Introducing Whitby
Divided by the River Esk’s estuary, Whitby is sandwiched on the East coast between the North Sea and beautiful North York Moors.
Famous for its Gothic Abbey, whose dusky ruins overlook the sea, it was here that Irish writer Bram Stoker found inspiration for his chilling novel, Dracula (1897). The town still boasts a writer’s bench and several hat tips to Stoker’s most famous creation. In part-homage to Dracula, annual crowds descend on the town for its ‘Goth Festival’, a celebration of music, food and fashion.
And of course all year round, its long sandy beach, dotted with bright beach huts and kelp is the perfect destination for rock pooling and building sand abbeys of your own.
The historic town
There’s tons to entertain you in Whitby, including a surf school, amusement arcades, and even fortune tellers on the Pier. But its main attraction (aside from the seaside) has to be its history.
Beneath the abbey, two picturesque lighthouses flank the estuary mouth. A statue of world-famous naval explorer, and Whitby export, Captain James Cook presides over the town. Quaint shops occupy the old fishermen’s cottages, selling gifts, soaps and art. And Whitby Jet jewellery, a black quartz stone which is only found along this part of the coastline, twinkles from the leaded windows.
Whitby’s many museums include Whitby Jet, the Abbey, Dracula and Captain Cook – plus a superb dedication to the R.N.L.I.
Out and About
If the steep ‘199 steps’ up to the Abbey hasn’t worn you out, you could venture further afield. There are plenty of coastal and historic walks, boat trips and even surfing lessons here.
Head out to the North York Moors and take in the scenery from the steam train from Goatham to the Hole of Horcum.
And of course you can eat eat eat!
Whitby had no dedicated vegan diners that I could find. But a steadily burgeoning plant-based scene is beginning to promise better things to come.
A roundup of what Whitby had to offer vegans on my most recent trip, follows below.
Whitby Brewery
East Cliff, Whitby YO22 4JR
Limited access
For me, no trip to anywhere is complete without a swift half, and Whitby Brewery offered this with views! Who could resist?!
Adjoining Whitby Abbey, Whitby Brewery hosts live music, tours and tasters, and has a micro pub on the premises. It sells pizzas too, but we found that none of them were vegan (yet!).
I drank the Whitby Whaler on my visit which was absolutely delicious, but all three of their home brewed tipples are vegan, so take your pick!
We watched the sun setting over the abbey while we drank on a crisp sunny Autumnal day: it was the best way imaginable to refresh after climbing the hill. And there’s ample outdoor seating for good weather, or brave souls!
The beers were lovely: definitely worth the visit. And the genial atmosphere of the venue meant we’ll definitely be making a beeline for this place on future visits.
The White Horse and Griffin
87 Church St, Whitby YO22 4BH
Limited access to toilets
With accommodation and a rather meaty restaurant out back, you’d be forgiven for questioning my sanity, including such a bar on my blog. But I absolutely loved it in here.
Despite being on the main thoroughfare to the Abbey, the bar felt chilled and welcoming. The decor was sumptuously respectful of the original building and the venue employed some truly lovely staff. Both bar tenders we spoke to were friendly and knowledgeable about all the booze in their bar – even if they couldn’t quite reach some of it!
We drank ice cold Bitburger Pils and whiled away several happy hours in here. And we immediately recommended it to our friends when they arrived in town.
Robertson’s Chips Away
6-7 Bridge St, Whitby YO22 4BG
Accessible
It’s inevitable that many seaside establishments will be utterly unappealing to vegans, for obvious reasons.
But Robertsons is different – because their vegan range is totally blimmin’ marvellous.
Battered sausage, pineapple fritters, pea fritters, mushy peas, home-made curry sauce, gravy, and chunky hot chips…
It’s unlikely you’ll be visiting for haute cuisine. But you should definitely still visit, because it’s honestly one of the most positive chippy experiences I’ve had since becoming a vegan. We went twice during our holiday, at different times of the day and enjoyed both our meals.
Sprinkles
84 Church St, Whitby YO22 4BH
Accessible
Typically, Sprinkles was shut when I visited – and appears to only open at weekends just now.
But the counter menu noted at least six flavours of vegan ice cream that I could count. And my friends who’ve eaten there swear by all of them!
It apparently gets busy in here, but being literally a two second walk from Robertson’s Chips Away, it’s the perfect follow up to your Whitby vegan battered sausage! So probably worth it.
Mr Cooper’s Coffee House
72 Church St, Whitby YO22 4AS
Limited access
A young lady setting out chairs greeted us to a rather surly welcome here, if I’m honest. But I’m glad we persevered, because she left soon after we arrived, and the remaining staff were lovely.
We chose smokey beans on toast with pea shoot and berry salad, and a cinnamon ‘n’ raisin bagel with hot chocolate – all plant-based.
The cafe was cosy and full of greenery, the music chilled, and clientele happy and eclectic. Plus the hot chocolate was really, really good. The place was furiously busy with locals and tourists alike.
We were really tempted to go back and try everything else but they were shut when we tried (at about 4pm – be warned!). So we’ll have to try again during our next trip.
The Jolly Sailors
13 St Ann’s Staith, Whitby YO21 3PW
Limited access
A Samuel Smiths pub, (yay!) right on the pier, The Jolly Sailors had just undergone a refurbishment when I visited. It looked lovely: Arts and Crafts wallpaper, and a super-cute original (working!) fireplace.
We sat at one of two tables overlooking the pier and people watched as the sun set over the Abbey.
The service was very attentive and they operated a strict no mobile phone policy. This created a properly sociable atmosphere that we loved.
Several vegan options were clearly marked on the menu, and staff seemed open to mixing and matching stuff to keep their punters happy!
Our order arrived super-fast and really hit the spot. We ate the vegan chilli with garlic bread, and a quinoa and edamame burger with fries. We were so stuffed when we’d finished eating that we kept rolling back down the hill trying to get back to our holiday flat!
I’d post a picture of the food itself, but respected the no-phones policy! So you’ll have to trust me when I say it was as well presented as it was delicious.
We’re definitely going back on our next visit and will probably spend a bit longer here too. A lovely place.
Cranberry Swamp
24 Skinner St, Whitby YO21 3AJ
Limited access
I discovered a confusing menu here, showing a vegan symbol underneath an extensive list of non-vegan breakfast meals. At first glance, it appeared that avocado on toast was the start and end of it for us. The waitress thought they may have had vegan sausages last week, but on reflection, turned out to be mistaken…
It was only when our little nephew arrived and we flipped the menu over to see what kids’ portions there were, that we realised beans on toast – for kids – were available. So we both ended up supersizing this, and adding some bonus hash browns. Dull and confusing.
I think it’s fair to say that Cranberry do actually sell vegan food, but aren’t terribly good at letting you know about it. The menu presentation could definitely do with a change-up.
However, service was cheery and accommodating. Plus theirs was the nicest coffee I drank in Whitby. So there’s that. And if you’re eating gluten free, this is definitely the best Whitby eatery for you.
Sander’s Yard Bistro
Sanders Yard, 95 Church St, Whitby YO22 4BH
Limited access
The menu was rather more limited for vegans than I’d anticipated.
We both ate variations on the chilli, because was nothing else vegan available on the day of our visit. And honestly? It was pretty disappointing. My bowl consisted of 75% cold, bendy ‘nachos’, far too many jalapenos and about a tablespoon of ok chilli.
Table service was cumbersome and distracted. The chap behind us was questioned three times about his order. Our table was tacky with cleaning product, and the bistro had an eyebrow burning stench of bleach about it. Very off-putting.
We persisted because it was chucking it down with rain outside, and we were hungry (so were glad to be indoors). But having waited over 20 minutes for our bill, before finally giving up and heading to the (empty) counter to find someone (indifferent) to pay, we certainly wouldn’t rush to recommend it.
On a better day, with fuller menu, I suspect a much better vegan dining experience could be had here. So I’d perhaps give them another shot – but only one more.
Albert’s Eatery and Jet Museum
Wesley Hall, Church St, Whitby YO22 4DE
Not accessible
Remember that Whitby Jet I mentioned earlier? Well, at Albert’s you can feast your eyes on some of the best samples – and enjoy a sophisticated glass of wine too.
Set in an old Wesleyan Hall, with organ and stalls still in situ, it’s worth visiting just for the building, which is gorgeous.
Enter through the mini-museum of mostly Victorian jet pieces and fossils. Then take a right into the dinky shop to buy brand new pieces of your own… or head for the bistro.
Book in advance here as it gets very busy: we saw people being turned away at just after noon. And be aware that the vegan food choices were very limited on our trip too.
But the wine list was virtually all vegan and we found a comfy seat where we were left comfortably alone. So for a lovely place to just sit back and sip, we liked it a lot – and will definitely go back.
Whether we’ll get in or not is another matter entirely!
Clara’s
Esplanade Crescent, Whitby YO21 3EN
Accessible (no loos)
Opposite the old Royal Hotel on the West Cliff promenade, this little shack has outdoor seating overlooking the magnificent North Sea. It serves up equally welcoming warm drinks to defrost cold hands – or refreshing cold slushies on a hot day.
And just look at it – it’s so darned cute! I took this photo early one morning but it looks just as scrumptious all lit up at night. And with plant based milks, everyone can enjoy their pumpkin spiced latte just as they like it.
Snacks were hardly the pinnacle of Whitby veganism, though – so I was glad I’d only popped up there for the photo op. I’d recommend visiting for drinks rather than a full-on lunch. But if you’re in need of light refreshment or a sit down before or after your beach-side jaunt, it’s a smashing little place to stop off.
Sherlocks’ Tea and Coffee House
10 Flowergate, Whitby YO21 3BA
Limited access
Cosy, pretty….and absolutely rammed with folks for the entirety of our trip, I’m assured that Sherlocks is wonderful for vegans. But I’ll have to hold my hands up and say we honestly only got a photo of it. It was just too busy.
We could see plenty of choices on the board inside though…and we definitely saw some oat milk on the counter! So there were undoubtedly a fair few choices for vegans inside!
Mason’s Fruit and Veg
11 Flowergate, Whitby YO21 3BA
Limited access (slight doorstep)
I’m not quite sure why they need netted crabs hanging in the windows (not real ones) to sell fruit and veg. But Masons’ is a well located grocery to grab bits and pieces for your self-catering holiday flat or the day’s beach picnic.
Staff seemed to have worked here for years, and there were a few regulars attending during our visit too, which we always take to be a positive sign.
North Beach Cafe
West Cliff, Whitby YO21
Limited access
Closer to the sea than Clara’s, the North Beach Cafe has very similar fayre.
Views across the sea from here are fabulous – and within such easy reach of the beach it’s easy to get to, without having to stray too far from your bucket and spade.
Again though, I’d recommend it more as a ‘coffee to go’ kind of place, rather than a ‘plan my lunch around it’ venue, as the food choices for vegans were really limited.
Botham’s of Whitby
35/39 Skinner St, Whitby YO21 3AH
Accessible
Bypass all of Bothams’ bread, cakes and biscuits , which are a complete no-go for vegans. Instead head for the shelving. Here you’ll find beautifully packaged blends of tea and coffee, sweeties, jams and preserves on sale – nearly all of which are vegan friendly.
Frankly, it’d be great to see some iced vegan biscuits slip into their bakery repertoire, as the care and attention that had gone into their baked goods was evident – and I did feel a bit slighted that anyone wanting to help animal welfare had to go elsewhere.
But while they’re experimenting with vegan bakes, I’m certainly happy indulging in a spoonful or two of Botham’s jam and a pot of chai!
Whitby Rock
Pier Road, Whitby
Fully accessible
Across Whitby it’s impossible to miss the confectionaries that are so synonymous with seasides. But for the best in town – and the most seaside-y – head to Pier Road Arcades.
I especially loved this little stall, which was bright, colourful and well-appointed. It was definitely the most visually appealing on the whole pier, and the girl behind the counter was a total sweetheart!
Pig out on slush puppies, rock, candy floss, nougat and sugar dummies: most of it is vegan friendly.
I chose the peppermint stick from the tons of flavours on display and even managed to eat it without getting slimy drool around my chops. A miracle in itself.
Fuzzy Dog Bakery
20 Flowergate, Whitby YO21 3BA
Accessible
Ok not all ‘Whitby vegan’ – and not for you either. But there were fruit- and veg-based treats etc… that your pooch will just love!
Their Facebook page is almost as adorable as its regular ‘shoppers’ – we love its Dog of the Day posts! And it was good to see such a niche store catering for people who cared about not just their pets’ welfare, but other animals too.
Arch and Abbey Microbrewery
2-4 Skinner Street, Whitby
Limited access
This cosy venue had one of the best collections of local drinks I’ve ever seen. Whitby Brewery of course, but also Copper Dragon, Wensleydale, Kirkstall, Black Sheep – and gin from Whitby and Lickerish Tooth distilleries too.
The Skinner Street location was close to most of the B&Bs on east Cliff, and although small, this welcoming little venue was perfectly formed, with a knowing sense of style.
It got quite rowdy on our visit and the rain was coming down hard, so we only stayed for a couple of drinks. But I reckon it’d be quite easy to spend a good few hours in here testing the bar staff’s product knowledge and listening to the best music we encountered on our trip!
I’m glad we dropped in.
Is Whitby Vegan?
There’s some way to go before I’d personally recommend Whitby as a vegan destination.
But green shoots are beginning to show in the town. And although the plant based options were sparse, the attitude towards vegan diets was actually quite welcoming and accommodating. People were curious and genuinely seemed to want you to enjoy eating at their establishments.
So you never know – our next visit might be a whole other story.
We’ll definitely paying it a visit again to see how it’s progressed. And if you’ve eaten there we’d love to hear your thoughts!
