Tynemouth has amazing restaurants (Image: Getty)
A UK seaside town has been named the best in the country for food and drink, and hospitality workers agree with the prestigious title. Some towns around the UK are full to the brim with great places to eat, often with a focus on using local produce to create great flavours. One of those towns is Tynemouth, which was actually crowned the best seaside town for food and drink in the UK. The title was given to the town by Which?, which based its survey on visitor reviews.
While many seaside towns in the study received rave reviews from visitors, Tynemouth was one of the few to get a five-star beach score, which helped it to top the list. It received a 79% destination score – in comparison Tenby in Wales got 78% and St Ives got 68%. While Tynemouth is known for its scenic beach, cliffs and general natural beauty, it also has a thriving food scene. Travel writer Trevor Baker, who led the Which? research, said: “If you want to enjoy the best food and drink on the UK’s coast, Cornwall and Kent are often top of the list. But Tynemouth shows that the North East can more than hold its own, with beautiful beaches and outstanding dining to match.”
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There is tasty food at Tynemouth Market (Image: Getty)
People from Tynemouth’s hospitality sector have showered praise on the town’s food offering. One of those is Greg Welburn, the general manager of The Gibraltar Rock, a pub serving fresh food in the town of Tynemouth.
The Gibraltar Rock opened under new management in July after its previous tenants closed it. Since then, it has been busy with guests, showing that locals in Tynemouth are hungry for good-quality food and drink in their area.
“I think there is a general kind of buzz in the whole North East area regarding food venues, he told The Daily Express. “We are getting more Michelin stars up here. We are getting a lot more AA Rosettes up here, and I think that’s a celebration of the kind of chef talent that we have in the area.
“North-east people, Geordies especially, like their food. There is definitely a big celebration in Tynemouth and the neighbouring towns of independents. Geordies, I think, generally as people, they do get behind independents.
Tynemouth is known for its scenic coastline (Image: Getty)
“If you provide them the basics, warm hospitality, great food, great service, then they will back you with their pounds.”
When it comes to other food venues in Tynemouth, there are plenty of excellent ones that Greg likes to visit. “We are at the top of Tynemouth,” he said. “Right below us on the beach at Whitley Bay, there is probably our most celebrated one on the coast, Riley’s Fish Shack. It’s a fantastic venue.
“Just up in the neighbouring Whitley Bay, there’s a restaurant called Hinnies. It’s a real celebration of local food. There is a nice little one as well, called Project Pizza and Wine, which does exactly what it says on the tin.”
He added: “There’s a cool little Spanish tapperia called Little Lobo, which is a good eat. And then of course, there’s Gibraltar Rock. We’ve kind of come fresh onto the market. We are a fresh dining pub. We get all of our fish locally in North Shields, and we get our meat locally as well. We’ve managed to secure ourselves fantastic chefs.”
Greg isn’t alone in celebrating Tynemouth’s food and drink scene, and its overall heap of things to do for locals and visitors alike. Sam is a bar tender at The Cure in Tynemouth.
He has worked there for five years and told the Daily Express that he “loves every minute of it”. Speaking about Tynemouth, he revealed: “I feel like Tynemouth is a very weather-dependent place, but as soon as the sun comes out, you get a lot of smiling faces. Everyone is so positive. There are so many places you can go, things you can do.
“We’re doing more à la carte, a lot more lobster and a lot more steaks on the menu, which is slowly and progressively getting more and more popular around Tynemouth these days. The town has an amazing Irish bar. It’s always super lively, and they do lots of live music.
“We’ve also got a nice Cantonese. It’s called Hidden Tiger. It is high-end, so it’s not your typical Chinese takeaway. It has a bit more of that special mood lighting and experience.”
As well as high-end dining, Tynemouth also has plenty of fish and chip shops (Image: Getty)
There is no denying that Tynemouth is one of the best places for food lovers in the UK. There are plenty of well-reviewed restaurants here, serving local cuisine and food from across the globe.
One of the top-rated spots for locals to go is The View, which offers “amazing food” according to TripAdvisor reviewers. Plus, it has stellar views of the beach. Other top-rated places to eat and drink in Tynemouth include Longsands Fish Kitchen, Davanti Classico, Fisherman’s Bay and Lola Jean’s, to name a few.
Meanwhile, some of the best-rated pubs in the town are The Head of Steam, Hugo’s at the Coast, and Turk’s Head.