THIS year’s Bournemouth Food and Drink Festival, marks the launch of the first-ever Big Restaurant Hop.

Hosted by the new Sustainable Food City Partnership, the Hops will help you discover the finest sustainable food on offer across the town.

The Hops run from June 23 to 26, with each night focusing on four restaurants in a different area – Westbourne, West Cliff, East Cliff and Boscombe.

The Hops start at 7pm with a selection of canapés and a cocktail at the first restaurant, guests then move on for a starter at the next, mains at the third restaurant and dessert and an aperitif at a final location to end the night.

The Westbourne restaurants have focused on diversity with chefs at the Libertine hosting the main course of slow-cooked local shin of beef in their old forge.

Tuesday takes the Hop to West Cliff where the restaurants have made the most of their coastal location to offer a seafood menu including Lyme Bay hand dived scallops, fresh pea, cured pork cheek, ricotta and egg yolk dressing served as a starter by the Highcliff Grill.

The following night is an exploration of hotel restaurants. Aruba at the Green House Hotel is providing a main of Pork Tenderloin Fillet with Squash and Sage Barley Risotto accompanied by Andrew of English Oak Vineyards giving everyone their first taste of his new 2010 vintage wine. The night will end with a desert buffet and liquors overlooking the sea at the Miramar Hotel, pictured right.

The Hops will then climax in Boscombe on Thursday night focusing on the area’s amazing beach culture with live music at Urban Beach for the main course of pan fried breast of chicken, dauphinoise potatoes, ragout of peas, lettuce and bacon, creamy chive and grain mustard sauce. Sarah Watson from the Sustainable Food City Partnership said: “We’re delighted to be working with such great restaurants and being able to add to the events and activities going on during the Food Festival, which are focusing on sustainable food. “I hope we are providing something a little bit different for people and helping them explore new places to eat that they might not have tried.”

Places are limited. To book visit bfdf.co.uk