Rye Bay Scallop Week is a much-loved annual food celebration in Rye, that makes the most of the town’s long history as a fishing port and the superb local scallops landed from Rye Bay.
Every February, typically for about nine days from late in the month into early March, restaurants, pubs, cafés and seafood bars across Rye and nearby villages put locally caught Rye Bay scallops centre-stage on their menus. However, the planning, the posters, the advertising and communicating with venues starts long before that. Olly Campion beavers away for months in advance to ensure that it is a big success for Rye and the hospitality hotspots who take part.
It is a food-lover’s festival built around the season when these scallops are at their sweetest and freshest. 2026’s edition of Scallop Week is running from Saturday 21 February to Sunday 1 March.
What makes it special
Rye has a working fishing fleet that hauls in scallops from the Bay under strict sustainable local regulations, ensuring good stocks and quality produce. The scallops are sold fresh and prepared in delicious, creative ways by local chefs — from simple seared scallops to imaginative scallop dishes.
It is a festival of flavour
Participating venues showcase a wide range of scallop dishes, often with local twists and pairings with Sussex wines or craft ales.
Special culinary events like scallop tasting menus, cookery demos and sometimes scallop shucking displays or workshops happen during the week.
It’s become something of a seasonal highlight for locals and visitors alike, drawing foodies from around the UK to this charming medieval town.
The festival brings a lively winter boost to Rye’s hospitality scene, with live music, packed restaurants and a festive atmosphere in typically quieter months. The event also gives visitors a chance to enjoy Rye’s historic cobbled streets, cosy pubs and riverside setting in late winter, often a less tourist-busy time of year.
In short, what makes Scallop Week so special isn’t just eating scallops. It’s a celebration of local maritime heritage, sustainable fishing, great seasonal seafood and the warm, community-driven spirit of Rye’s restaurants and pubs all set in one of England’s most atmospheric small towns.
Along cobbled streets and candle-lit tables, strangers become companions, sharing food that is both simple and precious. It is a celebration not of excess, but of balance, of knowing the season, respecting the water, and remembering that this ancient town still lives by the rhythm of the Bay.
Here are some of the venues that are supporting Olly Campion’s special Rye Scallop Week, sporting the famous updated scallop bag. More photos to follow in the next few weeks
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Image Credits: Kt bruce .