Seaton Eats Boutique to launch pop-up pub with sea shanties and competition to win a bottle of gin!

The Salty Arms is the resident pop-up pub at the Eats Boutique street food markets in Seaton and Sidmouth – and soon the launch in Axminster.

Although the markets have always had a mobile bar, event creator Eleanor Carr has given it a new life.

To celebrate the transformation, The Salty Arms will this week be offering up some delicious cocktails, a new resident gin and the unveiling of the mermaid's name.

She is an essential component of the Salty Arms – the ship's figure head guiding the vessel through the storms to safe waters, protecting those aboard.

To mark the occasion, local singing group the Lyme Bay Moonrakers will be offering a soundtrack of sea shanties and ballads to officially complete the 'ship' and set her on her course.

Eleanor commented: "The concept of the mobile bar has been chosen carefully. The metaphors of the sea celebrate our landscape and maritime heritage, and reflect the values of the street food events.

"The Salty Arms embraces the social mission of the street food events by welcoming everyone to its decks. The pub is a place where people congregate and commune. It's a place where everyone is welcome.

"As the tagline says, we're all crew in this community. By working together we achieve more.

"Collective navigation is the way to build stronger and hence more resilient communities. This starts with people sitting around a table, sharing food or having a pint."

The Salty Arms has a responsible environmental ethos. A cup deposit scheme, prioritising cans over glass and stocking many locally produced drinks reduces the enterprise's carbon footprint.

Financial accessibility is also an essential ingredient, and with cups of squash priced at £1 the aim is that everyone can congregate at the pub and support the business.

The pop-up pub has been built with help from others: the fascia board was constructed by the Beer Mens' Shed, the mermaid figure head's name was a collective effort of name suggestions by this year's customers, and the Isle of Wight distillery have supported the launch event by donating a bottle of Mermaid gin for a prize draw.

The bar menu echoes the maritime theme, with Exmouth-based mixologists Bar Buoy cocktails, Mermaid gin from the Isle of Wight Distillery, and Lyme Bay Winery's Jack Ratt cider, named after East Devon's very own pirate, Jack Rattenbury.

Unique Boutique Events invites you to Seaton Eats Boutique this Friday, July 1 to explore cuisine from around the world, and to enjoy the treasures produced on our very shores from our new pop up pub, the Salty Arms.

The event takes place on Friday 1 July at Jubilee Gardens, Seaton EX12 2PH. It starts at 4pm and will conclude sometime around sunset.

Lyme Bay Moonrakers are due to perform from 6pm.