Welcome to The Anchor

A little bit about us:

Sophie and her family have long connections with the Suffolk coast and Aldeburgh in particular where her maternal grandmother retired to paint. Sophie ran the food franchise at the yacht club in the early 90’s and then undertook some location catering in the UK and abroad (Star Wars in Tunisia and Les Misérables in Prague).

Mark was an economist with the law firm Linklaters until the mid 90’s but had been developing the White Horse on Parson’s Green SW6 since student days in 1981 – hobbyism in an extreme form. Affectionately known as the Sloaney Pony it was voted top pub in the UK in Mark’s last two years there 2005 & 2006.

In early September 2004 during breakfast with friends on a golden Walberswick beach washed by a shimmering sea we decided to buy the lease on the Anchor and set about restoring its fortunes. We wanted to create a village local that would be both family friendly and a welcome retreat for all who enjoy good conversation, food and drink.

Our first job was to prune the 14ft high hedge on the eastern boundary that was obscuring ground floor views of the sea and to create a stone terrace for alfresco eating, drinking and feasting. From 2006 we built a new and enlarged kitchen, opened the front bar with the aid of a structural beam and united the front bars with a double fronted coal and log burning fire.

The flint barn at the side of the Anchor had been home to Major Bug’s riding school during Libby Purves’ childhood days as she recalled and we decided to convert it into another space for eating. The slates forming the floor were supplied by Tom Webster who cleverly procured them from the Public Records Office at Somerset House in London. We equipped the barn with a drop-down screen and a projector for business meetings and presentations. It has been put to good use in the cause of village based charity fund raising projects as well as providing the theatre for Food Safari events and cask beer festivals.

We aim to renovate all the B&B accommodation from October 2009 onwards along with the dining room, and the bar that is currently a corridor will be closed off and made snug once more.

In 2010 the garden will loom large in our plans as we hope to complete our plantings outside the chalets and sow the meadow at the end of the garden with native wild flowers to create a perfectly secluded spot for a bottle of wine and a picnic hamper from our kitchen. We hope that 2010 will be blessed with a little more rainfall than 2009, if only to ensure a steady supply of vegetables and herbs from our allotment.

Sophie & Mark Dorber 

Photo Credits: Predominantly Julian Bajzert