Food on board
Below you’ll find the menu options for both public trips and private functions.
Private functions
We have teamed up with award winning Essex caterer “Plenty of Thyme”. They serve locally sourced foods from small independent suppliers. Your dishes are all homemade, either in the barge’s galley or started in their shore-side kitchen and finished on board. Your Topsail hostess will work alongside the galley team to provide a friendly and professional service, and you’ll find them an enthusiastic source of information about the barge and the food.
New for 2025 was our collaboration with one of Maldon’s most popular pubs, the Queen Victoria, which has an excellent reputation for proper “pub grub” and you’ll find two budget friendly options on the last page of the Private Hire Menus.
Catering for today’s varied dietary requirements are no problem, just let us know in advance if you have guests that are GF, DF, Vegan etc.
Public trips
For public trips, our Topsail hostess and barge team will prepare your food on board and below are typical menus. We are very happy to cater for all dietary requirements and allergies, be it Vegan, GF, DF etc or any combo. Just let us know in advance of your trip.
There is a licensed bar on board.
Public Day Sail Menu
Mid morning Coffee or Tea & Biscuits
Lunch: Smith’s sausages with mash, red onion gravy, seasonal vegetables.
Chocolate Brownie with Forest Fruits & Cream
Coffee or tea
Afternoon tea or Coffee with Homemade Cake.
On day sails from Maldon, the menu may include Breakfast (Sausages in Roll, Granary Bread & Jam, tea/coffee ), Light Breakfast (Granary Bread & jam, tea/coffee) or Supper (Homemade Soup with Granary Bread).
Public Lunch Sail Menu
Butchers Ham, Mature Cheddar
(v) Brie to go with your cheddar
Tomato, Cucumber & Basil Salad
Homemade Coleslaw
Crunchy Green Salad
Bread & Butter
Fruit Crumble with Cream
Evening Cruises
Choose to have no food, bring your own picnic or order from us:-
a) Plated Ploughmans with butchers Ham & Cheddar ; Mixed Salad with leaves, tomato, cucumber, red pepper, red onion; Coleslaw, Pickles & Chutneys; Granary Bread & Butter
b) Smoked & fresh Maldon Fish Platter served with garlic mayo, salad garnish, bread & butter. Typically includes prawns, mackerel, salmon, smoked salmon pate etc (Serves 2)
Cream Tea Cruise
Tea or Coffee, Freshly baked scone with butter, jam and double cream
Afternoon Tea Cruise
Above with addition of homemade Victoria Sponge
Roast Lunch Cruise
Choose in advance between Roast Beef or Chicken. New Potatoes roasted with Maldon Sea Salt, Seasonal Vegetables, Yorkshire Pudding, Homemade Gravy. (v) Butternut Squash with Spicy Leeks, Grains and Red Pepper and Basil Sauce.
Chocolate Roulade with Forest Fruits and Cream.
Meat and Cheese from Smiths Butchers, Fruit & Veg from Maldon Fruit. Coffee is Taylors of Harrogate Organic Fair Trade. Tea including Earl Grey, Fruit Teas and Roobus. Decaf available.
We are very happy to cater for all dietary needs as long as you inform us in advance.
