Life’s a beach

Lifestyle has become a key consideration for people considering moving to our beautiful island city.

We want to share what is great about the place we love so dearly and we are inviting people making a difference in our city to tell us why they think Portsmouth and Southsea is so special.

Today we speak to the team who have just launched The Beach Club.

“Just look at that view. There’s something exciting happening on the water all the time whether it’s the Aircraft Carrier coming in or the latest cruise ship – there’s always something to see,” said Toby Woodfine.

Speaking from the terrace of their latest venture, The Beach Club, it is clear why Toby Woodfine Ian Clarke and Adam Glyde chose to transform the sadly neglected Mozzarella Joes and turn it into a new beachside destination.

The building itself on Clarence Esplanade has a funky maritime look and feel thanks to Neil Williams, the creative force behind The Bureau of Change. Work by local artists including Kevin Dean, Sadie Tierney and Pete Codling bring the walls to life.

And with a late licence until 2am, the aim is to create a relaxed beach vibe.

“We’ve created the sort of place that we would like to go with good wines, cocktails, beer, food and music.” said Toby.

They have a good track record so far with the popular Southsea Beach Cafe near Canoe Lake, Fisherman’s Kitchen and Broadway Coffee Roasters under their belt. 

“No other city has this space so close to the seafront,” said Adam.

“We love our location,” said Ian. “Whether it’s on the water or on Southsea Common there’s so much happening. Victorious Festival, the Great South Run will all be happening on our doorstep.”

Summing up what they think makes Southsea such a great place to live, Toby said: “Southsea is a really cool place – it’s like Brighton was 30 years ago. We’ve got so many artistic and creative people living here.”

“And we do seem to have our own micro-climate – it can be raining just down the motorway but the sun always seems to be shining here,” added Ian.

  Back