Brighton Fishing Museum & Quarter, Brighton, Sussex

Before it became a fashionable seaside resort, Brighton was once a bustling little fishing village. Go to the Fishing Museum and Quarter to trace its fishing history, visit its smokehouse and taste fresh seafood Brighton-style.

Traditional clinker boat outside Brighton Fishing Museum

Don’t miss this charming Fishing Quarter in the heart of Brighton’s seafront. Have a browse around the little museum, watch the fish being landed, tuck in to a hot mackerel sandwich, smell the fish being smoked and watch a Punch and Judy Show with the kids. It’s a great British seaside tradition.

The Foodie Travel Guide

  • Easy day out from London
  • Great for seafood lovers
  • Taste fresh mackerel
  • Visit for the Mackerel Fayre

Brighton – The Fishing Village

It was in the 1700s that patients were first prescribed the seawater at Brighton for its health benefits. It quickly became a fashionable seaside resort town and destination for the rich after it was frequented by the Prince Regent. When the railway came in the mid 1800s, the day-trippers began arriving. The fishing village community started scrubbing down their punts each day after fishing and turned them into pleasure boats.

Brighton Fishing Museum

You’ll find Brighton’s Fishing Museum and Quarter on the beach beneath the Old Ship and Ramada Hotels (between the Piers). The museum is housed in the arches and staffed entirely by volunteers. The Quarter is still very active today so you’ll see locally caught fish and shellfish arriving off the fishermens’ boats. Take a look at the restored traditional Sussex clinker fishing boat (they’re also dotted along the pathway of the Quarter) and the photos, artefacts and memorabilia charting life on Brighton’s seafront.

Jack and Linda Mills Owner of the Little Black Smokehouse Brighton Beach
Little Black Smokehouse on Brighton Beach

Little Black Smokehouse

Opposite their arch, you’ll see Jack and Linda’s little black smokehouse across the boardwalk. They smoke fish here most days of the week using oak and applewood and no chemicals apart from salt. In the summer, Jack fries his fresh mackerel outside the arch, caught and filleted that morning. Served in a bread roll – add a dash of lemon juice or a smear of mustard. Or maybe take a crab sandwich or a smoked kipper bap and enjoy it sitting on the beach.

Smoked kipper bap
Smokehouse Door Sign on Brighton Beach

The Annual Mackerel Fayre

Visit Brighton in May for The Mackerel Fayre and ‘The Blessing of the Nets’. With hymns, a brass band, samba music and plenty of barbecued mackerel, it’s a unique and bijou seafoodie event.

Punch and Judy Show

A day trip to the British seaside wouldn’t be complete without a Punch and Judy Show. During the summer season, you can watch a show in the Fishing Quarter where Mr Punch has been part of Brighton’s seaside tradition for over 200 years.


Tips

  • The Fishing Museum is open 7 days a week and entrance is free

    Cook’s Tip –

    Place mackerel on a sheet of tin foil and add a splash of Sussex cider or apple juice before making a parcel and steaming it in the oven


Where to Stay in Brighton 

Bedroom the Artist Residence Brighton

Artist Residence Hotel

Brighton, Sussex

Facing the iconic West Pier, this unique property features 23 individually decorated rooms.

Rooms from £94 a night.


Dogs 

Dog friendly days out in Brighton

Great. You can take me with you.

Mr Hendricks


How to Find Brighton Fishing Museum & Quarter

Brighton Fishing Museum, 201 King’s Rd, The City of Brighton and Hove BN1 1NB

Website: www.brightonfishingmuseum.org.uk


Explore 

Find more Foodie Things To Do in Brighton.

Discover more Food Museums & Attractions.

 

The Foodie Travel Guide

The Foodie Travel Guide

Sally is the founder and editor of The Foodie Travel Guide. She travels around the UK and beyond in search of the best foodie days out, tasting experiences and delicious places to stay. She loves a glass of English sparkling wine, afternoon tea with friends and escaping London for gastronomic adventures.