WE ALL love ‘Sunny Worthing’, but
‘God’s Waiting Room’ could have
been a term that stuck...
Worthing had to decide whether
it was just a town by the sea or an
actual seaside town.
Luckily, the consensus seems to
be that we’re a seaside resort!
With our beaches, the pier and
a range of art-deco buildings to
arouse envy in many other towns
– along with Worthing’s inherent
quirkiness – the backdrop was
set for a resurgence in its tourism
fortunes.
Over the past two years, there’s
been a quiet revolution on the
seafront, with a variety of lively
bars and quality restaurants
popping up, complementing the
developing programme of music,
theatre, water-sports and events.
Worthing is fast becoming one
of the key destinations for short
breaks by the seaside.
Some examples... The Beach
House, opened by Tim and Matthew
Taylor in 2014, is a bar giving an
almost Mediterranean feel to eating
out, with outdoor seating and good
food, cooked with simple, quality
ingredients.
What made them choose
Worthing? “We felt that the town
and the seafront location offered
a real opportunity to give people a
unique bar experience.”
Another slow-burn success
are the Sundowners and
SunUppers street food events,
taking place monthly throughout
the summer. Organiser Jonathan
Nulty, is quick to point out that this
is not big-budget tourism.
“It’s a low-key thing, but the
atmosphere is like nowhere else –
great food, music and fun, looking
out over the sea.”
The bigger draws are coming
soon too the annual Birdman
competition at the Pier, the
new Street Velodrome cycling
competition and a month-long
celebration of music with Worthing
Live. Tourism and leisure-related
businesses – both home-grown
and those coming in to the area –
should catch the wave and invest
in a seaside town that’s going
places.