About Us - Coastguard Café History

The Coastguard Cafe was originally Coastguard Cottages. It was first established in 1942 by Victor and Annie Elliott. They opened the business as Tea rooms, and a fish & chip takeaway next door. They also ran a fresh shellfish and fruit & veg stall at the front of the building.

The menu in those days consisted of cream teas, or eggs, beans, ham and peas etc. But in the 1960s you could order a beach tray, (which as it’s name suggests you could take it down the beach with you). And when you returned the crockery, you would get your 10 shillings deposit back which was equivalent to 50p in today's money.

Today the establishment has an extensive a la carte menu. Due to a fire in October 2002 the restaurant has now been refurbished. But it still has it’s wooden beams, and retains it’s olde world charm.

 

The Business has been kept in the family since 1942 till present day and is still run by Irene Elliott, her son Jeff and his wife Caroline Clark. We have collected over the years photos of Hayling from the early 1900s. We have some of them on display and others which will be in a book, we hope it will be on display shortly.