News
Diver & Skipper setup pop up vegan restaurant and bar on ex Royal Navy minesweeper
Canadian opera singer and diver Janet Fischer and British skipper Chris Beer have launched a vegan pop-up this summer onboard their 107ft ex-RN Ham class inshore Minesweeper MV Tongham moored on Gillingham Pier in Kent. Launched in 1957 and now on the National Historic Ships Register, Tongham is the most intact of her class and Janet & Chris will be maintaining as many of her features as possible during her refit. She will ultimately house three music teaching studios, a yoga suite, restaurant & coffee house and a microbrewery.
This summer they are running a Vegan Pop-Up restaurant and bar on her decks. “We wanted to get people involved and excited about the project, and there is no better way than to have them onboard and enjoying her” said Janet. “Gillingham and the Medway towns have a long standing relationship with the Navy through the docks at Chatham, and we are offering another way for people to engage with their marine heritage”.
Both committed to environmental sustainability, there will be no single use plastics on board – all of their tableware for the summer is home-compostable and will be used to grow next year’s vegetables on their local allotment. Chris & Janet have chosen a vegan menu because they want to offer people options that have less of an environmental impact and to demystify plant-based eating. “We are Not-Just-For-Vegans, people can come here and enjoy fresh, locally-sourced, seasonal food that tastes great, is comfortable and familiar in an interesting setting and that also happens to be Vegan. As a man who has spent his life working on the ocean I would like to see more people take small daily steps towards reducing their plastic consumption and environmental impact” Chris said. Janet added “As a diver who has seen first-hand the impact of over-fishing and poor waste management on dive sites around the world, giving people choices that they can incorporate into their daily lives that we feel passionately about, and we are excited to work with our local community to educate and inspire’.
Freyr’s Restaurant onboard MV Tongham will be open:
17-19th August
24-27th August
31st August – 2nd September
There will be more events during the winter of 2018/19 including a supper club and one off pop-ups before the vessel is fully opening in the summer of 2019.
For more information:
+44 7551 243 015
Freyr’s Restaurant
MV Tongham
Pier Approach Road,
Gillingham
ME7 1RZ
Dive Worldwide has recently introduced Kenya to its portfolio of dive destinations, making it a new must-visit for divers. The company has chosen Temple Point Resort, located in Watamu, a small town on Kenya’s Indian Ocean Coast. The resort embodies the spirit of Kenya, with thatched roof buildings and bright white interiors, complemented with local art. The Creek Deluxe rooms enjoy a creek view and sunset vistas, whilst Boutique Garden rooms offer peace nestled in lush greenery.
An abundance of activities such as golf, stand up paddleboarding and kite surfing await those looking for action; while those in search of rejuvenation may partake in a range of yoga classes, or indulge in the spa. Spend evenings dining poolside dining or lazing in hammocks suspended over the creek; there is no detail missed at Temple Point.
The waters surrounding Temple Point Resort are bustling with life, however, there is also an opportunity to explore on dry land. Tsavo National Park is close enough for a day safari, allowing guests to double up on the wildlife experiences Kenya has to offer, from elephants to whale sharks.
Suggested Dive Itinerary: Dive and Discover Kenya
Embark on an adventure to one of Africa’s finest marine parks, Watamu, the first of its kind in the continent. Created in 1968, Watamu offers excellent diving and snorkelling for those of all experience levels. Lively coral reefs and the surrounding waters are home to over 1,000 species of fish, devil rays, mantas, whale sharks, dolphins and turtles.
DEAL: Stay 12 nights for the price of 10 at Temple Point Resort
Price: Dive and Discover Kenya now costs £2295pp, saving £150 per person. Including international flights from the UK, 12 nights’ B&B (for the price of 10), transfers, 5 days, 10 dive pack, tanks and weights. Based on travel in September ONLY. https://www.diveworldwide.com/trip-ideas/dive-discover-kenya#details
For more information visit: diveworldwide.com or call 01962 302 087
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
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