about us
The Beacon is a family home and business on the West Hill, with an eatery and a licensed bar, large, secluded gardens, and a sizeable allotment (fondly known as the Wilderness)… all just a short walk from Hastings Old Town.
We are open for special events, music, festivals, pop-ups, markets (see our events page) and for private hire – meetings, away-days, celebrations.
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Check out our Blog for weekly updates on what’s going on at the Beacon and the menu this week!
upcoming events
Friday October 11th: Hastings Theatre Project – performance
Friday October 18th: Exploding Cinema – short film festival
Saturday October 19th: The Others’ Market returns!
Friday October 25th: The return of Two Ship
Friday November 1st: Samhain party with The Fabulous Red Diesel
For more information go to our Events page
sunday lunches
After almost a decade of Sunday roasting, on July 28th our current team hung up their aprons and bid farewell to the weekly raising of Yorkshire puddings, the 6am cuppa over a sack of spuds, the browning of the meat and the brewing of the gravies.
We’ve loved our Sunday service but it’s time to move on and let the OAPs put their feet up, although not entirely…. they are open to catering the odd roast here or there for private hire or on special occasions, and the Beacon will still be very much up and running: celebrations, music evenings, kitchen takeovers, away days and more…
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Call us on 01424 431305 or email beaconhastings@gmail.com
MEET THE FAMILY
Meet the team behind all that’s going on!
Dora (Judy’s daughter): Draws, bakes, promotes and takes care of the two little boys, who are sometimes seen tearing about the place dressed as Superheroes.
Sarah (Judy’s sister): illustrates and paints, sous-chef (makes cracking Yorkshire puds!) and is the glue that holds us all together.
Judy (lady of the House): paints, sews, gardens, grows, roasts all meats and creates stuffings. A force of energy, hatches most of our maddest plans and is the reason we are all here.
Mae (sister-in-law to Dora, daughter-in-law to Judy): resident green fingered wonder, Mae and family live so close that their garden is an extension of the Beacon’s. Mae, manager to our holiday-let chalet the Beech Hut, pops up behind the bar to serve drinks, gets stuck in on the Wilderness veg plots and is a general all round support.
WHERE ON EARTH
Come and find us in Hastings!
The crumbly track
The key to finding the Beacon is… ditch the Sat Nav! The Beacon is below St Mary’s Terrace (not in it) down a narrow, crumbly track.
Get to the top of the West Hill on Priory Road then turn into Plynlimmon Road, which very soon veers sharply to the right. Don’t turn the corner here – the crumbly track is directly in front of you.
Vehicular access is for turning only – the Beacon has very limited parking. Please don’t park on St Mary’s Terrace; there is plenty of free parking in surrounding streets.
We don’t claim to have easy access – please take care coming down the crumbly unmade track and driveway leading to the Beacon, and in our gardens. If you have mobility issues, talk to us in advance. (Please note, the Beacon does not have wheelchair friendly toilets.)
Hire the Beacon: for larger gatherings like special events and parties of up to 60 guests, talks and workshops, meetings and supper clubs, you can hire whole of the gardens, bar and big room. Email us to find out more.
Stay at the Beacon in our beautiful garden, where an outbuilding has been lovingly converted into a private and self-contained one-bedroomed holiday let chalet, with a log burner to keep you cosy in winter and a sundeck with spectacular views for those summer breakfasts. Stay with us and explore Hastings from your doorstep.
our ethos
We beaver away at the end of our land (the Wilderness) growing our own fruit & veg. Its always been a large part of our ethos to source as many of our ingredients as locally as possible and within reach, from the spinach in your nut roast and the jars of fresh pesto to the odd green bean in your vegetable medley; what we have, we use.
Our meat is ethically sourced from small, traditionally run Homestead Farm, near Battle, where we know good husbandry ensures that the animals are well cared for and range freely (low carbon footprint and high quality).
Our chickens come from Appleyards in St Leonards, and any fruit and veg we can’t grow comes from Hastings market or Sussex Fruits in St Leonards. Our fish comes from Rock-a-Nore, and every dish is made from scratch; nothing is mass produced or processed.
ABOUT THE HOUSE
Built in 1895 for Thomas Tassel, an enterprising local fishmonger and outdoor preacher, the Beacon perches on top of the West Hill in Hastings, a spectacular hidden venue for meals, drinks and get-togethers in the sunshine. Judy and her family have been here since 1992. Want to know more? Ask to see a copy of these books when you visit.
Copyright the Beacon 2021.
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