When: 25th February – 4th March 2012
Where: Rye, East Sussex
What is it?
A mainly restaurant-based event when the local delicacy is at its plumpest and most succulent. The festival features cookery schools, cooking and scallop shucking demos. The week culminates on the final day with the hotly contested ‘What a Load of Scallops’ race with competitors racing barrows of scallops, through the cobbled streets of Rye, to win the coveted wooden scallop plaque.
More info: Rye Bay Scallop Week
Rye is a lovely town and it’s well worth visiting for the scallop festival or at any time.
Camber Sands with its dunes and long golden beach is nearby.
A pint in the bar of The Mermaid Hotel is a must.
The boutique White Vine House in the High Street is the best place to stay and I’m hearing excellent reports about the new Ambrette restaurant.