Food and Drink Around Southwold
If you love your food and drink, you’ll be spoilt for choice in and around Southwold. You can treat yourself to the finest local produce from land and sea in this ‘Foodies Paradise’.
We couldn’t possibly list all the taste sensations that the area has to offer in this page, but we’ve listed just a few recommendations. You can find more of our recommended food and drink experiences in the Places of Interest section of the website.
Catch of the Day
Being a coastal town, fresh fish is a firm favourite at many of the local eateries. At Blackshore Harbour you can actually watch the Sole Bay Fish Company land their catch. If you fancy frying a fishy yourself you can buy from their wonderful fish counter and take it back to your holiday cottage to cook, or if you prefer, why not order a seafood platter in their rustic and totally charming restaurant. If it’s good old fish and chips you crave, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Marks Fish and Chip Bar is on the High Street, just next door to George Orwell’s old house and is very popular, and Mrs T’s on the harbour serves beautifully fresh fish is the perfect surroundings.A little further afield in Pakefield, Lowestoft is local chef Mark Gee’s restaurant, The Tramway. This fish restaurant opened in 2015 and has a first class reputation. There’s seafood aplenty on the menu from potted shrimp to grilled skate wings, but there’s also a good choice of meat and vegetarian dishes.
Pack up a Picnic!
Whether it’s a tartan blanket in a stunning coastal setting, or a carpet picnic back at your Suffolk Secrets holiday cottage, a picnic is one of life’s treats, especially as there are so many wonderful places to buy delicious hamper delights.Black Olive delicatessen on Southwold High Street is sure to get your mouth watering with its sumptuous selection of speciality pies, antipasti, pastries, quiches, homemade soups and sandwiches. Just down the street is the town’s artisan bakery, Two Magpies. We just love their lavender and lemon shortbread and their scrumptious Bakewell Tart not to mention the meringues!
Get ‘Piggy’ with it!
Some say that there are more pigs in Suffolk than there are people. Whether this is true or not, we do know that the pigs are pretty tasty! You can’t come to Southwold without sampling some local Blythburgh pork. You’re bound to find a tasty dish at one of the many local restaurants, Sutherland House in Southwold, the Westleton Crown, Graze at the White Horse in Beccles to name just a few.Alternatively, local butcher Mills and Sons have retained their title of ‘Framlingham Sausagefest Champions’ for the last two years (2014 and 215) and have a tasty selection of pork bangers to fry up back at your holiday cottage.
All Hail to the Ale!
A holiday in Southwold just wouldn’t be the same without Adnams. Established in 1890, Adnams is a traditional brewing company situated in the heart of the town. There’s very few days that go by without the quite delicious hoppy smell of the beer making process filling the air of the Southwold streets.Beer has been brewed on the same site in Southwold since 1345 and things have changed enormously since then. Visitors can book a tour of the state-of-the-art brewery and sample some of the distinctive beers that are brewed here. Adnams also has a distillery and you can even make your own gin to take away as part of an Adnams Gin Experience Day.If you fancy sampling the locally brewed ale in a traditional Suffolk pub, you’ll be spoilt for choice. The Sole Bay, the Lord Nelson, The Red Lion – take your pick in Southwold, ideal if your holiday cottage is in the town. Away from Southwold itself, Blythburgh is home to the White Hart. With views over the estuary, this 16th Century pub is well located for country walks.
Time for Tea
There’s something quite luxurious about an afternoon tea. Perhaps it’s the fine china cups and fresh leaf tea, or the fact that time doesn’t seem to matter as you savour each and every bite over a relaxed hour or two.Perhaps the most iconic place to enjoy afternoon tea is The Swan Hotel, which takes pride of place in Southwold’s market place. Stylish and traditional a visit to The Swan is a real luxury. For afternoon tea ‘alfresco’ why not pop over the river to Walberswick and enjoy a cup of English breakfast tea and scones with jam and cream at The Potter’s Wheel Tearooms on the village green.
