About the Sardine Factory
On the West Looe side of the harbour, facing the fish market across the water, stands a stone-fronted quayside building that has had several lives. It began in the 19th century as a sardine works, serving the pilchard trade that once sustained much of the town, and later did duty as stores for local fishermen. Today it belongs to the Looe Harbour Commissioners and is home to a restaurant, a heritage centre, a coffee shop and, a little unexpectedly, an indoor climbing wall.
Getting there was not straightforward. When the harbour authority drew up plans to reuse the Grade II listed building, engineers discovered that the tide washing in and out beneath it had left the old façade with no real foundations. Consent was granted in 2015 to take the structure down and rebuild it, reusing original materials on the new frontage, and the restored building opened in 2018 after a project costing around £1.5 to £1.7 million.
The Sardine Factory restaurant is run by Looe-born chef Ben Palmer, who buys much of his fish from the boats landing just over the river. Its relaxed, harbour-view dining room has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and it is generally open from Wednesday to Sunday, with lunch, dinner and a Sunday brunch. Tables go quickly in summer, so ring ahead rather than chancing a walk-in.
Next door, the Looe Harbour Heritage Centre tells the story of the port through photographs, oral-history films and hands-on displays, from pilchards shipped to Italy to Looe crews who crossed the Atlantic to fish off Newfoundland. It opens seasonally, roughly from spring to early autumn, with a small admission charge and a café serving cream teas.
Beyond Paradise fans will recognise the building straight away. In August 2024 the cast filmed here as the restaurant and heritage centre were dressed as Ten Mile Kitchen, the business Martha moves into in Series 3 after the café's earlier home at Port Eliot. It has since become one of the most photographed stops on any Shipton Abbott pilgrimage.
Visiting
| Building | 19th-century Grade II listed former sardine factory and later fishermen's stores on West Looe quay, owned by the Looe Harbour Commissioners. Undermined by tidal flow, it was demolished and rebuilt behind a new façade using original materials after planning consent in 2015; the roughly £1.5-1.7m project opened in 2018. |
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| Uses | Looe Harbour Heritage Centre and coffee shop, The Sardine Factory restaurant, and an indoor climbing wall (Adventure Fit SouthWest). |
| Restaurant | Chef-patron Ben Palmer (Looe-born); fish and seafood from the market opposite; Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026 guide). Hours per Michelin: closed Mon-Tue; Wed-Sat 12-2pm and 6-9pm; Sun 10am-3pm. Book on 01503 770262. |
| Heritage Centre | Exhibits, image library, hands-on displays and oral-history films on the harbour, rivers, bridges, pilchard/sardine trade and Newfoundland cod voyages. Seasonal opening (Visit Cornwall says March-October; Proper Cornwall says Easter-end of September). Admission reported as £3 for up to two people, £5 family. Contact 01503 264223. |
| Beyond Paradise | Filming at the Sardine Factory and Heritage Centre in August 2024 turned them into Martha's new Ten Mile Kitchen for Series 3, replacing The Stables at Port Eliot used in Series 1-2. |
The Beyond Paradise walking tour starts here, and Millpool car park is about five minutes’ walk away.
Sardine Factory and Ten Mile Kitchen: FAQs
Where is Ten Mile Kitchen from Beyond Paradise filmed?
From Series 3 onwards, Martha's Ten Mile Kitchen was filmed at the Sardine Factory and the adjoining Heritage Centre on the quay in West Looe, postcode PL13 2BX. In Series 1 and 2 the café scenes were shot at The Stables at Port Eliot, near St Germans, which is a separate location further east in Cornwall.
Can you eat at the Beyond Paradise restaurant in Looe?
Yes. The building that plays Ten Mile Kitchen is a real, working restaurant called The Sardine Factory, run by local chef Ben Palmer and serving Cornish seafood. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and usually opens Wednesday to Sunday. Book by phone, especially in summer, because fans and food lovers keep it busy.
When is the Looe Harbour Heritage Centre open?
The Heritage Centre in the old Sardine Factory opens seasonally, roughly from spring until early autumn; one listing gives March to October and another Easter to the end of September. Hours can change, so check the Looe Harbour website or social media before visiting. Entry has been a small charge, with a family ticket available.
What was the Sardine Factory in Looe originally?
It was a 19th-century fish-processing building tied to the pilchard and sardine trade, and later used as stores by local fishermen. Owned by the Looe Harbour Commissioners, it was rebuilt behind a new façade made from original materials after tidal undermining was found, reopening in 2018 with a restaurant and heritage centre.
Sources
- guide.michelin.com — sardine factory
- hardens.com — the sardine factory
- cornishhorizons.co.uk — looe restaurants
- visitcornwall.com — looe harbour heritage centre
- propercornwall.co.uk — the old sardine factory
- armourheritage.co.uk — looe case study
- cornish-times.co.uk — first image of new heritage centre 131738
- cornish-times.co.uk — looe welcomes return of beyond paradise stars for filming of new serie
- countryfile.com — where is beyond paradise filmed
- cornwallholidays.com — beyond paradise filming locations