The Boat on the Bay, a beloved summer outdoor eatery at Kimmeridge, has submitted an application to Dorset Council seeking a premises license to sell alcohol daily from noon until 6 pm.
Operating since 2022, this ‘pop-up’ restaurant runs from wooden-clad mobile catering trailers positioned in the main car park at the Bay, enclosed by a roped-off seating area for customers. Owner Emma Vearncombe, based at Swalland Farm, Kimmeridge, assures that all staff will undergo thorough training in alcohol sales. The venue is also equipped with CCTV and will have regular patrols to ensure cleanliness, particularly the collection of used glasses.
Initially permitted to operate for a brief seasonal period, The Boat on the Bay now plans to extend its service from April through the end of September. The application notes that during its full 2023 season, the business generated £136,000 in local food and beverage spending and created 16 jobs within the community.
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Support for the extended season came from Kimmeridge Parish Council and several local residents writing to Dorset Council. However, conditions attached to the license require the complete removal of all temporary structures—including trailers, toilets, post, and rope barriers—by the end of each September to allow the site to recover, with necessary remedial work to follow.
Restrictions also limit operations to no more than four wooden-clad trailers and one toilet, ban the use of generators, and prohibit music to maintain the site’s natural ambiance.
When the license extension was first proposed in 2022, planning officers expressed concerns that a permanent presence could harm the landscape. Nevertheless, councillors acknowledged that during summer months, the area is anything but quiet, with numerous visitors expecting food and drink options to complement their outdoor experience.