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MEET THE FLEET

Summer events with the Hastings fishing fleet

Free, some advance booking required

Join us this summer for Meet the Fleet – a programme of free workshops, demonstrations and drop-in activities led by members of the Hastings fishing community.

Learn centuries-old skills, hear stories from the beach, and discover traditions passed down through generations.

Taking place around the Stade and at Hastings Contemporary, these events offer a rare chance to learn directly from local fishermen, and gain a deeper understanding of the heritage of one of Britain’s oldest fishing fleets.

All events are free. Most are drop-in but some require advance booking.

Smoked fish bread with baker Emmanuel Hadjiandreou: Tasting and conversation
Saturday 18 July, 2.30pm-3.30pm
in Hastings Contemporary Studio
*now fully booked*

Inside a Hastings Net Shop with Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society
Friday 24 July, 10am-1pm
net shops opposite the Dolphin pub
drop-in

Fish Smoking in Hastings with Sonny Elliot and Tush Hamilton
Saturday 25 July, 2.30pm-3.30pm
in Hastings Contemporary Studio
*now fully booked*

Knots and Ropes with Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society
Thursday 30 July, 11am-1pm
at the Mobile Studio at Hastings Contemporary, as part of Family Day
drop-in

Inside a Hastings Net Shop with Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society
Thursday 6 August, 10am-1pm
opposite the Dolphin pub, part of Hastings Old Town Carnival Week
drop-in

Knots and Ropes with Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society
Thursday 13 August, 11am-1pm
at the Mobile Studio at Hastings Contemporary, as part of Family Day
drop-in

Gyotaku Fish Printing with Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society.
Saturday 22 August, 2.30pm-3.30pm
in Hastings Contemporary Studio
*now fully booked*

Net-making with Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society at Forged Tapestry Festival
Saturday 5 September, 11.30am-1pm
on The Stade Open Space
drop-in

Activities at the Seafood and Wine Festival
Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September
in the Hastings Contemporary Mobile Studio on The Stade
ticketed event

This programme continues our partnership with the Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society, and is funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grants programme.

More details

Smoked fish bread

A celebration of local ingredients, traditional skills, and the flavours of Hastings. Join us for a special bread-making demonstration featuring locally caught and smoked fish from Rock-a-Nore Fisheries. Bread maker Emmanuel Hadjiandreou will share his craft, techniques, and some tasters.

Net shops

Hastings net shops are unique structures - tall thin wooden sheds, up to three stories high, painted black and standing in neat rows alongside the fishing beach. Join us for a rare chance to look inside an iconic net shop and chat with Hastings Fishermen.

Fish smoking

Discover the rich heritage of fish smoking in Hastings with fishmonger Sonny Elliot of Rock-a-Nore Fisheries and retired fishmonger Tush Hamilton. Meet two local legends, have your questions answered, and taste Sonny’s famous oak-smoked fish.

Net making

Try your hand at net making, a practice that fishermen in Hastings have passed down through the generations.

Fish printing

Learn Gyotaku, the traditional Japanese art of fish printing. Originating in the mid-1800s, it was a way for fishermen to accurately record the size, species, and details of their catches before the invention of photography. It translates to "fish impression" or "fish rubbing".