Harbour Lights and Titchmarsh Marina

PaulRainbow

PaulRainbow

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2016
Messages
19,511
Location
Suffolk
Visit site
Went to Titchmarsh for the Easter weekend, lovely marina. The owners have clearly put some effort into the picnic and social areas, with no direct financial reward, other than making for some very pleasant surroundings for their berth holders. Well done to the Titchmarsh family (y)

We visited the Harbour Lights pub/restaurant on the Friday evening and found the place to be bright and cheerful with good service from the staff, good food, very good sized portions and sensible prices. So much so, we returned for another meal on the Saturday evening. Well worth a visit next time you're in Titchmarsh, IMO.
 
Last edited:
Totally agree with Paul - last time we were there they were closing early and still went out of their way to provide a very decent meal - much appreciated as it's quite a walk up the drive and as I remember we didn't have much food onboard!
 
It's a long time since we ate there, but we don't eat out that often anyway. The food has varied over the years from the days they ran a popular carvery to others that were rather poor, with different management presumably. I think that last time I was put off by the price of drinks, but maybe five or more years ago. I hope it does well, if only for the ancients of Walton to get their lunches. The marina surroundings are as good as any, with a generous BBQ area and lots of walking space, though this is sometimes invaded by non-patron dog-walkers. It is often a good area for bird life too.
 
johnalison said:
It's a long time since we ate there, but we don't eat out that often anyway. The food has varied over the years from the days they ran a popular carvery to others that were rather poor, with different management presumably. I think that last time I was put off by the price of drinks, but maybe five or more years ago. I hope it does well, if only for the ancients of Walton to get their lunches. The marina surroundings are as good as any, with a generous BBQ area and lots of walking space, though this is sometimes invaded by non-patron dog-walkers. It is often a good area for bird life too.
Click to expand...

Titchmarsh is well out of town and no public transport so a bit snooked by distance.

Some of the worthies of Walton frequent the Walton & Frinton Yacht Club that has a very respectable dining room.
 
Last edited:
PaulRainbow said:
. . . found the place to be bright and cheerful with good service from the staff, good food, very good sized portions and sensible prices. So much so, we returned for another meal on the Saturday evening. Well worth a visit . . .
Click to expand...

If only such an approach would catch on at certain other marinas! (No names, no pack drill! )
 
It is not so common in this country for townspeople to be encouraged to go to yacht harbours to eat, though Ipswich Haven is another. Most continental clubs that I have visited seem to have a franchised restaurant in the main building. Although visiting a club exclusive to sailors can be enjoyable, in general I think that bring the public in is a good thing if it helps it to view sailing as part of normal life and part of their community as much as other recreations, though clearly it is necessary for berths to be free from all and sundry.

Many of the most enjoyable encounters we have had has been at town quays with non-sailing locals just curious about some aspects of what we were doing, where we had come from etc. When we first went to Poland twenty years ago the popular thing with the public, who had scarcely ever seen yachts, was to ask to come aboard so that their friends or family could take a photo of them in the cockpit.
 
johnalison said:
It is not so common in this country for townspeople to be encouraged to go to yacht harbours to eat, though Ipswich Haven is another. Most continental clubs that I have visited seem to have a franchised restaurant in the main building. Although visiting a club exclusive to sailors can be enjoyable, in general I think that bring the public in is a good thing if it helps it to view sailing as part of normal life and part of their community as much as other recreations, though clearly it is necessary for berths to be free from all and sundry.

Many of the most enjoyable encounters we have had has been at town quays with non-sailing locals just curious about some aspects of what we were doing, where we had come from etc. When we first went to Poland twenty years ago the popular thing with the public, who had scarcely ever seen yachts, was to ask to come aboard so that their friends or family could take a photo of them in the cockpit.
Click to expand...
If done correctly this could help save some of the struggling yacht clubs which may otherwise have to cut their restaurant facilities etc.
 
mrming said:
If done correctly this could help save some of the struggling yacht clubs which may otherwise have to cut their restaurant facilities etc.
Click to expand...
In our later cruises down the South Coast it was noticeable that many YCs were feeling the pinch and having to downsize their premises. The Royal Cinque Ports and Dorset come to mind. I think that franchised restaurants really only work in places that are purpose built for the task, such as some in Belgium. Our own club would no longer be a club if it were opened up regularly, though it is available for functions.
 
Yacht clubs often don't have sufficient trade to justify a decent restaurant running 7 days a week (or even 5 days). Being of sufficient quality to attract non-member trade keeps a number of clubs afloat I suspect (pun intended). Those that can keep a good quality kitchen running for members only are very fortunate. A number of restaurants we know (not related to sailing clubs at all) responded to the pandemic by cutting costs - understandable, but no one ever shrunk their way to success. Those that have survived have done so by driving up quality - ie taking trade from their competitors. Sounds like Harbour Lights is one of the latter.
 
johnalison said:
It's a long time since we ate there, but we don't eat out that often anyway. The food has varied over the years from the days they ran a popular carvery to others that were rather poor, with different management presumably. I think that last time I was put off by the price of drinks, but maybe five or more years ago. I hope it does well, if only for the ancients of Walton to get their lunches. The marina surroundings are as good as any, with a generous BBQ area and lots of walking space, though this is sometimes invaded by non-patron dog-walkers. It is often a good area for bird life too.
Click to expand...
I think that it must have changed management recently; last time I went there (quite a while ago) it was mediocre and had a suspiciously long menu that implied that they relied on pre-prepared food to a large extent. The menu seems to have got much shorter, and I always regard that as a good sign.
 
dolabriform said:
You can use the gents at night now !
Click to expand...
That sounds like a resounding endorsement of the restaurant.. I thought it was shite last time I went, but the Bristol Arms not much better. That'ls a few years ago now and things hopefully change. The carvery was the pull for the oldies at Titchmarsh, along with the auto piano. Hell!
 
WoodyP said:
That sounds like a resounding endorsement of the restaurant.. I thought it was shite last time I went, but the Bristol Arms not much better. That'ls a few years ago now and things hopefully change. The carvery was the pull for the oldies at Titchmarsh, along with the auto piano. Hell!
Click to expand...

The Bristol is quite good now.

Those in the know will get the reference to the gents, let's just say there wasn't a lot of privacy if you looked skyward.

As for the " restaurant " :cry:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top