Rye Bay Scallop Week
For nine days each February, a small medieval town gives itself over to one shellfish. Sea shanties in the pubs, scallops on menus across town, and at least 1,447 kg eaten in 2026.
Part food festival, part pub crawl
What is Rye Bay Scallop Week?
Rye Bay Scallop Week, often called the Rye scallop festival or Rye scallop week, is all about one shell. Rye sits almost two miles from the sea, and its fishing boats still tie up on the river. February is usually a quiet month here. Then the scallop boats come in and the town throws a party for them.
Restaurants, pubs and cafés build menus around king scallops landed locally, from battered with chips at the fish bar to tasting menus with wasabi sorbet. Shanty crews work the pubs, and a tribute band played under the name "Never Mind the Scallops". One regular at The Mermaid has been coming for more than 20 years, and it's easy to see why.
The story
The Rye scallop festival began with a hand cart
In 1975 Rye's fleet of more than 20 boats was short of fish. So one skipper tried something new, and within a year five more boats had followed him. Nearly 30 years later the town built a festival on it.
- 1975
Inshore fish are scarce. Skipper Robert Hollands of the Agnes builds a scallop rake, wheels it to the Fishmarket on a hand cart, and lands 60 dozen.
- 2003
The first Rye Bay Scallop Week, an idea credited to restaurateur Kate Hemmings.
- 2005
Eleven venues take part in the third festival.
- 2009
The Hairy Bikers help launch the festival. Seven teams race wheelbarrows of wet sand and scallops to The Ship.
- 2026
A record: at least 1,447 kg sold, cooked and eaten. 21 venues had signed up by mid-January.
- 2027
The 23rd edition, 20 to 28 February, with The Fish Café under new owners.
Shanties, chefs and a very long queue
What's on at Rye Bay Scallop Week
If you're checking what's on in Rye in February, this is the festival to plan around. The 2027 line-up isn't published yet, so here is how the week looked in 2026. Each venue runs its own Rye events, so book with them directly.
Opening Saturday
Sea Shanty Saturday
Rye Harbour Herrings, Completely Scuppered and the Pett Slip Buoys sing their way around ten venues on a timed route. One group pulled rugby fans away from the England match in 2026.
Booked evenings
Tasting menus
Matt Drinkwater spent 15 years at The Fish Café and Fletchers before his first festival in his own place, No.50. His 2026 menu included panko scallop in a shiitake and noodle broth.
Get there early
Tatner's pop-up
Chef Kyle Tatner cooks for a day at Rye Fine Wines most years. It took no bookings in 2024, and people were turned away on its first Saturday.
How the 2026 week ran
- Sat 21 Feb
- Sea Shanty Saturday. Three groups tour ten venues, 2pm to 6pm. Scallops and Shanties at the Queen’s Head, £35.
- Sun 22 Feb
- Classic car and motorcycle meet at Aubrey Halls from 9am, free, with bacon and scallop rolls. Rye Harbour Herrings sing at The Mermaid at 12:30.
- Mon 23 Feb
- Webbe's Scallop School. A full day, ending with a seven-course lunch, £140.
- Fri 27 Feb
- "Never Mind the Scallops". A Sex Pistols tribute at Rye Community Centre, because why not.
- Sat 28 Feb
- Tatner's pop-up at Rye Fine Wines from noon. The Harbour Shantyman at Rye Fish Market from 1pm.
- Sun 1 Mar
- Scallop Taster Evening at No.50 with chef Matt Drinkwater, £60.
On the plate
Where to eat scallops in Rye
Wondering where to eat in Rye that week? Restaurants in Rye and nearby write their own scallop menus, so you can choose between a fish restaurant, a pub or the fish bar. These dishes are all from 2026. The 2027 menus aren't out yet, but it gives you a good idea of the range.
The Mermaid Inn
Scallop Grenobloise
Confit lemon, capers, celeriac purée
Globe Inn Marsh
Curried coconut scallop
One of five single-scallop plates
Marino's Fish Bar
Battered scallops and chips
The fish bar version, and nothing wrong with that
Mermaid Street Café
"The Billingsgate"
Scallops, bacon and black pudding in a floury bap, for breakfast
No.50
Scallop, ruby grapefruit, wasabi sorbet
Part of a tasting menu, with scallops bought in the harbour
The Owl, Camber
Parma ham crisp, celeriac purée
A scallop dish out by the dunes at Camber
Cooking scallops at home? See our seafood tools and BBQ and smoking kit.
Rye scallops are king scallops. The boats that catch them are under 10 metres, and their trips can run 12 to 24 hours. Fuel alone came to about £500 a trip in 2023-24.
Weather decides everything. Fishermen said a windy 2023 cut catches by more than half in many cases, and in 2018, three weeks before the festival, no scallops had been landed and no Rye boat was rigged for dredging. Fish merchant John Botterell called it "a close shave". Boats such as Princess, Maverick and Mizpah fit out for the season each winter, with long poles carrying four or five rakes.
When is scallop season in the UK?
It varies by area. In Sussex, the local regulator bans dredging from 1 June to 31 October, and the fishery is busiest from November to April. That's why the week falls in February.
Dredging can damage the seabed. Sussex IFCA lists that among its key issues, and notes that divers avoid it. If that matters to you, ask where your scallops came from, and whether hand dived scallops are on offer. Want some to take home? Rye Fish Market on Simmons Quay sells them fresh, at about £1 to £1.30 each in 2024. Our guide explains how to buy shellfish.
From a free roll to a £140 day
Rye scallop festival tickets and prices
There's no ticket for the week itself. You pay for what you eat. These are 2026 prices, as Rye scallop festival 2027 prices aren't published yet.
- Free
- The classic car meet. The pub shanty sessions listed no charge, though some groups collect for charity
- Menu
- Battered scallops at Marino's or a single plate at the Globe. Prices vary, so ask the venue
- £35
- Scallops and Shanties at the Queen's Head: scallop starter, fish main, live singing
- £60
- The tasting evening at No.50
- £140
- A full day at the Scallop School. The school closes at the end of 2026, so this may not return
Between meals
Things to do in Rye in February
Mermaid Street
The cobbled street everyone photographs. The Mermaid Inn, rebuilt in 1420, stands on it, and a new ballad in 2026 honoured the inn and the Hawkhurst Gang smugglers.
Ypres Tower
Built in 1249 and later a prison and court hall, now a museum. Open 10:30 to 15:30 daily from January to March 2027.
The river and the quay
Rye's boats moor on the river, and Rye Fish Market is on Simmons Quay. Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, out towards the sea, is free and open every day.
Camber Sands
Big dunes and a huge beach, a short drive away. The tide comes in fast, and there are no lifeguards in winter.
How to get to Rye
By train
About 1 hour 10 from St Pancras, changing at Ashford International for the Marshlink line. The station is about five minutes' walk from town.
By car
Rye is on the A259. Gibbet Marsh is the cheap option at £2.85 all day (2026 tariff), about three minutes along the river path.
Good to know
Book with each venue, as the official site doesn't take bookings. Bring layers and proper shoes for the cobbles. In 2026 the Seafood Bar closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Bring the week home
Scallops on the barbecue
At the 2025 festival, MasterChef winner Tim Anderson cooked scallops in their shells over a live barbecue. Try yours the same way, with a smoker box if you fancy a little smoke. Here is some of our kit for cooking and eating seafood at home.
How to use a BBQ smoker box
Deluxe BBQ Smoker Box Gift Set, 6 Woods
£35.00
BBQ Smoker Box Gift Set, 2 Woods
£19.95
MasterClass Soft Grip Oyster Knife
£6.95Only 3 left
MasterClass Seafood Shears
£12.95Only 2 left
Stainless Steel Seafood Forks Set of 5
£4.99
Realistic Scallop Shell Cushion, 45cm
£21.95Only 2 left
Fish By Mat Follas Hardback Cookbook
£9.95Only 2 left
Coarse Wood Chips for BBQ & Smoke Boxes
£2.95Rye scallop festival questions
When is the Rye scallop festival in 2027?
Rye Bay Scallop Week, also called the Rye scallop festival, runs from Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 February 2027. It's the 23rd edition. Check the latest dates on the official site.
Do I need tickets for Rye Bay Scallop Week?
No. There's no ticket for the week itself, and you pay for what you eat. Some evenings and classes have their own prices and limited places, so book those with the venue.
Which restaurants in Rye take part?
The official site currently lists Marino's Fish Bar, The Mermaid Inn, Rye Fish Market and Seafood Bar, White Dog Inn, Globe Inn Marsh, The George in Rye, The Owl and Haydens. More usually join nearer the time, with 21 venues signed up by mid-January in 2026.
Is Rye Bay Scallop Week free?
It's free to walk around, and you only pay for what you eat and drink. In 2026 the classic car meet was free and the pub shanty sessions listed no charge, while booked evenings cost from £35.
Where can I see the 2027 menus and programme?
They aren't out yet. The official events and dishes pages were still empty when we checked on 6 November 2026, so check back nearer the time. See the latest programme on the official site.
When is scallop season in the UK?
It varies by area. In Sussex waters dredging is banned from 1 June to 31 October, and the fishery is busiest from November to April. Rye's boats usually work a shorter window, depending on the weather.
More coastal events coming up
Cullen Skink World Championships
Cullen, Moray
Brixham Pirate Festival
Brixham, Devon
Crab and Lobster Festival
Cromer, Norfolk
Sources. Rye Bay Scallop Week official site, Visit Southeast England 2027 listing, Rye News on the 2026 record, Rye's Own on Robert Hollands, Rye Sussex 2026 listings, Sussex Express on 2026 menus, Sussex IFCA regulations, Rother District Council car parks. Found a mistake, or running something this year? Tell us and we’ll update it.
Photo credits
- Mermaid Street, Rye - geograph.org by Cathy Cox, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Looking up Mermaid Street, Rye - geograph.org by Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Rye Harbour (15141008083) by Leonard Bentley from Iden, East Sussex, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Rye (15802279098) by Leonard Bentley from Iden, East Sussex, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Rye Harbour, fishing boat jetty - geograph.org.uk - 2481313 by David Anstiss, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Rye Castle - Ypres Tower by DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.
- Dunes at Camber Sands - geograph.org.uk - 6250765 by Oast House Archive, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Free seared scallops image by Unknown, CC0, cropped.
- Seared king scallops, garlic butter (starter) - English's of by Andy Li, CC0, cropped.
- Fresh Scallop by Unknown, CC0, cropped.
- Cullen (31820004667) by Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0, cropped.
- Cullen Skink by Metukkalihis, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped.
- Brixham Harbour - Golden Hind - geograph.org.uk - 6337730 by Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- 2018-06-09 Dressed Cromer crab, Cromer by Kolforn, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.
- Quay Street, Lymington, Hampshire - geograph.org.uk - 1800247 by Peter Trimming, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Yachts racing at Cowes Week 2017 by Peter Trimming from Croydon, England, CC BY 2.0, cropped.
- Whitby Harbour and Abbey - panoramio by ianpudsey, CC BY 3.0, cropped.
- Dartmouth Regatta 2015 (23635463695) by Adam Court, CC BY 2.0, cropped.
- Dartmouth Regatta 2015 (23548660612) by Adam Court, CC BY 2.0, cropped.
- Dartmouth Regatta 2015 (23406526850) by Adam Court, CC BY 2.0, cropped.
- Ferry to Falmouth & sailing boats, St Mawes Harbour, Cornwall - June 2 by Mutney, CC BY 4.0, cropped.
- Whitstable Harbour 8096 by ClemRutter, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.
- Whitstable harbour, "Oysters sold here", yet not one in sight - geogra by Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Stranraer Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 5957586 by Billy McCrorie, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Boats in Mevagissey harbour - geograph.org.uk - 7994073 by Andrew Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- Hotel De Paris, From Cromer Pier by Wonderwoman72uk, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.
- Whitby, North Yorkshire, facing Whitby Abbey 02 by Ronnievonjohnson, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.
- Tenby Harbour, Tenby, Pembrokeshire - geograph.org.uk - 4324508 by Ian S, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
- The Sea Gals, Sea Shanty Festival, Falmouth, Cornwall - June 2024 (2) by Mutney, CC0, cropped.
- The Following Seas, Sea Shanty Festival, Falmouth, Cornwall - June 2024 (2) by Mutney, CC0, cropped.