In the summer months, there’s one particular place people flock to in their droves. The Jewel of the Yorkshire coast: Whitby. Loved for its rugged fishing history, its dark literary prowess, and its golden stretch of beach, Whitby is one of the most famous seaside destinations in the UK, but in the popular town’s shadow lies the real cool kid of the Yorkshire coast: Sandsend.
Now, the South has been having all the fun, it seems, with their ‘Shoreditch’s of the Seaside’ boasting a thriving music scene in Brighton and an unbeatable foodie scene in Margate. You’d feel sure to say that the next ‘up and comer’ would also be a member of the Southern coastline, given how many Londoners are sacking off the city. But what if there was another cool kid on their tail?
Enter Sandsend. A pocket-sized fishing village just North of Whitby, where young business owners are reinvigorating the charming destination with their creative approaches to food and hospitality.
Sandsend isn’t a secret. It’s already popular with people seeking a quieter beach walk or a place to let their dogs run free during the off-season. Walkers regularly stop off to soak up its charm while taking on the Cleveland Way – whether for a coffee overlooking the sea or for the viral fish tacos at Fish Cottage, which have been attracting hungry explorers for several years already. But why is Sandsend lapping up all the cool kudos, and not its busier counterpart just down the road?
Where Whitby is a tourist destination through and through, and has been for well over a century, Sandsend still boasts a welcoming neighbourhood vibe, one that makes you feel like you, too, can be a part of it. Locals make the beach a part of their everyday lives, taking to the waves to surf, paddleboard and wild swim, or hit up the sand for a session of beach yoga.
It’s an ethos that immerses you in the day-to-day world of the village, as though you too could be gabbing with Jill from number 29 while doing the downward dog. And you can. Local businesses such as Happy Seal and Whitby Surf School are behind Sandsend’s regular beach activities, whether you fancy loosening up as the waves crash in with a yoga class, or renting a surfboard and getting out into the wild North Sea.
While destinations such as Scarborough, Whitby and Bridlington offer bags of nostalgia with their candy-striped seafronts, Sandsend, in contrast, stays true to its modest ‘local village’ spirit (not a single stick of rock in sight). It’s not flashy, and it almost begs to be ignored, content with its end-of-the-shoreline location. The seafront is made up mostly of residential housing and the odd local business, including Bertie’s of Bay and Mary’s Sandwich Shop.
Embodying the essence of a roadside surf shack, Mary’s opened in 2023, slinging the kind of modern focaccia sandwiches you’d typically find in a buzzing city. Today, it’s a hot spot boasting the most energetic vibe in the village, as though you’ve discovered the heart of the hive. As the sun goes down, Mary’s retires the sarnies for yet another dish that’ll have millennials salivating: the smash burger, alongside craft beers and natural wines, making it the perfect low-key day-to-night venue. Let’s face it. Say ‘craft beer’ three times, and any self-respecting 30-something-year-old is gonna show up with bells on.
New kid on the block, Saltmoore, has been garnering tons of attention on social media, too, thanks to its ultra-luxe rooms, lavish spa and restaurant created in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks – making it an instant hit with food lovers. A dreamy getaway created by former Love Island star Montana Brown and property mogul husband Mark O’Connor, Saltmoore plays into exactly what starry-eyed travellers are looking for in 2025 – stylish bistro dining with substance at its heart and photogenic rooms worthy of a spot on the ‘Gram. Surprisingly, something the Yorkshire coast was severely lacking until this place showed up.
Long story short, Sandsend’s quiet campaign for the UK’s coastal cool kid is shaping up to be a strong one, and with wellness and great food in its back pocket, it might just be the sophisticated big sister the Yorkshire coast has been waiting for all along.
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