Pevensey Bay restaurant prepares to open after years of neglect

In May the Herald revealed Greg Corona, who set up The Belgian Cafe and Soup N Tap in Terminus Road, is opening a French-Mediterranean restaurant in the former Beach Tavern site in Pevensey Bay.

May article here

Greg is originally from Provence in France and said he is going ‘back to his roots’ with this restaurant which is ‘a little touch of the Mediterranean’. He said: “These are the fruits of my passion for food. It is very exciting. Here in Pevensey Bay on a site which has been locked and barred for eight years and facing imminent demolition, our team have resurrected the buildings way beyond expectations and now we plan to produce food to match from breakfast time through to supper.”

The restaurant will be called Massilia Bay – Greg said the name began life as a Greek port called Massalia and eventually became Marseille. He said: “For me it is more than a name, it is home, for I was born in a little village called Le Luc, in the southern part of France between Marseille and Nice, just a couple of hours from San Remo and the Italian borders. No wonder I have always been besotted with food, the preparation, the serving and, of course, the eating!”

Greg’s parents owned a fishmongers when he was child and it was here he had his first job preparing mussels in return for pocket money. This upbringing meant Greg moved into the food industry in his early 20s at the Commis de Salle restaurant on the French Riviera.

He said: “It was the start of a love affair which continues to reap its own rewards to this day and beyond. It started me on a nine-year gastronomic tour around the world. We both have a strong desire to share our passion for fine food by bringing some of our Southern French heritage and our gathered culinary wisdom to our many valued friends and, we hope, our new customers and, indeed, new friends.”

Interestingly, Massilia Bay is made up of five areas - one kitchen is entirely dedicated to fresh pasta and pizza and another to the a la carte and gastro menu. At the front there is a cafe area, a bar, and a lounge area too. This all centres around the main dining room ‘designed as an outdoor street area in the South of France’.

Greg said: “Close your eyes and you will believe you have been whisked across the channel and beyond with memories of sun-filled summer vacations. The practicalities are that we will open at 9am when our chefs will welcome you with several continental and Mediterranean breakfast options and will continue through for 12 hours.”

On the subject of drinks, Greg said there will be wines from all over the world and craft beers from his own brewery including Pevensey Bay’s own brew - the Bay Blonde.

Massilia Bay opens October 1. Keep up to date here or email [email protected].

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