Cafes, Castles and Community: How Bunka transformed Hastings’ high-up spaces
ELLA LOWDEN
In 2024 the Hastings Independent met with Josh Levy, Tad MacDonald and Celia Farrar to discuss the beginning of Bunka, a collaboration delivering restaurant pop-ups across Hastings and St Leonards. Jump forward a couple of years to today and you’ll find Bunka’s Rooftop Bar on top of the Observer Building, their Kiosk perched on the West Hill and Hastings Castle filled with people, music and food. They’ve come far since that initial article but are still just at the beginning, with plans for a restaurant and visitor centre on The West Hill Cafe site.
Under the banner of Troika Projects, the team set up Bunka Restaurant, bringing a wealth of expertise from each of their varied backgrounds. When Josh first met Celia he got her picking sticky labels off tubs, mistaking her for someone with no kitchen experience. Meanwhile Celia was writing her recipe book Poke: Hawaiian Inspired Sushi Bowls and founding one of the UK’s first poke eateries. Josh himself has worked in Michelin Star institutions, beginning his career with Gennaro Contaldo and Jamie Oliver before working as Sous Chef at Thomas Kerridge’s renowned restaurant in the Corinthia Hotel.
The team behind Bunka
Tad, who you’ve probably encountered smiling out the hatch of the Kiosk or flying over the rooftop bar with drinks and pizzas in tow, has over 15 years of experience managing high-performing hospitality venues, ranging from Flat Iron and Caravan in London, to Heist, Boatyard and Farmyard in St Leonards.
After a successful pop-up last year, Bunka has permanently opened a rooftop bar on top of The Observer Building. It is a treat to see Hastings from a different perspective, the views scan over the higgledy-piggledy rooftops of the new town, reaching their limit at the sea’s edge. Pizzas, British charcuterie from Curing Rebels, and English wine from Henners vineyard make up their simple but delicious menu. The pizza flavours offer twists on classics like pepperoni with hot honey or nduja on a white base with mussels. The atmosphere is relaxed, with an indoor area as well as the open rooftop, offering panoramic views whatever the weather.
In addition to their rooftop bar, the trio run The Kiosk, a hugely popular café positioned on top of the West Hill. Although the Kiosk is a temporary set-up, it has become a much-loved spot for breathless hill hikers, toastie-lovers and Hastings’ entire population of dogs. With delicious coffee from Nelson Coffee Co. in Eastbourne, sourdough from Poppyseed Bakery and beers from Three Legs Brewery in Bexhill, the Kiosk highlights the incredible community of local food and drink suppliers we have available in Sussex.
The Kiosk was initially built as an interim offering while the team developed the site of the West Hill Café and Hastings Castle, as planned for The West Hill Project. With funding from The Hastings Town Deal Programme, Troika Projects are working alongside Hastings Borough Council to build a new restaurant, café and visitor centre. The project is a wonderful opportunity for visitors and locals to engage and connect with the castle’s fascinating history.
Hastings Castle site pre-dates 1066, with a record of humans settling there for at least 8,000 years. Running a castle was never a childhood dream for the trio but it seems fitting that the space is deeply connected with human history, as people and community are at the core of Troika Projects’ ethos. In their designs for the project, the team placed emphasis on the significance of the site in terms of its history, culture and community. Speaking on their goals, Celia Farrar stated that their main aim for the castle site was ‘to realise its potential as a community asset’.
With their combined knowledge and experiences in designing and operating hospitality spaces, Josh, Tad and Celia are well-placed to transform the West Hill site. The transformation will begin with an array of family-friendly events, performances, and workshops, connecting visitors with the space by taking inspiration from its rich history and natural surroundings.
In July, Hastings Castle will be host to yoga mornings, sunset singing sessions and The Handlebards, a cycling theatre company, performing a hilarious production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. There will also be storytelling workshops on weekends and Wednesdays with Su Austin, taking inspiration from found objects around the Castle. On Pirate Day weekend, there will be a Castle Sundowner event, with guest DJs from Catch My Drift and a BBQ and bar from Bunka.
Location plays a significant part in each of their ventures, with the high-up, outside spaces offering incredible views and front row seats to the constantly changing and often dramatic coastline weather we experience in Hastings. This positioning pairs well with the interesting and changing menus and events that Bunka are becoming known for.
With so much accomplished in such a short amount of time, the team at Bunka have a lot to be proud of. When asked about their biggest achievements, Josh, Tad and Celia agreed that the community they had built from businesses and suppliers to colleagues and customers was their strongest asset. Alongside Troika Projects, Josh Levy also works as a Chef Educator with Prept Foundation, going into local schools and community spaces to deliver cooking sessions. By sharing their expert knowledge, skills and experiences, the team at Bunka are committed to local collaboration, creating employment opportunities and bringing people together over excellent food and drink.
Coming up at the Castle: hastingscastle.org.uk/whats-on
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