WELCOME

…to the SeaGrown Centre - the home of SeaGrown, Britain’s first large-scale offshore seaweed farm onboard 'Southern Star' here in Scarborough Harbour with café, restaurant, and education centre.

  • CAFÉ & BAR

    Our fully licensed café aboard Southern Star is open for hot and cold drinks with deck and quayside seating areas. Try a seaweed beer, a delicious cocktail or a freshly-ground triple certified coffee.

    With panoramic views across the harbour and South Bay, there’s no better place to relax in good company and watch the sunset behind the town.

  • RESTAURANT

    Focusing on local sustainable food, our café serves a delicious ‘street food’ menu – from fish tacos to handmade chips with seaweed seasonings – you will not be disappointed.

  • EVENTS

    We run a busy calendar of events, from free talks about seaweed farming, to local music and food tasting. Check out social media for up-to-date information.

MORE INFORMATION

OPENING TIMES

General Opening Times:
Mon - Fri: 10:30 - 17:00
Sat & Sun: 09:30 - 19:00

Food Service Times:
Wed - Fri: 11:00 - 17:00
Sat & Sun: 11:00 - 18:00

All openings are subject to change for adverse weather conditions. Please contact us to check if you're unsure.

SEAGROWN CENTRE MENU

We have an incredible new menu created by our talented and passionate chef, Chris, which celebrates and boasts the rich culinary heritage of the region and the Yorkshire Coast!

View the current food menu by clinking here.

EVENTS CALENDAR

We hold special events throughout the season such as the very popular monthly Tapas Night, HomeGrown at SeaGrown folk music Sundays, Sunday Roasts, and many more!

The full 2024 event calendar is available by clicking here.

FIND US

MV Southern Star, Vincent Pier, Scarborough Harbour, Scarborough, North Yorkshire. YO11 1PH

Find us on Google Maps.

HISTORY

Southern Star was built in 1973 in Newcastle, Australia.

Since then, she has worked worldwide, including as a supply vessel in the Great Barrier Reef, a survey vessel in the Falkland Islands, and even in anti-piracy operations!

She has earned her name and we are very proud to have her here to support our work.

RENOVATION

Southern Star had been lying on a berth at Clydebank in Glasgow for several years before she showed up on SeaGrown Director, Wave Crookes’ radar.

She was in a sorry state and needed a full overhaul of all seven engines onboard which was completed by specialist engineers. Her two main propulsion engines were manufactured by Kelvin in Glasgow and are now something of a rarity – amazingly they were restored by the same talented engineers who originally worked on them back when they were apprentices!

Much of the bridge equipment was updated, with new navigation equipment, radars, radios and of course a fully refurbished and adjusted magnetic compass.

She was first moved to a shipyard on the Isle of Bute and onto the dry dock where a team worked tirelessly to meticulously check every square centimetre of the hull, fixing every imperfection and section of corrosion before the hull was painted in the rich SeaGrown signature navy blue you see her in now.

Cabins were removed on the upper deck to begin construction of the café and visitor centre onboard. At the same time, the cargo hold was cleared out and other internal areas were modified to house our seaweed hatchery and onboard science laboratories.

She then returned to Clydebank for a series of checks and surveys in order to certify her as a seaworthy ship. Successfully completing these, a crew of six climbed aboard, she slipped her moorings in Scotland for the final time and began a four-day passage back to Scarborough where she sits now in her permanent home in the harbour.

It was a monumental effort to bring her home but an effort that was absolutely worth all the blood, sweat, and tears. We are incredibly proud of our little ship and we hope you will enjoy spending time onboard as much as we do!

THE JOURNEY HOME

We spent four days on passage from Clyde Bank to Scarborough. The route took us right through the Hebrides, past the Isle of Skye, right across the northern coast of Scotland, before turning south and heading back along the east coast and arriving in Scarborough to berth Southern Star in her new home here in Scarborough Harbour.