Rooted in season

A thoughtful approach to food, guided by time and place

By Kelly Shaw, The Ship founder

There’s something deeply grounding about cooking in alignment with the seasons.

I recall, as a child, having a curiosity for flavours, the seasons, and how each informs the other. That curiosity grew as I did. It became the cornerstone of the food I cook at home, the dishes I choose when dining out, and now, the menu at my pub, The Ship.

Below, I’m sharing a little more about my love of seasonal food—and why ‘seasonal’ is not a buzzword at The Ship, but a guiding principle in how we cook, source, and serve.

Food has become my way of sharing the deep joy I felt as a young adult, discovering flavour, seasonality and connection for the first time. My hope is that this joy is reflected at The Ship, and that your table is one you’ll want to linger at and share.

Not Just Local; Intentional

At The Ship, our focus is on flavour, of course—but also on honouring ingredients while they’re at their best. This naturally supports our commitment to sustainability and reducing waste.

Our menus evolve as the months roll by, meaning a dish you savour in August may have changed by September.

You won’t find strawberries in winter here.

But you will find dishes that honour the season’s abundance, and surprise you with their simplicity and depth of flavour.

An August Menu

As we open the doors to The Ship for the first time since its renovation, our menu reflects the beauty of late summer.

Hedgerows are full, the sea is abundant, and the air feels balmy with the last hurrah of summer.

I wanted our launch menu to celebrate August’s seasonal food jewels.

It’s a menu that reflects exactly where we are—not just in place, but in time.

Have a peruse of our sample menu. For a true reflection of what’s available on the day, you’ll have to pop in or give us a call.

Ingredients are both familiar and quietly surprising

You’ll find fresh British crab paired with the last of the elderflower and young artichokes. Beetroot and rainbow chard arrive in vibrant layers, balanced by soft ricotta and sweet cherries. There’s wood pigeon with black fig—a nod to the richness just beginning to emerge—and tender hogget, cooked slowly and served with bitter leaves and warm flatbread.

From the coast, sole comes with nothing more than a little butter, capers, and whatever’s growing now—because when the ingredients are this good, you don’t need to overcomplicate them.

This is food that tastes like here, like now—honest, seasonal, and made to be shared.

Come Eat With Us

Whether you’re joining us for Sunday Table, a midweek dinner, or just a drink and some snacks at the bar, we hope this first menu makes you feel something.

We want you to leave full—not just in the stomach, but in that quietly satisfied, still-thinking-about-it-later kind of way.

This is food rooted in where we are, and when we are. Food that belongs to this exact moment—and is best shared while it lasts. Naturally.

We can’t wait to share it with you.