Things To Do In Seaham

Things To Do in Seaham, Durham

Guest Post By Lisa, @FitforlifePT30
(All images and writing by Lisa)

When most people think of Durham, they think of its historical city center with its stunning cathedral, a world heritage site built in 1093. They think of the cobbled streets and ivy league university. They might also think of the Harry Potter and Avengers films, since both were filmed at Durham Cathedral. Add to that the abundance of cafe's and restaurants, including the infamous Flat White Kitchen where its not uncommon to see queues out of the door, then its clear to see why there are over 20 million visitors to this wonderful city every year.

But, if you find that the city life is not for you and you want to delve a little deeper into County Durham, you could take the 14 mile drive up the North Sea coast to Seaham, a pretty coastal town which has seen a big resurgence over the years. Seaham is a former coal mining town and is clearly proud of its heritage with monuments in tribute placed all over the town center. Looking out to sea, you can't help but marvel at the stunning cliffs, take in a walk along the beautiful coastal paths towards to Noses's Point or pop down to the sea front for a spot of seal spotting too.

The biggest area in which Seaham has improved is with its impressive influx of healthy cafe's and restaurants, the latest introductions coming from Clean Bean and Flamingo Bar and Cafe. However, if you follow North Terrace in front of the green and “Tommy” statue (the street in which Clean Bean is on) there is an abundance of fantastic restaurants staying true to Seaham's coastal roots including The Lamp Room and Gills Fish and Chip Shop, as well as the 1940's/50's themed Lickety Split ice cream parlour too. The “Tommy” statue was created by artist Ray Lonsdale, who portrays “Tommy” as a first world war solider, close to the war memorial on the terrace green, which over looks Seaham sea front.

For this blog, I am going to review my two favorite eateries in Seaham, the aforementioned Clean Bean and Flamingo Bar and Cafe restaurants – First up, is Clean Bean. One of the many reasons why I love social media is because I get to discover excellent new cafes, bars and restaurants, of which there are many. I especially love trying quirky places, ones that offer something a bit different. So when I spotted an advert via Instagram for Clean Bean, a healthy eating restaurant, it certainly sparked my interest, especially for someone with a passion for health and fitness. The restaurant opened in September 2018 and is the brain-child of Paul and Linda Barron who gained their inspiration for a clean eating restaurant following a year of traveling to places such as Nepal, California and Australia. The trip made them change their whole approach and outlook on eating where they discovered that eating fresh, wholefoods were better than eating processed ones (I couldn't agree more). They quit their jobs in construction and recruitment to live their dream of opening a healthy restaurant, which is when Clean Bean was formed.

The sign at the front of the restaurant is slick, modern and trendy, a theme which translates seamlessly once inside. We were greeted to the sight of wood effect décor, references to the local area (think nautical themed interiors such as mirrors and lighting) and velvet seating too. On my first visit to Clean Bean, I sat down opposite the bar which looked pristine and so cool. All of the staff seemed really happy which is great to see, and a lovely waitress handed me a menu to look at as she took my drinks order and was happy to answer any questions that I had. Being a healthy eating restaurant, I ordered the turmeric latte which was absolutely delicious, so creamy - I could have ordered more.

After reading reviews on Facebook, I decided to choose one of Clean Bean's Wellness bowls. They have set options or you can build your own where you pick two vegetables/grains and one protein option. I chose the roasted turmeric cauliflower with black beans and blackened cod. I like to notice what other people order too and all of the food that was coming out looked amazing - the portions certainly weren't small either. I didn't have to wait long before my lunch arrived and it looked great, so colourful - I couldn't wait to get started.

From the first bite, everything just tasted so fresh with amazing flavors which stood out on their own but complimented each other so well too. Prices at Clean Bean start from 7 pounds for the wellness bowls but when you consider how fresh and unique their food and flavours are, I would say this is more than reasonable. There are lots of vegan options on the menu too. Clean Bean often have themed nights and round the world meals. You can find out more about Clean Bean from their facebook and Instagram pages.

Next up is Flamingo Bar and Cafe, situated directly on Seaham's Harbour where you are so close to the sea that on a windy day, once you've parked up, its not uncommon to feel the sea fret wash over you. Don't worry, your cars are completely safe. Flamingo is a quaint cafe situated next door to East Coast Fitness Gym, where it's not uncommon to see gym goers pop in for a post workout pick me-up latte or brunch with friends. The cafe is also vegan friendly and dog friendly too. Flamingo opened up in September 2018 and was formally ran as a food truck, but it proved so popular at events that the owners decided to open up a cafe which so far, has proved extremely popular, especially as a brunch/lunch spot.

Its a very instagramable place, featuring hanging flowers on the ceiling as well as flower wall outside and of course pretty looking food too. I've been several times now, mainly for brunch and I'm a big fan of their lattes and smoothie bowls (all arriving in a coconut bowl) including bee pollen and beetroot lattes and bali bowl for example. You can also indulge in the likes of eggs and avacado on toast and extra healthy soups and salads too. Even better are Flamingo's healthy array of cakes including raspberry and charcoal cakes and turmeric and ginger cheesecake too, all of which I can highly recommend. All ingredients are fresh and it shows – I'm yet to have a bad meal here. Flamingo continue their healthy theme where they collaborate with local PT's and fitness instructors to host fitness classes such as yoga which includes a complimentary latte on completion. You can read more about Flamingo via their facebook and instagram pages.

Seaham is fast becoming the place to be for fantastic restaurants and healthy eateries, so much so that for the first time in 2019, Seaham hosted their first ever food festival which featured celebrity chefs including John Torode and Phil Vickery too. It proved so popular that it looks to be heading back to Seaham again in 2020. So if you want stunning scenery and fantastic food, head over to Seaham today.

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THE GIRL BEHIND FITNESS FORSTER

My name is Amie and I am the face behind Fitness Forster.
I am a freelance recipe developer, content creator and qualified personal trainer. I developed this website to share my passion for healthy recipes, fitness and travel.