book gifts – The Extra Mile

Posted on 13/10/202513/10/2025 by The Extra Mile

Coast and marine charities in The Coastal Café Guide

Coastal cafés with a conscience: how The Coastal Café Guide supports a cleaner, wilder coastline

The Coastal Café Guide is a celebration of the places that make Britain’s shoreline so special. Think about the independent cafés tucked behind dunes, perched on harboursides, or tucked away in fishing villages. Within its pages you’ll find over 150 cafés and beach shacks serving freshly caught fish, home-baked cakes, and sea-view coffee with a conscience.

The book is also about something bigger than good food. It’s about caring for the coast itself: the sealife, wildlife, beaches, and people that bring these unique fringes of our island to life. A percentage of every copy sold is donated to Surfers Against Sewage, a charity whose work endeavours to protect our seas and communities from water pollution, plastic pollution, and climate change.

Alongside this, the book shines a light on 11 other inspiring charities and organisations that help protect the ocean, restore nature, and keep our coastlines wild and welcoming. They remind us that sustainable, local cafés and coastal conservation go hand in hand, for without thriving seas, there can be no thriving coastal communities.

Charities helping us protect and celebrate our seas and coasts

Alongside its donations to Surfers Against Sewage, a charity whose aims are outlined below, The Coastal Café Guide is proud to highlight the work of a network of like-minded charitable organisations that share a passion for cleaner coasts, more sustainable seafood, and safer waters.

Surfers Against Sewage

A grassroots movement turned national charity, Surfers Against Sewage campaigns to end sewage spills, reduce ocean plastic, and hold polluters to account. Their End Sewage Pollution campaign and Million Mile Clean bring thousands of volunteers together each year to restore Britain’s beaches and waterways. (Staff here attended one of their flagship events in 2025: our local Paddle Out Protest in Weston-super-Mare’s Marine Lake: part of a national day of activism.)

RNLI

Since it was founded 200 years ago this year, the RNLI has saved tens of thousands lives at sea. Its crews of volunteer lifeboat heroes protect everyone who enjoys the coast, from surfers and swimmers to fisherfolk and sailors, while promoting water safety education in every coastal community.

Marine Stewardship Council

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) works to keep our seafood sustainable. The MSC blue label on fish and shellfish helps shoppers and chefs know that their meal has been responsibly caught, safeguarding marine life and fishing livelihoods for the future.

Marine Conservation Society

The Marine Conservation Society campaigns for cleaner seas and sustainable seafood. From beach cleans to citizen science and policy change, its work protects habitats, reduces pollution, and empowers people to take action for ocean health.

Outdoor Swimming Society

The Outdoor Swimming Society celebrates the joy and freedom of wild swimming. Its community of swim pioneers encourages safe, respectful and environmentally conscious dips in open water, connecting people deeply with the natural world.

The Ramblers, and the England Coast Path

The Ramblers are the guardians of walking routes across Britain. Their work on the England Coast Path, which will be the longest managed coastal trail in the world, ensures that everyone can explore, enjoy and protect our stunning shoreline.

South West Coast Path Association

The South West Coast Path Association maintains one of Britain’s most beloved trails, stretching 630 miles around the peninsula. Their volunteers care for paths, signage and landscapes that link so many of the cafés featured in The Coastal Café Guide.

The Wave Project

The Wave Project transforms young lives through surf therapy. By combining the power of the ocean with mentoring and community, it helps children and teenagers improve confidence, wellbeing and their connection to the sea.

The Finisterre Foundation

The Finisterre Foundation, created by the sustainable clothing brand Finisterre, supports grassroots ocean and coastal projects, from cold-water swimming initiatives to marine conservation and gear donation schemes for those in need.

John Muir Trust

Named after the pioneering conservationist, the John Muir Trust protects and restores wild places across the UK. Their education and rewilding projects inspire people to connect with the natural world and care for wild landscapes, coasts and mountains alike.

National Trust for Scotland

The National Trust for Scotland safeguards historic and natural sites, including many of the country’s most beautiful stretches of coastline. Its stewardship ensures that beaches, cliffs and islands remain places of inspiration and access for everyone.

Open Seas

Open Seas is concerned with protecting our marine environment and the things that live in it. They run campaigns and initiatives designed to see more fish and shellfish caught more sustainably, and they promote sustainable alternatives to damaging fishing.

City to Sea

The City to Sea movement tackles plastic pollution at its source. From refill schemes to reusable period products, they empower individuals and businesses to stop waste before it reaches rivers and oceans.

Buy The Coastal Café Guide: dive into these charities

Printslinger will donate 1% of book sales to Surfers Against Sewage. So whether buying a copy of The Coastal Café Guide for yourself or as a birthday or Christmas gift for someone who loves buying local food and supporting fairer food and fishing, know you’re giving a gift with a conscience. To learn more about this book and our other foodie titles, visit our online bookshop on the button below.

Posted on 12/10/202513/10/2025 by The Extra Mile

The Wildlife Trusts in The Farm Shop Guide

Baby hedgehog image to go with Wildlife Trusts information

Bringing nature back: The Wildlife Trusts in focus

At the heart of The Farm Shop Guide lies a simple idea: that food should be good for people, good for farmers, and good for the planet. This beautifully designed book celebrates the best farm shops, producers and food destinations across the UK – places where local food and sustainable farming come together.

But The Farm Shop Guide isn’t just about where to shop. It’s about supporting a better food system. That’s why a percentage of every book sold is donated to the Sustainable Food Trust, a pioneering charity working to make farming in Britain more regenerative, nature-friendly and fair for all.

The Wildlife Trusts' activities and campaigns

At The Farm Shop Guide, we believe that good food and good farming depend on a healthy, thriving natural world. That’s why in this post we turn the spotlight to The Wildlife Trusts. This group of charities makes up one of the most powerful and far-reaching networks in the UK working to restore, protect and reconnect nature.

The Farm Shop Guide is committed to showcasing their work, amplifying their voice, and helping readers understand just how central nature is to the food system.

The Wildlife Trusts are a federation of 46 independent local organisations across the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney, (beneath the umbrella of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts ). Collectively, they manage more than 2,600 nature reserves, amounting to nearly 98,500 ha of land dedicated to wildlife.

Strategic vision and campaigns

Their guiding strategy, Bringing Nature Back 2030, sets out an ambition to reverse biodiversity loss by combining local action with collective scale. Key elements of their work include restoring habitat connectivity, amplifying efforts across land and sea, and engaging communities as agents of change.

One of their flagship projects is 30 Days Wild, a month-long annual challenge in June that invites people to do ‘one wild thing’ each day, whether that’s birdwatching, planting a wildflower, or simply listening to nightingales. In 2025, they’ve already used this ethos to prompt people to ‘move like wildlife’: walking, cycling, and dancing more in and with nature.

Another high-profile moment in 2025 was National Marine Week, (which happened from 26 July to 10 August in 2025). This event celebrates the richness and vulnerability of the UK’s seas, from reefs to seagrasses, through local events and social media campaigns.

The Wildlife Trusts are also pressing the government on policy fronts: for instance, The Wildlife Trusts have voiced concern over the proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill, warning that current drafts risk weakening protections for habitats under restoration, especially peatlands and ancient woods.

The organisation argue that loopholes in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) proposals could undermine genuine nature recovery unless tightened.

Land acquisitions and flagship projects

In 2024, The Wildlife Trusts made a landmark move by acquiring a large portion of the Rothbury estate in Northumberland: one of the biggest private land purchases in decades. They intend to restore degraded lands, overlay regenerative farming, and open it to public access. This project could become a national showcase of nature-first land management, integrating wildlife recovery and sustainable agriculture.

Looking ahead to 2026

Between 2025 and 2030, The Wildlife Trusts aim to expand their ‘30 by 30‘ campaign (securing at least 30 % of land and sea for nature recovery) and scale up their habitat restoration efforts, especially in uplands, peatlands, rivers and marine zones.

We can expect stronger advocacy on land-use reforms, tighter planning protections for nature, and further growth of flagship projects like Rothbury.

For readers of The Farm Shop Guide, The Wildlife Trusts’ work is deeply relevant. Farmers and landowners are essential actors in landscape-scale nature recovery. For food production and farming to be truly sustainable, that is to say low in carbon and rich in biodiversity, we need farms and nature to be partners, not rivals. By promoting the work of The Wildlife Trusts, we hope more people see that connection.

Support The Wildlife Trusts today

To learn more about and to become a supporter or member of your local Wildlife Trust, which will have many programmes and projects for you to get involved with or volunteer on, visit The Wildlife Trusts today to get started.

Other food and farming charities in The Farm Shop Guide

Alongside its support for The Wildlife Trusts, The Farm Shop Guide proudly promotes a network of like-minded organisations that share a passion for sustainable farming, wildlife, soil health and local food.

The Sustainable Food Trust

A charity working globally and locally to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable food and farming systems.

Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF)

Encouraging integrated, practical approaches to farming that balance productivity with care for the environment.

The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN)

Uniting farmers who show that profitable food production and thriving biodiversity can go hand in hand.

The Biodynamic Association

Championing holistic farming rooted in ecology, soil health and respect for natural rhythms.

Buglife

Protecting pollinators and other vital insects essential to healthy food systems and biodiversity.

The Farm Retail Association (FRA)

Supporting Britain’s farm shops, farmers’ markets and pick-your-own businesses – the backbone of local food.

RSPB Fair to Nature

Recognising farms that deliver for wildlife through sustainable and biodiversity-friendly practices.

The Permaculture Association

Promoting design systems for sustainable living and regenerative food production.

The Royal Countryside Fund

Founded by HM King Charles III to support rural communities, family farms and a thriving countryside.

The Soil Association

Leading the movement for organic food, healthy soil and better animal welfare.

OF&G Organic

Certifying organic farmers and growers to ensure integrity and transparency in food production.

Better Food Traders

Connecting ethical food retailers and encouraging short, fair and climate-friendly supply chains.

Pasture for Life

Supporting farms that raise animals entirely on grass for better flavour, welfare and environmental impact.

A guidebook for people who want fairer food systems

Printslinger will donate 1% of book sales of The Farm Shop Guide to the Sustainable Food Trust. So whether buying a copy of The Farm Shop Guide for yourself or as a birthday or Christmas gift for someone who loves buying local food and supporting fairer food and farming, The Farm Shop Guide will not let you down. To learn more about this book and our other foodie titles, visit our online bookshop on the button below.

Posted on 11/10/202513/10/2025 by The Extra Mile

The Sustainable Food Trust

How The Farm Shop Guide supports the Sustainable Food Trust and champions better British food

The Sustainable Food Trust: building a better food system

The Sustainable Food Trust (SFT) works globally and in the UK to accelerate the shift toward farming systems that are regenerative, equitable and nature-friendly.

Key programmes and campaigns

Sustainable livestock: SFT campaigns for livestock to be managed as part of regenerative mixed farming systems, not in isolation. It advocates for higher welfare, lower emissions, and integration with soil and biodiversity goals.
True-cost accounting: one of their flagship ideas is to make visible the hidden ‘external costs’ of food (e.g. pollution, biodiversity loss, health impacts), so that sustainable farms are rewarded rather than penalised.
Local abattoirs and shorter supply chains: they have long campaigned for supporting small, regional abattoirs and infrastructure, knowing that local butchery capacity is essential for truly local food systems.
Beacon Farms network: SFT runs a Beacon Farms initiative. This is a network of exemplar farms that demonstrate regenerative and sustainable practices, which act as live teaching sites and showcases.
Feeding Britain: this SFT programme explores how we could transform what we farm and eat, to improve health, support nature, reduce emissions and bolster food security.

Recent insight and thought leadership

In late 2024, Patrick Holden (SFT’s founder) published a reflective piece on the future of farming under evolving political pressures, emphasising the tension between what farmers can change and what policy constrains. The SFT also regularly publishes research, commentary, and podcasts on pressing topics in food systems.

Listen to SFT podcasts here.

Looking toward 2026 and beyond

Looking to 2026 and beyond, the SFT’s core work in sustainable livestock, measuring sustainability, true cost accounting, and local systems is set to continue, with a focus on the Beacon Farms network, stronger policy advocacy, and further public communication campaigns. Their work on local abattoirs remains timely, especially as infrastructure pressures grow.

By buying The Farm Shop Guide, readers play a part in this ambition. Your support helps underpin research, advocacy, and farm-scale demonstration projects that show what a healthier, fairer food system can look like.

Celebrating others doing good work

Alongside its support for the Sustainable Food Trust, The Farm Shop Guide proudly promotes a network of like-minded organisations that share a passion for sustainable farming, wildlife, soil health and local food.

The Wildlife Trusts

Protecting nature across the UK, working with farmers to create wildlife-friendly habitats and thriving landscapes.

Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF)

Encouraging integrated, practical approaches to farming that balance productivity with care for the environment.

The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN)

Uniting farmers who show that profitable food production and thriving biodiversity can go hand in hand.

The Biodynamic Association

Championing holistic farming rooted in ecology, soil health and respect for natural rhythms.

Buglife

Protecting pollinators and other vital insects essential to healthy food systems and biodiversity.

The Farm Retail Association (FRA)

Supporting Britain’s farm shops, farmers’ markets and pick-your-own businesses – the backbone of local food.

RSPB Fair to Nature

Recognising farms that deliver for wildlife through sustainable and biodiversity-friendly practices.

The Permaculture Association

Promoting design systems for sustainable living and regenerative food production.

The Royal Countryside Fund

Founded by HM King Charles III to support rural communities, family farms and a thriving countryside.

The Soil Association

Leading the movement for organic food, healthy soil and better animal welfare.

OF&G Organic

Certifying organic farmers and growers to ensure integrity and transparency in food production.

Better Food Traders

Connecting ethical food retailers and encouraging short, fair and climate-friendly supply chains.

Pasture for Life

Supporting farms that raise animals entirely on grass for better flavour, welfare and environmental impact.

A guidebook for people who want fairer food systems

Printslinger will donate 1% of book sales to the SFT. So whether buying a copy of The Farm Shop Guide for yourself or as a birthday or Christmas gift for someone who loves buying local food and supporting fairer food and farming, The Farm Shop Guide will not let you down. To learn more about this book and our other foodie titles, visit our online bookshop on the button below.

Posted on 05/06/202505/06/2025 by The Extra Mile

Win a Devon escape – last chance!

Win 2 nights in Devon - competition blog post header

Competition ends 8 June. ENTER NOW!

Our competition has been running over on Instagram for a wee while now so we’re giving it a final boost…and you a final chance to enter. Here’s what the prize includes, and it’s a good-un…

Win a pitch for two nights at Ocean Pitch, Croyde; a £50 voucher for Biffen’s Kitchen; a £50 cinema voucher; plus copies of bestsellers The Coastal Café Guide (from Extra Mile Books) and The Salt Path.

🌊🌊🌊 TO ENTER 🌊🌊🌊

1. FOLLOW @extramilebooks on Instagram and LIKE the Competition post
2. FOLLOW @oceanpitch on Insta
3. FOLLOW @biffenskitchen on Insta

🌊🌊🌊 THE PRIZE 🌊🌊🌊

🌊 SLEEP: A pitch for 2 nights for 2 people at Croyde Bay’s Ocean Pitch Campsite, Devon (bring own van/ tent etc)

🌊 EAT: £50 in vouchers to spend at Biffen’s Kitchen Food Truck (on-site at Ocean Pitch)

🌊 WATCH: £50 Cinema Vouchers to see The Salt Path? The Surfer? Your call…

🌊 READ: A copy of #1 bestsellers: The Coastal Cafe Guide from Extra Mile Books, The Salt Path by Raynor Winn

🌊🌊🌊 GOOD LUCK! 🌊🌊🌊

🌊 TERMS AND CONDITIONS
One winner will be chosen at random from competition post ‘Likes’ on @extramilebooks’ Instagram page, on 09.06.25. Deadline for entrants: 23:59 on 08.06.2025. To be valid, the entrant must have ‘Followed’ @extramilebooks, @oceanpitch, + @biffenskitchen on Instagram. The winner will be contacted via Instagram DM and has five calendar days to respond or they will forfeit their right to the prize and a second random winner will be drawn and contacted. The Ocean Pitch and Biffen’s Kitchen prizes must be taken during the same consecutive two-day period. No cash equivalent or part-refunds will be offered. Ocean Pitch camping dates are subject to pitch availability. Weekend availability is very low until September but any available dates including mid-week dates are permitted. Prize valid for bookings with Ocean Pitch for dates until end Sept 2025. No purchase necessary. Entrants must be resident in the UK and be at least 18 years of age. No monetary equivalent offered. No transport or other costs are included. This prize is not transferrable unless agreed with Extra Mile Books. This giveaway is run by Extra Mile Books (www.theextramile.guide). It is not affiliated with Meta, Facebook, or Instagram in any way. Please send any Qs to the organisers: hello@extramilebooks.co.uk.

A Coastal Campsite of the Year

Ocean Pitch is a brilliant, surf’s-edge campsite in Croyde Bay, Devon. This spot is world-renowned for its perfect waves (and Ocean Pitch is renowned for its epic staff!). As if that’s not enough, the competition winner also gets £50 credit at Biffen’s Kitchen. The legend of his pinkled onions alone is enough to keep hungry surfers coming back year after year. We’re also throwing in £50 in cinema vouchers – tell us your closest complex or indie cinema and we’ll sort that bit out just for you.

Click to watch the competition film:

Enter The Coastal Café Guide's competition below

If you need a break and an escape to the edges of the country (whether you win the competition or not!) you might just need The Coastal Café Guide. It’s packed with around 150 places to eat near the sea, from beach eats to fancier, fishier restaurants, to cool, surf-inspired shacks like the hidden gem that is Biffen’s Kitchen, at Ocean Pitch, Croyde. To browse this or any of our other guides, see below.

Posted on 04/06/202505/06/2025 by The Extra Mile

The Joy of Getting Slightly Lost

The lost joy of getting slightly lost: why paper guides still matter

We’ve all been there, following the blue dot on a phone–screen, eyes down, marching toward the next café, viewpoint, or farm shop with barely a glance at what’s around us. Efficient? Maybe. But satisfying? Not always. In a world of digital maps and algorithm-driven reviews, we’ve lost something quietly magical: the joy of getting slightly lost.

The beauty of the detour

One of the best things about slow travel – especially along Britain’s coast or countryside – is its unpredictability. The winding lane that wasn’t on the route? It might lead to a family-run café with the best crab sandwich you’ve ever had. That missed turnoff? You could stumble across a beach no App has reviewed (yet). Paper guides – the kind you can hold in your hands, scribble notes in, and spill coffee on – invite this kind of discovery. They don’t demand your attention. They suggest, rather than dictate. And they leave space for chance.

Screens don’t make memories

Phones are useful. We won’t deny that. But they tend to flatten the experience: screen glow, search results, star ratings. You arrive knowing exactly what to expect because you’ve seen it all in advance: the buildings, the meals, the platters, the views.

With a paper guide, you arrive hoping for something, often finding more than you bargained for. There’s been no hype, no amped expectation, no Instagram filters. This allows you to discover the place as it truly is, so you’ll meet real people, producers and farmers, often selling their own homemade food for your enjoyment. This isn’t sat-navigation: it’s adventure.

Why we still make printed guides

At a time when almost everything is online, we deliberately make real guides: designed to be enjoyed offline. They are beautiful, colourful, high calibre books: carbon-neutral print products made with vegetable inks and using certified paper from carefully managed forests.

They don’t need signal. They have no batteries to die, no pop-ups to annoy, no notifications to cause you stress. Just pages packed with handpicked, characterful places, some of which we’ve got very lost trying to find.

We believe there’s something grounding about unfolding a map or drifting through a guidebook, circling a café, ear-marking a page, or flipping through pages over breakfast to plan your next stop. It’s a type of travel that invites you to stay present… and sometimes to go off course.

So go on. Get a little lost

Next time you hit the road, leave the SatNav off for a while. Let your finger trace a route across a page. Embrace the scenic way. Look out for high points, viewpoints, nature reserves, picnic bench signs, car parks atop cliffs. And if you take a wrong turn or it takes ten minutes longer than planned, don’t panic; that’s where the best stories often begin.

Gift a guidebook today

Our printed guides, The Extra Mile, The Farm Shop Guide, and The Coastal Café Guide, are packed with brilliant places that are worth getting slightly lost for. They are also ideal gifts, especially for people who prefer the real world to the digital one, or who prefer books to screens.

‘You can’t wrap an app’ as we like to say, but you can gift a lovely guidebook, ready to create countless foodie memories for your recipient as they follow their tummies and noses around Britain in search of good, honest, local food, with a little bit of adventure thrown in.

Explore Extra Mile Books’ full collection of guides below.

Posted on 29/05/202527/05/2025 by The Extra Mile

Beyond the Big Chains

Betty Berkins cafe, an independent cafe in The Extra Mile

Why independent motorway stops-offs matter

When you’re halfway through a long drive and your stomach starts to rumble, the default is often a motorway service station: convenient, predictable, and usually forgettable. But what if there were a better way to break your journey? One that supported local communities, served better food, and added character to your trip?

Welcome to The Extra Mile: a curated guide to delicious, independent places to eat near UK motorway and main-road junctions. We believe that taking the scenic (and tasty) detour is about more than just what’s on your plate; it’s also about whom and what you support along the way.

Image above (c) Betty Berkins

The trouble with chain services

Let’s face it: the average motorway service station is hardly known for its individuality and charm. From lukewarm fries to overpriced coffee, chain-dominated services tend to serve up convenience somewhat at the cost of character.

Many service stations are owned by a handful of large operators, meaning that their profits leave the local area and sometimes the country, even though the services themselves may be located in the heart of Britain’s rural communities.

Why do independent food stops matter?

1. Better food, made with care

Independent cafés, bakeries, and farm shops near motorways often use fresh, local ingredients. Many make everything from scratch, from sourdough toasties to homemade cakes and seasonal soups.

2. They support local economies

When you stop at a family-run café or regional farm shop, you’re keeping money in the local community. That means more local jobs, stronger rural economies, flourishing local food and drinks producers, and thriving high streets.

(Certain services brands, i.e. the Westmorland company’s Gloucester, Tebay, and Cairn Lodge services, act in a way that is more akin to independently run pit-stops, and are notable exceptions to the general rule of motorway services’ profits leaving the area. Each of the Westmorland trio supports hundreds of local farmers and food producers by stocking and introducing their goods to their millions of annual visitors.)

3. A more memorable journey

Nobody reminisces about that generic burger they grabbed at the services just off Junction 18 that time. But taking a one mile detour to stop at a converted barn café or a friendly farm shop with goats and garden tables? That becomes part of the story.

4. Lower your travel footprint

Many of the places featured in The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services keep their eyes sharply on their carbon footprint and sustainability efforts. They buy local produce to reduce food miles, offer EV chargers, or work hard to reduce their packaging use.

Taking the detour is easier than you think

All the venues in The Extra Mile are within 15 minutes of a motorway or main A-road junction (most are a lot closer or within a few minutes). This means better food without a major diversion, plus the satisfaction of skipping limp chips and queues in sterile food halls.

From artisan bakeries off the M5 to coastal cafés just beyond the A30, there’s a better alternative waiting just off your route.

Find your next ‘new favourite’ food stop

The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services is your glovebox guide to over 275 independent, welcoming venues across Britain, including cafés, pubs, farm shops, and delis that are well worth a small detour.

If you’re ready to swap the service station sandwich for something made with love, order your copy of The Extra Mile and discover the tastier side of travel. Extra Mile Books now also publishes The Farm Shop Guide and The Coastal Café Guide, so you can branch out and continue enjoying adventures in local food from the heart of rural Britain to the salty edges of our island.

Posted on 07/11/202409/12/2024 by The Extra Mile

OUR TOP SEASIDE LIDOS AND MARINE LAKES IN THE UK

The 1920s and 1930s were boom decades for Britain’s seaside lido. Having fallen out of favour for a few years, the UK’s beloved lidos are back in vogue, with many being restored and reopened to the public. Now that wild swimming and cold-water swimming are surging in popularity (and, let’s face it, the coast never goes out of style), here are some of our favourite spots for enjoying sunshine and an open-air dip without being at the mercy of the waves. Love an open-air or sea swim while at the coast? You’ll love our best-selling and eminently giftable book: The Coastal Café Guide.

1. Looking for a lido in Plymouth? Head to Tinside Lido

A classic Art Deco complex right on the harbour under the stripey tower of Plymouth’s Hoe, the Tinside Lido is an iconic spot to splash in the water or bask on the sundeck. At 55m wide, there’s plenty of space, even on hot days. The perfect spot for some near-sea swimming in Plymouth.

2. Seeking an al fresco dip in Brixham? Shoalstone Seawater Pool, Devon

Brixham’s answer to Bondi, this seawater lido dates back to the 1890s with views over Torbay. Entry is free but please do be generous with donations – a campaign is currently underway to fix a growing crack in the 1920s foundations. Pop into the Shoals restaurant alongside to enjoy fresh seafood, or take a picnic poolside.

3. The UK's largest seawater pool: Jubilee Pool, Cornwall

This is the UK’s largest seawater swimming pool, and is now geothermally heated (although not the main pool). It was built by the good people of Penzance to commemorate King George V’s Silver Jubilee, and what a way to mark it. We recommend trying the plastic-free café, booking in for a twilight swim, or warming up with a sauna session.

4. Looking for a lovely lido in North Somerset? Portishead Open Air Pool

One of our locals at Coastal Café HQ, the Portishead lido has a special place in our hearts as the host of many a childhood summer day’s adventure. It was originally opened in 1962 and was renovated in 2008, adding jolly colours to the original concrete. It’s heated… except in winter when hardy souls can try the cold water Popsicle. With sea swimming made difficult by challenging tides around these parts, the lido is the ideal place to get an outdoor swim in at any time of year. If there’s someone in your life who loves visiting the coast, have a copy of The Coastal Café Guide in reserve for their next birthday. Coffee and cakes are on them!

5. Cold water swimming in Scotland at Stonehaven Open Air Pool, Aberdeenshire

Outdoor swimmers love this Olympic-sized seawater pool that’s strung with bunting and edged by a colourful pavilion. The paddling pool and water chute were added more recently, and it’s heated, so it’s fun for all the family. This is a lovely spot to pass sunny summer days for everyone who loves nothing more than an outdoor swim.

6. A vintage lido experience at Lymington Sea Water Baths, Hampshire

Proudly one of the oldest lidos in the UK, Lymington Sea Water Baths traces its history back to 1833. Today, they are council-owned and offer swimming, inflatable obstacle courses, and stand-up paddle boarding with views over to the Isle of Wight.

7. Fancy outdoor swimming in Brighton? Saltdean Lido, Brighton & Hove

An elegant seaside lido that has been recently restored to its former glory. Swim in the 40m heated pool, let the kids loose in the splash pool, or loll on the lawn alongside for a spot of sunbathing. Dogs are not normally allowed, but check at the end of season when a special ‘Dogtember’ day is run for furry water lovers. When the renovation is complete, the main building will also offer a café, library, and co-working space.