but tickets are already being sold for the next SIDEDOOR on FRIDAY 12 th MARCH. Don't miss out on what promises to be an equally fun night, with 'TARBABIES'. An enjoyable band who offer great music from the entire '64-'73 era. Of course our chef Ross will delight us with another superb menu for dinner - and even better, if you book before 26th February, there's 10% off the ticket price!!! So book soon at 01323 733162 or on this secure website.

FRIDAY 11TH DECEMBER

2009-09-16T04:46:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a fun night with KIT PACKHAM'S 'ONE JUMP AHEAD' on stage. This is a band which has an irresistable blend of great swing standards, 'Rat pack' numbers, jump jive, rhythm & Blues, 1960's soul hits and much more. It's a band which generates a highly charged atmosphere that really lets the good times roll - perfect for our Christmas SIDEDOOR!
As well as all this, there'll be a delicious seasonal menu created by our very own chef Ross.
There is a choice on the menu of:-

Smoked Trout, Apples, Grapes and Orange Yoghurt with Horseradish
or
Celeriac and Stilton Soup with Onion Fritter.
*****
Roast Turkey Breast, Chestnut Smoked Bacon, Black Pudding with Fondant Potatoes
or
Grilled Monkfish, Saute Potatoes, Red Cabbage, Sampire, Roasting Juices
or
Vegetarian Mixed Grill.
*****
Homemade Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce
or
Tropical Fuits with Coconut Ice-cream
or
Cheese & Biscuits.
*****
Coffee & Mints.

Tickets (£25) as always from this secure site or from The Afton Hotel, 2-8 Cavendish Place, Eastbourne, BN21 3EJ. Tel: 01323 733162.

SEPTEMBER SIDEDOOR

2009-09-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

SIDEDOOR SUMMER MADNESS!

2009-08-27T03:16:00.000-07:00

To clebrate the end of summer we've decided to continue our 10% discount on all tickets purchased, right up until the evening itself, Friday 11th September! So for only £22.50 everyone gets a chance to enjoy the wonderful Sue Rivers Band and a delicious three course dinner.
Not only that, but if you were a bucket collector for Airbourne you qualify for a ticket at £15 .............just as a 'thank you'!!!!
We hope to see you at what promises to be another great SIDEDOOR evening,
Marco & Cathy.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH

2009-06-22T02:10:00.000-07:00

SIDEDOOR in September is going to be another great evening. On stage is the wonderful
' SUE RIVERS BAND' featuring bass, drums, sax and piano. Sue is known for her musicality, her natural mellow tone and the sheer emotion she pours into her performance. This is a classy band who deliver an entertaining and professional selection of fantastic music to listen or dance to. Earlybirds will get 10% off ticket price with tickets purchased before 28th August. This makes an evening of great music and a superb dinner only £22.50 so get your tickets bought soon! Telephone The Afton Hotel (01323 733162) or just click on 'buy tickets' section on this website. The 10% will be refunded at the door for tickets bought on-line.
The menu for the evening is:

Grilled Goats Cheese Croute with Beetroot Salad or
Melon & Mango Cocktail with Kiwi Fruit Liqueur
******
Medallion of Beef with Garlic Mash, Turned Carrots & Poivre Sauce or
Grilled Salmon Fillet cooked in Fennel, Sweet Potato, finished with Dill Butter Sauce or
Roast Vegetable Frittata with Saute Potatoes and Salsa Verde (v)
******
Autumn Fruit Jelly or
Jam Roly Poly with custard or
Cheese and Biscuits
******
Coffee & Mints.

PICTURES FROM 12TH JUNE SIDEDOOR WITH THE AMAZING 'TARBABIES' !

2009-06-22T02:03:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY 12th JUNE - THE TARBABIES!

2009-03-19T02:33:00.000-07:00

A great evening is planned for our SIDEDOOR on Friday 12th June. We have a band playing that captures the whole thing, the attitude, style, sounds, the excitement and even..............the smells of the sixties!! THE TARBABIES are The Beatles, The Move, The Monkees, Rolling Stones, Animals, Doors..........and more. THE TARBABIES are a band that is a tribute to the entire '64 - '73 experience.
Tickets are available from this secure website (click on the link 'buy tickets' which should take you to 'paypal') or just telephone The Afton Hotel on 01323 733162. Tickets are usually £25 to include a fabulous three course dinner (7.45 for 8pm) or £10 to just hear the band (from 9pm). There's another earlybird offer this month. If you buy your tickets before 29th May, there's 10% off!!! At £22.50 this is too good to miss! (Tickets Bought via paypal will have the 10% refunded at the door where your tickets will be held for collection).

OUR MENU FOR THE EVENING:
Roasted Pear & Roquefort Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette or
Jacket Potato soup with Chives & Cream.
******
Pan Fried Chicken Breast with Smoked Paprika Rosti and Olive & Tomato Compote or
Grilled Sea Bass with Wilted Spinach, Mustard mash & Mussels finished with a Saffron wine Cream or
Cauliflower Cheese & Potato Bake with Red Onion Tatin.
******
Toffee & Baileys Mousse Bioche or
Bread & Butter Pudding with Kirsch Anglaise & Plum Compote or
Cheese Selection.
******
Coffee & Mints.

SIDEDOORS OLD (Dec 08) and NEW (March 09) (Scroll down past pictures for details of the next SIDEDOOR)

2008-12-19T01:43:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed another great party night on Friday 12th December with 'The Sue Rivers Band'. The band was fantastic and when the midnight hour struck, no-one wanted it to end. Check out the photos above. The party continues on Friday 13th March 2009. At SIDEDOOR we follow the ancient Chinese in considering this date as lucky! It's certainly going to be lucky for us because we have the wonderful 'Seymour's Jump' back to entertain us. If you haven't already heard this band, then you've a treat in store. With swing, jump jive and boogie styles, they'll have you rocking with all the favourites old and new. As well as wonderful music, we'll have another of Ross's delectable dinners to delight our tastebuds! Also, if you buy your tickets before Ist March, there's 10% off!!! At £22.50, this is a quality evening that can't be missed - but if you just want to come for the band, you can buy a £10 ticket and arrive anytime from 9pm. Tickets are available from this secure website or The Afton Hotel 01323 733162. For those that can't resist the great food that SIDEDOOR has become famous for, the following menu will be available:

Smoked Haddock Croute topped with a Poached Egg.
Roasted Vegetables and Cous-Cous with Roquette and Watercress (v)
******
Herb and Garlic Pot Roasted Leg of Lamb with Potato and Onion Hash and Caper and Mint Relish.
Cod Loin Steak with Sweet Potatoes, Pea Puree and Oyster Mushrooms.
Butternut Squash Risotto (v).
******
Fruit of the Forest Pudding with a Mixed Berry Frozen Yoghurt.
Tiramisu Ammaretti.
Cheese and Biscuits.
******
Coffee and Mints.

CHRISTMAS AT SIDEDOOR

2008-09-18T01:48:00.002-07:00

The Christmas party at SIDEDOOR on Friday 12th December is going to be the biggest SIDEDOOR event yet! It's almost full to capacity but there's still a few tickets available so get them booked! (01323 733162). No earlybird tickets this time I'm afraid, but the evening will still be incredible value for money, with Ross's superb menu choices as well as the wonderful 'Sue Rivers Band' to entertain us. Sue played at SIDEDOOR in March and we had a fantastastic night. This band is a good example of the excellent quality of live music that we've come to expect at SIDEDOOR. This is going to be a Christmas party to remember!
The menu will have the following choices:

MEDITTERANEAN TUNA SALAD WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE
or CREAMED MUSHROOMS WITH GARLIC (V)
********
ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH SAGE MASH SAUEKRAUT & FRANKFURTER
or VENISON RAGOUT WITH APPLES, GRAPES & PORT
or GRILLED SALMON SLICE, POTATO & CHIVE WARM SALAD & PEPPER TOMATO SALSA
********
CABINET PUDDING WITH KIRSCH & CREME ANGLAISE
or POACHED PEAR WITH BRANDY SNAP, BUTTERSCOTCH & CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE
or SELECTION OF CHEESE & BISCUITS
********
COFFEE & MINTS.

SEPTEMBER'S SIDEDOOR PARTY

2008-09-18T01:48:00.000-07:00

What a great party we all had on 12th September. The band were fun, professional and entertaining, the food scrumptious and the wine flowed......................above are a few pictures to prove it!

FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER

2008-06-27T02:28:00.000-07:00

There is a wonderful evening coming up for our SIDEDOOR event in September. We have a class band booked. Relax, dine and dance to an eclectic cocktail of Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Van Morrison, Diana Krall and much more of the best music of the last century.
For our dining pleasure, the following choices are available:

Double Roasted Sticky Pork Ribs
or
Smoked Salmon & Avocado with Oak Leaf, Lollo Blondo & Chive Sour Cream
******
Pan Fried Chicken Breast with Roquefort & Lemon
or
Grilled Hake Fillet with Butter Beans & Chorizo & Pea Puree
or
Caramelised Red Onion, Pepper & Goats Cheese Filo Basket with Pesto (V)
******
Strawberry, Rhubarb & Banana Crostata with Vanilla Ice-Cream
or
Snow Eggs
or
Cheese & Biscuits

Tickets as usual are £25, although if you buy them before Friday August 15th, there's a 10% discount, making them fantastic value. They're available from The Afton Hotel reception (01323 733162), the Tourist Information Centre or this secure SIDEDOOR website.

We've seen this band before and can assure you they're not to be missed!
Hope to see you there, Marco and Cathy.

from the (almost) midsummer party...................................

2008-06-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

.......................................a few pics including Ali and his lovely boys (who deliver yummie fruit & veg to The Afton Hotel), also the birthday party having a bop. Apologies for the poor quality of piccys this month - the photographers were having toooooooo good a time! So will you, if you come to the next SIDEDOOR evening, which will be on Friday 12th September. We're just waiting to confirm the band, but you can be sure that the music and food will be of the same high standard as usual and don't forget - if you book your tickets upto a month before the event, you get a fantastic 10% off!!

SIDEDOOR ON FRIDAY 13TH JUNE

2008-03-31T04:19:00.000-07:00

'Those who came to SIDEDOOR back in January will remember what a fantastic night we all had. This band is a tribute to the entire '64-'73 experience. They capture the whole thing, the attitude, style, sounds, the excitement and even ....................the smells of the 60's! this band are the Beatles, the Move, The Monkees, Rolling Stones, Animals, Doors.....................................and more. They're great to either listen or dance to.
Included in the ticket price of £25 will be the usual delectable dinner cooked by our talented chef, Ross, which offers several choices for each of the three courses. This is going to be a wonderful evening to look forward to, so get your tickets booked soon. Earlybirds are rewarded with a 10% discount if tickets are purchased before 16th May which is fantastic value! They're available from this secure site, The Afton Hotel reception (01323 733162), or from The Tourist Information Centre in Eastbourne. We'll look forward to seeing you there!
Marco and Cathy.
The menu is:
Greek Style Mushroom Salad or
Duo of Melon with Forest Fruits and Rose Water Foam
***********
Grilled Beef Medalions with Red Cabbage, Broad Bean and Tarragon Salad or
Steamed Halibut Steaks with Asparagus, Poached Egg, finished with Classic Vinaigrette or
Spinach and Riccotta Lumaconi (V)
************
Raspberry Mille Feuille with Classic Coulis or
Lemon Cheesecake with Passionfruit or
A Selection of Cheeses
************
Coffee and Mints.

FRIDAY 13TH JUNE..........

2008-03-16T04:29:00.000-07:00

Unlucky for some? According to the therapist Dr Donald Dossey, who treats people who have an irrational fear of the date, if you can pronounce what it's called, you'll be cured! it's............'paraskavedekatnaphobia' !!! Or you could follow in the footsteps of those from ancient Egypt and China who considered the number 13 to be lucky.
Anyway, you can be sure that SIDEDOOR on Friday 13th June is going to be a great night. There's no luck involved, just great live music and delicious food! We are still waiting for the band to be confirmed but whoever it is, you can be certain of the same high standard of musicianship that we've come to expect at SIDEDOOR. Ross the chef will also be producing yet another of his legendary three course dinners, so make sure you put the date into your diaries, get those tickets bought and be certain of a terrific SIDEDOOR party!