Fish and Ships
A Guide to Smugglers, Shipwrecks and the Freshest Fish and Chips in the country
Hastings history is inextricably entwined with the sea and with the nation gearing up for another summer of sun, sandcastles and sand between the toes, you need look no further beyond the horizon than Hastings and 1066 Country in East Sussex, as it joins forces with Tourism South East to launch its Family Fun campaign.
From Rye in the north to Pevensey in the south - Hastings and 1066 Country boasts a proud maritime history with strong fishing traditions that have helped establish its wealth and importance. For family visitors, it has much to offer from award-winning sand and shingle beaches to seaside shopping centres and a treasure chest of places to take the kids - all with a nautical theme.
From Boat to Batter: Guilt free Gourmet
With the trend towards organic, low fat and locally sourced fresh food being encouraged by celebrity chefs and food writers, eating fish offers the perfect healthy solution. But contrary to popular belief there are not plenty of fish in the sea! The need to manage our marine resources is highlighted amongst England's many fishing communities and none more so than in Hastings.
In September 2005, Hastings' mackerel and herring drift-net fishery and Dover sole trammel-net fishery were awarded the Marine Stewardship Council's certificate for their eco-friendly fishing methods and sustainable management of fish stocks. This award meant Hastings fishermen could celebrate the magnificent achievement of having two of its fisheries out of only 14 fisheries worldwide to receive this international accolade. By looking out for products with the blue MSC eco-labelled product you can be sure you are supporting healthy and well-managed fisheries.
Families at play this summer can watch the fishermen in action at the Stade in Hastings - a working beach which offers a unique insight into one of Britain's oldest and largest beach-launched fishing fleets, still at the heart of its community. Boats are pushed across the shingle by tractors to be launched at high tide. Fishermen mainly use set-nets (lines of nets left on the sea bed). On their return, usually late morning, boats are hauled out of the sea and pulled back up the beach by winches. This means they travel just a few miles and can only carry small amounts of gear - one reason why their catches are the amongst the most environmentally friendly in the country. The catches, including herring and mackerel, Dover sole, cod, bass and plaice are unloaded and carried into the Fishmarket. The upper floor of the Fishmarket also houses a restaurant with a complete fish menu ensuring you are eating the absolute freshest of fishy meals.
The Stade offers many other interesting places of a nautical nature to visit from the fascinating Fishermen's Museum to the working Lifeboat and Coastguard Stations including:
- Underwater World - experience life beneath the waves in a dramatic glass tunnel in Neptune's nursery
- Smugglers' Adventure - join smuggler 'Hairy Jack' on a journey through a network of caves to meet cunning criminals, fearsome customs men and even the occasional ghost
- Shipwreck Heritage Centre - explore the haunting history of this part of the English Channel which has one of the greatest numbers of historic sunken ships in the world
The British love of eating of fried fish can be traced back nearly 200 years to Charles Dickens who spent time in Broadstairs and Hastings and mentions a fried fish warehouse in his novel, Oliver Twist. Today most people when asked how they prefer to eat their fish would probably say - with chips, definitely outdoors, preferably after a day spent with the family on the beach, or walking or cycling along the coast - but unquestionably with sun, a sea view and out of a paper parcel and with fingers.
For further information on 'Hastings and 1066 Country' visit www.1066country.com and www.visithastings.com and for ideas about what to do and where to go this summer visit the Tourism South East web site at: http://www.visitsoutheastengland.com/familyfun
FIVE FISH & CHIP FACTS ABOUT THE NATION'S NO. 1 TASTY TAKE-AWAY.
Britain's favourite accompaniment to fish and chips is salt and vinegar but depending on the region, others are just as popular... mushy peas, tomato ketchup, curry sauce, even gravy sometimes all washed down with a cup of tea or a bottle of stout.
- Fish'n'chips - a great British tradition - or are they?. We do know that fish and chips developed separately- the French invented chips or 'chipped pommes de terre a la mode' (from the humble potato commonly believed to have been brought to Europe by Sir Walter Raleigh in the 17th Century) and in 1839 Charles Dickens referred to a 'fried fish warehouse' in Oliver Twist.
- Five years ago a survey found that the British consumed nearly 300 million servings of fish and chips - that equates to six servings for every man woman and child in the country.
- The nation's favourite fish is cod followed by haddock, although regions vary. For example whiting is popular in Northern Ireland and some parts of Scotland and skate and huss are often seen in the south of England
- 9,000 fried fish shops having an annual turnover of over £650M sell 60,000 tonnes of fish (abut one-quarter of all the white fish consumed in the UK) and 500,000 tonnes of potatoes (over 10% of all potatoes eaten by British people).
- Fish and chips have never been more fashionable. Even London restaurants such as Sir Terence Conran's Le Pont de la Tour and Elizabeth Taylor's favourite, The Dorchester, feature this great British dish on their menus.
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For further information please contact:
Sarah Sheldon at Isis PR, Tel: 01844 212005, email ss@isispr.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
- For further information on 'Hastings and 1066 Country' visit www.1066country.com and www.visithastings.com
Best times to visit Hastings and 1066 Country
Sunday 28 - Monday 29 May - Medieval Fair on Battle Abbey Green
Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 June - Battle Festival
Saturday 10 June - Hastings Rowing Regatta
Wednesday 28 June - Saturday July 1 - Hastings Beer and Music Festival
Saturday 29 - Sunday 30 July - The Siege of Rye
Saturday 5 - Sunday 13 August - Hastings Old Town Festival Carnival Week
Saturday 23 and 24 September 2006 - A celebration of Hastings Seafood
Saturday 2 - Sunday 17 September - Rye Festival, a leading arts and literary celebration -
a series of workshops and evenings with some of the
world's finest poets and authors.
Saturday 14 - Sunday 15 October - Hastings Day, Anniversary of the Battle of Hastings
- Cinque Ports - Hastings was one of the original five ports - the others being Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich who in the reign of Edward the Confessor gained freedom from tolls and taxes.
- www.visitsoutheastengland.com is the consumer website for Tourism South East
- Tourism South East (TSE) is the new regional Tourist Board responsible for tourism in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.
- TSE is the largest tourist board in the UK outside London and is the driving force for innovation and growth in tourism - representing over 2,000 members from all sectors of an worth an estimated £10 billion and providing more than 225,000 jobs to the economy of the South East England.
- Recent research by TSE in 2005 involving 6,000 interviews in over 60 locations investigated the motivations for families taking short breaks; what they enjoyed doing in their leisure time and the types of accommodation they prefer. Education, entertainment and value for money are key factors when planning days out for the family, with heritage attractions and a preference for self-catering accommodation being high on the list of priorities.
- Results of this research study have shaped Tourism South East's domestic marketing plan for 2006 and TSE is working with a number of regional partners, on their first domestic campaign of the year: Family Fun.
- The Tourism South East Family Fun Campaign aims to promote attractions that are suitable for family days out. The South East of England has thousands of adventures within a two hour radius of London that won't break the bank, including:
o Cycling
o Family friendly beaches
o Water sports
o Maritime history
o Extensive shopping opportunities
o Theme parks
o Animal attractions
o Family friendly heritage centres
o Children's literary connections
- For more information about what to do and where to go this summer visit the Tourism South East web site at: http://www.visitsoutheastengland.com/familyfun