Harbour Hut smokehouse opens in Hope Square Weymouth

Harbour Hut is a smoke house located in Hope Square, offering freshly made smoked meats including brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken wings, mac and cheese and burgers.

Harbour Hut has taken over the former premises of the Secret Garden Café which moved to Dorchester earlier this year.

Harbour Hut (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

Anthony Squires 45, and his partner Jade Squires, 33 have opened the new business in the hopes of bringing something ‘different’ to the area.

Anthony, who is a chef, moved to Weymouth last year after working in the pub and restaurant trade for more than a decade.

He said: “I used to have restaurants and pubs in London, Bedford, Hertfordshire over the last 15 years and then sold up to move down here in November, walked past this place and saw the to let sign and said to the landlord ‘we’ll have it.’

“I’ve never lived in Weymouth before, but I would come here all the time – a friend of mine moved down here six years ago so I have been coming down two to three times a year.”

Although he has had plenty of experience in the trade, the chef has never run a smokehouse.

Harbour Hut smoked meats (Image: Harbour Hut)

He added: “It’s a new thing to me, I have done similar things as part of a larger menu in gastro pubs that I have had before, but not as a one item – I wanted to concentrate on one good thing rather than.”

The meats will be sourced from local butchers in and around Weymouth as much as possible and are cooked fresh, taking about six – seven hours to smoke.

Whilst Anthony will be running the kitchen, his partner Jade who comes from a background in care will be running the front of house.

The new business will be creating up to 10 jobs.

Harbour Hut (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

With regard to the current economy and cost of living crisis, Anthony said: “Because of the tourism in Weymouth if you’re clever enough that could support your business through the quieter times, but also make sure you look after the local residents of Weymouth.

“It’s the local people we want to eat here and, in the summer, we will reap the extra rewards.

“If you do a good product at a reasonable price, I think we will be alright.

“Pubs were a bit stressful towards the end, that’s why I sold them because the pub trade is dying – it won’t be around for much longer in its current form, it will be all food led – your local boozer just doing beer and no food, that’s over – it was already dying but then covid finished it off.”

He also spoke of the Brewers Quay development, which is happening opposite, saying, ‘I know there’s a lot of building work going on over there, but I’m hoping it will be okay in the summer.’

The venue offers both indoor and outdoor seating and is also dog friendly outside, but as the inside is quite small, he encourages people to use their own judgement as to whether the dog will fit.

The restaurant will be open from 12pm with last orders at 9pm rom Monday-Saturday and last orders will be at 6pm on Sunday’s – there is also a takeaway option as well.