A gourmand-style foodie walk is something they do extremely well on the continent, but there really aren’t many, if any, here in Sussex. So, when I heard about the Winchelsea Gastronomic Promenade, I was thrilled. A combination of history, local produce, great food, drink pairing suggestions, good company and exercise? Yes please, what a wonderful way to discover Sussex.
The concept
An 11 km walk from Winchelsea (East Sussex) via Icklesham and back via historic landmarks. Along the way, we would enjoy stops for breakfast, snacks, lunch, dessert and cheese, with drink pairings and live music. The produce and producers were local and the menu was tantalising.
The inaugural walk took place on a sunny, summer Saturday. Not sure what to expect, we headed to the start at New Hall where we were met by a warm welcome, around 100 fellow walkers and a real buzz of anticipation and excitement.
The breakfast of champions
To get us going, we were handed a Cinque Port Gin cocktail made with quince liqueur and decorated with edible flowers from a local farm, alongside a Norman scone with Sussex blue cheese, walnut and rosemary. It immediately set the tone for a day celebrating the very best of Sussex food and drink.
Then, after a cheerful send-off from the Mayor of Winchelsea and a blessing from the local vicar, we were under starter’s orders for our first stop: the Salutation Cellar.
Digging deep before setting sail
Winchelsea is a place where history quite literally oozes from every brick, every house name and every corner of its distinctive grid layout. And beneath the many historic houses are a number of medieval cellars that date back to the 13th and 14th century and were once used to store wine. The Salutation Cellar is one of the largest and is named after the medieval Salutation Inn that once stood above it.
The cellars are a remarkable feat of Norman engineering, with carved stonework, vaulted ceilings and tiny openings that hint at the ingenuity of its medieval builders. Even more enchanting are the hidden entrances dotted discreetly around the town that you would almost certainly walk past without noticing. Today Sussex is rightly celebrated for its vineyards and sparkling wine, and standing inside one of these ancient wine cellars felt like connecting with the county’s much older wine story. The wine stored here was almost certainly imported rather than locally produced, and wine had, of course, reached Sussex long before the Normans. Nevertheless, these magnificent cellars feel like an important milestone in our county’s enduring relationship with wine.
Before leaving the town itself, we paused to admire the magnificent church and then called into the Winchelsea Farm Kitchen to pick up our Sussex crisps and water for the walk ahead (and only just managed to resist the display of homemade cakes).
From Winchelsea to Icklesham
From Winchelsea’s Strand Gate, we left the town and followed the Royal Military Canal and Saxon Shore Way to Icklesham, our designated lunch stop.
This part of the walk takes you along the edge of the beautiful Pett Level and the canal, with its impressive birdlife, then via Hog Mill (the famous Paul McCartney recording studio) and a medieval church before arriving in the village. The tranquillity was only interrupted by friendly chatter with our fellow walkers some of whom had travelled long distances for the walk.
Lunch with a view
We were promised lunch with a view and boy, did they deliver. The Queen’s Head at Icklesham dates back to the 17th century and has views across Brede Level to the sea. You can even see the wind turbines the far side of Rye. Here, Jacob Fenner, the chef from Wingrove House in Alfriston prepared us a lunch of home made flatbreads with rosemary and sea salt, thyme and lemon chicken and slaw, served with new potatoes. It was as good as it sounds and we washed it down with pale ale brewed by the very local Racketeers Brewing Company. As our fellow walkers tucked in, the garden filled with the sultry tones of singer Laura (& Co), as well as conversation and friendly laughter.
Onwards to dessert
Leaving the Queen’s Head, the route descends into the valley below with gorgeous views although in the hot weather of 2026, it looked more like the Serengeti than Brede Level. This section of the walk takes you back towards Winchelsea via the River Brede before a steep climb into the town. Then it was time for dessert in the idyllically picturesque hidden garden of Winchelsea’s New Inn.
Dessert was “Doucette”, a signature dessert created for the event by talented Natasha Robinson and decorated with the Winchelsea crest, accompanied by a glass of Charles Palmer sparkling wine.
The courtyard garden is delightful and after a long hot walk, the cool shade of the fig and bay trees and the gentle hum of the Trinity Grove musicians were the perfect restorative medicine. It was very tempting to stay.
Cheese and wine finale
With just a mile left to walk, half of which at least was down hill, it was time to set sail one last time for cheese and wine at Charles Palmer vineyard. This is another location with fantastic views and which backs on to the beautiful Wickham Manor. With a selection of Sussex cheeses and a Charles Palmer Chardonnay to soothe our weary souls, it was time to relax and enjoy great company, live music and vineyard views at the end of a walk well walked.
Reflections
We were invited as press, but at £60 a ticket, this felt like great value for a full day out plus food and drink. Cellar tours alone normally cost £10 per person. Both the walk and the menu had been very carefully thought through and curated, and everything ran like clockwork. We got given a passport at the start with both a map and an interactive map and the were signs along the route, making it easy to follow.
What I loved most was the buzzing, friendly atmosphere, the relaxed timetable (you could do the walk at your own pace) and, of course, the great food and drink. Oh, and i mustn’t forget the music, and the fantastic violinist who played at New Inn. This is exactly the sort of event we should be celebrating in Sussex. It makes our history and food culture more accessible by encouraging people to explore on foot, appreciating the landscape between each destination rather than simply driving from one place to the next.
If you’re looking for a truly unique Sussex experience that brings together the very best our county has to offer, this is one to look out for. I’ll update this article with details of the next Gastronomic Promenade (organised by Rye Harvest / Wine and Food Fairs) as soon as they’re announced.
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