PHOTOGRAPHS: Getty, Photolibrary
Foodie at home Eating Out
Seaside and smugglers, award-winning restaurants and vintage kitchen fi nds make Rye in East Sussex a great destination for coast-loving foodies
GET YOUR BEARINGS Rye is one of the medieval Cinque Ports. It was once surrounded on three sides by the sea, but the coast has slowly silted up since the 16th century and the 4,000-population town is now just two miles from open water.
WHY VISIT? Rye has enchanting cobbled streets, a mediaeval church and beautifully preserved historic houses from the same era, as well as from Tudor and Georgian times. It’s compact enough to do in a weekend but with plenty of secret treasures for a longer stay.
WHERE TO STAY The George (thegeorgeinrye. com 01797 222114) has 24 individually designed bedrooms. The building dates from 1575 and has an original Georgian ballroom. The newly extended restaurant has just reopened, and Head Chef Andrew Billings prides himself on his fresh, seasonal and locally sourced menu. Much of the fi sh and seafood is caught by Rye Bay’s trawlers.
WHERE TO DRINK The Mermaid Inn (
mermaidinn.com 01797 223065) is one of England’s oldest and loveliest inns. Rebuilt in 1420, it has Norman cellars dating back to 1156 and an open log fi replace among the largest in England. There’s a priest’s hole in the chimney breast from days when it was illegal for Catholics to preach.
WHERE TO SHOP The team at Rye Deli (ryedeli.
co.uk 01797 226521) cook their food on the
Strand Quay hosts some exquisite kitchenware
F…Rye, East Sussex oodie away…
premises and add to the range constantly to refl ect the bounty of fresh ingredients from nearby producers. Stock up on kitchenware at independent cook shop Ironmongers Extraordinary (ironmongers-extraordinary.
co.uk 01797 222110). Pay a visit to the stalls on Strand Quay, a treasure trove of collectable vintage kitchen equipment, crockery and textiles. Foodie snapped up some antique fruit salad servers and spotted a pair of food stylists shopping for props for a shoot.
KEEPING THE CHILDREN HAPPY Visit Rye Castle museum (
ryemuseum.co.uk 01797 226728) to see an original smuggler’s lantern. The tower at St Mary’s Church (
ryeparishchurch.org.uk) is worth the climb for the views, particularly if you have older children who need exhausting, and there’s a miniature railway (
rhdr.org.uk 01797 362353), which leaves from the nearby town of Hythe.
WHERE TO EAT The kitchen at the Gallivant Hotel (
thegallivanthotel.com (01797 22505), Camber, is headed up by Bruce Wilson, formerly of Mayfair’s Michelin-starred Greenhouse restaurant. Indulge in dishes like the Sussex Black Leg chicken with celeriac chip
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and parsley butter in The Bistro, or head outside for a burger at the Beach Café.
MEET LOCAL SUPPLIERS AND PRODUCERS The Rye Farmers’ Market is every Wednesday on Strand Quay, while Rye Country Market (Fridays at the Community Centre) is great for cakes, preserves, unusual plants and handmade crafts.
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY The 40th Rye Arts Festival (10-25 September) has literary events, music and art. Rye Bay Scallop Week takes place in February (date for 2012 to be confi rmed).
WHERE TO WALK The seven-mile picture-perfect beach at Camber Sands is just three miles away.
Gallivant in Camber
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