St Andrew’s Mews Food
STEVEN SHORT
David Sunney recently took over St Andrew’s Mews in what is now called ‘Queen’s Road Quarter’ with a view to breathing life back into this corner of the New Town. “It took two years to buy as it was in such bad shape and the leases were ‘fag packet’ so no lender wanted to touch it,” says Sunney, who already looked after a few residential properties and wanted to dip his toe into something commercial.
He’s been busy transforming the mews into a destination over recent weeks, investing in bigger toilets, better outdoor exhibition space, air con and so on. “We are heavily leaning into the the artworld and have allowed five or six spaces to be used as free exhibition spaces for short periods by local artists who wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to exhibit in more traditional spaces in Hastings.”
Sunney is also keen to champion Hastings’ ever improving food and drink scene. “We’re residents here and we’d like to create a permanent food festival vibe with four or five outlets coexisting with the thriving Hastings creatives scene,” he says.
Among the outlets he’s already signed up is new venture: Creperie de la Mer, along with Smokeshack, The Bird House and The Good Place, which already have some kind of presence in Hastings. A new bakery – Baibas Little Bakery – is also in the offing, its creator Baiba Saukante says, “My mission is to offer and deliver the best quality, and not the quantity, baked products.”
And September will see the launch of Calima Kitchen. John Farrah, the brains behind this one, told HIP, “Calima’s concept emerged from more than a year of careful planning. I’ve created a menu that I’m positive will appeal to today’s food-loving public, ever eager for something new and different. I’m going to be offering Spanish style sandwiches – in Spain the bocadillo or bocata is a sandwich usually made with a baguette or similar type of bread, cut lengthwise. Traditionally seen as a humble food, its low cost has allowed it to evolve over time into an iconic piece of cuisine.”
Of its expansion into the Mews, The Good Place’s Gemma Dearman told us, “We’re close to celebrating three years in business, so this expansion feels like a good fit for where the business is at. We started down at The Mews with a ‘pop-up’ shop which gave us a feel for customer needs on that side of the town. We’ve now taken over a permanent unit, which allows us to offer substantial outside seating – much needed now that the weather has finally sorted itself out! Alongside great coffee, cakes and pastries and healthy fruit, yogurt and granola bowls, at our new place we’ll be able to make sandwiches to order! We are known for using good quality ingredients, hearty portions, a playlist that will make you want to boogie and the best vibes around – Another Good Place (the name of the new shop) will be serving up all of the above by the bucket load!
@thegoodplace_cafebar
We caught up with three new F&B outlets to give you a flavour of what to expect when you visit.
GAVIN STEEDMAN OF SMOKESHACK
How long have you been in operation?
Our family streetfood business has been operating for nearly seven years now as The BBQ Project, where our focus has always been to create damn tasty bbq-style dishes using fresh ingredients.
Are you local?
All our crew are Hastings born and bred. I’ve been a chef for 25 years now, working in various establishments both locally and further afield.
And what can we expect at Smokeshack?
Smokeshack is our take on traditional bbq from the southern states of the US. All our meat is traditionally smoked on our big ‘ole offset smoker by my father, and all our sauces are homemade by Mama Sue (mother). Stan, our head chef and director of the business, runs Smokeshack with me – we still go out to events on our trucks where the journey began.
What will you be offering?
Visitors to Smokeshack can expect to see old favourites like our slow-smoked beef brisket and candied pork alongside new dishes such as prawn beignets, Lakedown stout-smoked brisket and cheese croquettes. We also have a range of fish and vegan dishes. Alongside our food we now offer some fantastic English beers from Verdant, Lost & Grounded and Lakedown, some super wines and a unique collection of whiskys and rums from around the world.
@smokeshackhastings
DANIELLE BIRD OF THE BIRD HOUSE
What’s the story of The Bird House?
I started The Bird House in lockdown as a way of providing affordable vegan meal deal options for delivery to the local community stuck at home when all the restaurants and cafes were closed. The Bird House also provided vegan bakery treats at our town centre market when only food traders were allowed to operate during Covid.
What’s your background?
I grew up in hospitality as my parents ran pubs and restaurants. A big part of my identity is hosting and serving food in a way that brings people together, to celebrate and provide atmospheres that are like a warm hug. I believe that being vegan, gluten free, soy free or nut free doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavour and certainly doesn’t mean you can’t eat cake!
You’re doing a pop up at the Mews, what can readers expect?
I’ll be offering homemade vegan treats and snacks that are wholesome and rustic – and not just for vegans! On the market stall, our vegan sausage rolls have been a favourite with customers. Our ‘Oktoberfest’ rolls inspired by my trips to Germany have also been a best seller with a hearty frankfurter style sausage, a rich currywurst sauce wrapped in puff pastry with a mustard glaze and our gooey chocolate brownies have also been sought after, especially the cherry and rose option. As well as these, we’re considering how our pop up at The Mews could provide an opportunity for an expanding menu, so watch this space.
@t_h_e_b_i_r_d_h-o_u_s_e
PENELOPE FARMER OF CREPERIE BY THE SEA
How long have you been in operation?
This is my first ever business venture! Crêperie By The Sea has been in the works for two years, and is now ready to be shared with Hastings.
What’s your background?
I am French/English, raised in Hastings. I trained in Brittany as a crêpier, learning how to cook galattes and crêpes the traditional way and I’m really proud to open my own place. I’m very much looking forward to sharing Brittany’s food culture with the people of Hastings.
What’s the secret to the perfect crêpe?
Homemade sauces and toppings make a crêpe more delicious. Adding more eggs also makes the batter tastier – and don’t forget to add a bit of salt.
What are your bestsellers?
My two most popular crêpes are apples tatin with buckwheat crumble and fried banana with homemade dark chocolate sauce.
@creperie_by_the_sea
Sunney is also working on a website for with listings of what’s coming up in the Mews.
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This is all good news and let’s hope it is a success. Hastings is so good at this sort of enterprise and we need to give it our support, so get down there and spend some cash with these businesses.