Shotley Peninsula - Food and Drink
The area at the southern tip of the Suffolk coast known as the Shotley Peninsula is a fabulous place to sample locally caught seafood and locally sourced produce. From riverside pubs, to fabulous food halls, our foodies guide to the Shotley Peninsula is sure to whet the appetite!
The Shotley Peninsula has a very popular riverside pub called The Butt and Oyster Pub at Pin Mill. This is definitely a staff favourite and is a great place to visit at the weekend or during your Suffolk holiday! The Butt and Oyster has been welcoming bargemen for years and is so named as historically, the River Orwell’s oyster fisheries had a booming trading and used to export this salty shellfish far and wide. Today this pub still has an atmospheric nautical feel to it and is a great place to relax with a drink whilst you watch iconic red-sailed Thames Barges cruising up and down the river. It has a great seafood menu and is the perfect place to retire to after a day out discovering some lovely Pin Mill walks.
Their seasonal menu also features pub staples such as steaks, burgers and vegetarian options but also has a sandwich menu featuring some delicious fillings such as Crayfish with lemon and dill mayo or Duck with honey mustard dressing. If you are visiting the Butt and Oyster with the whole family, look out for the children’s menu which offers a great choice of meals for the little ones!
There are several other pubs in the Shotley Peninsula including the Gardener’s Arms in Stutton plus two pubs right in Shotley itself: The Bristol Arms and The Shipwreck.
If you have a passion for selecting your own delicious food to cook at home, a visit to The Suffolk Food Hall in Wherstead (underneath the Orwell Bridge near Ipswich) is a must. The Suffolk Food Hall stocks an extensive range of locally sourced fruit and vegetables and also offers a selection of home-baked cakes, biscuits, marinades, specialist oils, local beers and fine wines. The premises also include an artisan Bakery, Crystal Waters Fishmongers, an impressive delicatessen and Leonidas - The Belgian Chocolatier. Note: don't forget to visit the Butchery Counter at the Suffolk Food Hall and check for current offers available to Suffolk Secrets' customers. Previous offers have included a free Suffolk Taster Meat Pack for all visitors to the counter - with no obligation to purchase necessary!
For local farmers markets, don’t forget to visit Jimmy’s Farm on the first Saturday of each month. Jimmy’s Farm, owned by TV Chef Jimmy Doherty, is located close to the Orwell Bridge at Wherstead and is a fantastic place to visit with the whole family. It is a working farm with a butchery stocking home-reared free range pig, beef, lamb, dry-cured bacon and hickory smoked bacon. The butchery also stocks its own homemade sausages which were voted "Britain's Top 10 Sausage" by The Independent. The onsite farm shop also stocks many locally sourced products including Suffolk’s very own Aspall Cider.
Also on site you’ll find a farm park, nature trails, a veggie garden and Adnams cellar store. Jimmy’s also hosts a fabulous events programme such as foraging workshops, beer and sausage festivals, live music nights, half term Halloween hunts and comedy nights.
