The Beehive on the Green in Wealden

How fortunate we are as locals to have The Beehive on the Green on our doorstep. Ever since Lee, Debbie and Hayley opened their delightful establishment village life has changed. The food, the service and friendliness are stellar. We are about to pop in for the best coffee and sandwiches for miles around. John and Lolly

We visit this wonderful eatery on a regular basis and it has never failed to meet our expectations on every level, even during these very difficult times. Good quality food served by friendly and extremely helpful staff in a safe environment and beautiful setting. What is there not to love.We cannot believe the recent review by krusty the Clown. Perhaps the name says it all!!!Paul and Marilyn

This place is a life saver in these dreadful COVID times. The staff are all friendly and polite and all wear masks and visors. The food is excellent and the prices are appropriate for the quality and incredibly increased costs to the management to make the Deli meet all the new strict government requirements. We’d recommend it unreservedly and an added bonus is it’s in a beautiful part of East Sussex, in great walking country.

Outstanding quality and service. Wide choice of food and drink, very helpful staff - all with face visors.

Lovely staff and welcome. Lovely choice of food and drinks. Really good scones and very tasty soups. Parking is a little restricted. But go by the tiger 🐅 pub right side side Cheers cliff

Wonderful, warm and friendly owners and team, wonderful prepared to order fresh food, quality, local and regional produce on offer, mellow and smooth coffee, this wonderful gem of a cafe cannot be faulted.We visited on Tuesday, it was superb as always, well done all, your hard work, care and tireless enthusiasm is greatly appreciated. We will be back!!

Called in for just a quick visit and was still there an hour and a half later! Beautiful fresh sandwich and a delightful piece of cake. Beautifully served.

After a walk we came across this little gem. Lovely staff with a smile on their faces and happy to chat. Coffee and cakes were great and reasonably priced.

from home to home , is how I describe the ambiance of this little deli, GREAT UNRIVALED FOOD , just need a sofa now ,, Claire Thanks for the Breakfast :) :)

My wife and I like to go at lunch time during the week for a coffee and cheese and pickle roll. Its great value, well prepared and you are in nice surroundings.

We had a few rolls and bread from here and it was all very fresh! We even took some of the nice farmhouse loaves home with us. Prices reasonable and people very friendly

Fabulous addition to our neighbourhood such pleasant staff and quality food and service From coffee choices to selection of cake breads and deli choices never disappoints

Well what an amazing little cafe/deli. Whilst visiting Eastbourne we thought we’d drive out to East Dean for some lunch. On arriving the pub was very busy as was the other cafe so we decided to give the Beehive a go. We got the last table! The coffee was excellent, the food simple and perfectly executed, the staff friendly. There was a lovely vibe and buzz to this quirky little place. There were interesting paintings and objet d’arts available to purchase and in fact I purchased a lovely pottery flower pot with bees on it!Really looking forward to another visit soon.

This little find is amazing in every aspect the service , the food just everything makes the Tiger opposite a total sham ,

thankyou all for providing and setting up an excellent buffet for our small wedding party in our own home. a great team with a very professional and friendly service. recommended for any occasion.

We were on a circular walk from Birling gap and ended up in east dean. Lucky for us the beehive was still open. We were immediately made to feel welcome (two windswept walkers and a 9 month old baby!) and offered a high chair.

Lovely food, nice people, good service. The vegetarian offerings are really hearty, and the soup delicious.

A regular retreat for me and my wife, for coffee or lunch, plus the source of excellent cheese for Christmas. Lovely staff and a great setting on the village green.

Whether you have morning coffee a snack lunch or afternoon tea the food and service is brilliant. I meet friends there often and it's always very good

We stumbled on it by accident and now always drop in for lunch when we are visiting the area. Visitors always receive a friendly welcome, (there seem to be lots of different staff, but they are all friendly), the food and drink is very good and not too expensive. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, but the bacon rolls are fantastic. They also sell high-quality products for you to take home.

This is an excellent place to grab a decent coffee and scone before setting off for a nice walk down to Birling Gap and along the Seven Sisters. The location is wonderful, right on the lovely village green but only a short walk from the main road with its great 10 minute interval bus service along the coast. Great coffee and a friendly welcome!

A favourite place for a light lunch in East Dean. The service is always warm and friendly, the food is always fresh and tasty, and it’s a thoroughly pleasant experience.

Food is a good price,Seating area is comfortable and staff are friendly.Local produce for sale,gin,beer, jams,cutneys and honey.Just across the Green from the Tiger pub and is a fantastic alternative.Very busy on Wednesdays due to village market.A wonderful find.

Been coming here for a few years - never disappointed, always great food, great staff, beautiful surroundings- just perfect.

We went to the East Dean Market and spotted locals going to the Deli for their takeaway coffee ..., well if locals choose there, it must be good! And it was the nicest, smoothest, best flavoured coffee I have had in a while.

Great coffee, lovely cakes, rolls and staff. Perfect location too. Always the same and can be relied on.

We're reasonably local and often pop in here for coffee, or to buy their excellent and inexpensive wine to take home, or eat a light lunch. The owners are very pleasant people who know their stuff and also know how to make delicious sandwiches, snacks and coffee/tea. They have some great delicatessen food, cheeses and bespoke items that are healthy and tasty.

Stopped for lunch after a dog walk on the downs. Had a delicious veg quiche with beetroot & salad and chutney . I ended up buying a couple of jars of chutney it was so delicious. Coffee was great. Staff so friendly and welcoming.

This is a lovely cafe and deli in the heart of beautiful East Dean. The service was so friendly and the bacon rolls with crispy bacon were lovely, as was the ‘Illy’ coffee. At £3.80 for a bacon roll and £2 for a coffee it was also reasonably priced. We will visit again.

So pleased we passed by this adorable little 'cheese and wine shop/lunch and cakes cafe' and parked up to walk back and sample the delights.

We had a lovely light lunch and returned later for tea and cake. A lovely place with nice staff and a perfect view across the green.

Well located in a charming building, this cafe offers a wide range of sandwishes, salads and pies (quiches). You will find a large variety of local gourmet food (cheese, wines, beers, ciders, etc) and italian yummie food. Good value.

We had tried other venues in the village and were disappointed but this place as lovely and the food was delicious and the staff pleasant, professional and friendly - and the prices are sensible too.

East Dean is one of those English villages you dream of but wonder if they actually exist anymore. Small, cute cottages, village green, flowers everywhere, quirky blue plaque claiming Sherlock Holmes ended his days here... and The Beehive which is lovely.

Nice place to stop for a bite to eat. Staff are welcoming and provide excellent service. Food is tasty and reasonably priced. I will visit again.

Comida de muy buena calidad y precios no está mal. Relación calidad-precio. Podían muy bien con nuestra invasión y todo estaba buenísimo. El queso plowmans eran excelentes

This is a cute little restaurant that is at the corner of this pleasant corner of East Dean and is an ideal Stop for a cup of illy coffee or a bite to each such as olives or Hummus

Just stopped here for take away food this time but the place was bustling on a windy cold day - many walkers and runners but some people just chilling out here

Super nice place. Welcoming, clean, nice personnel and good food. It is the ideal place for a quick lunch after a walk. We stayed there in a stormy day...

I just called in late afternoon for an odd coffee, which was very good. A charming cafe/ deli with friendly staff. I'll be back to sit and look out over the green when all the spring flowers are in bloom. Also, to have a proper meal and treat myself from the good selection of cheeses they have.Very pretty location near a beautiful piece of coastline. All in all, a good little find.

Having walked from Willingdon on a cold misty day we were delighted that the Beehive was able to offer spinach and chickpea soup as well as providing biscuits for our dog. A pleasant little restaurant with an enticing menu and styled along the same lines as "Bills". We will be back!(The pub across the green, although still busy refused to serve as it was 3pm!)

Stopped here for Brunch after a dog walk. Lovely country cafe and deli. Popular with locals and walkers. Pleasant staff and excellent bacon rolls!

The beehive have just catered for my mums 90th birthday party last night, what can i say it was absolutely fantastic, the food was delicious, staff were brilliant, would highly recommend the beehive, they couldn't do enough for you, would most certainly have them cater for another party, well done to you all.

Stopped after a visit to the farmers market for lunch. Really friendly and helpful staff and an excellent lunch at a reasonable price. I had Greek beans on toast and my wife had soup (homemade) with cheese scone! Very informal and well worth a visit. Recommended.

You wouldn't expect to find a deli of this quality in the small village of East Dean. It is everything you would expect a deli to be. Great selection of cheeses,meats,pies,pickles,breads etc,etc. Oh & the most juicy succulent green olives. During our stay at a cottage in East Dean we purchased items from here at least twice. Everything purchased was 1st class quality. Staff were also very friendly & knowledgable of their produce. Thoroughly recommend.

Great healthy food. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Prices are very good. Service is quick. Food quality and presentation is impeccable.

Visited with friends, whilst walking on 20th September 2016, for breakfast and coffee then later in day for coffee and cake. Bread rolls were the best I have had in a while.Service was good and so was the coffee. Fantastic range of cheeses etc. Cross between a cafe and a deli and certainly worth a visit.

The salads are truly excellent. Home made pork pies and scotch eggs; small quiches with feta, or bacon and tomato. An extensive selection of good wines to buy and take away, together with olive oil and local beers. Food can be wrapped up ready to take with you if you are walking the South Downs Way or simply going over to Birling Gap (about 25 minutes walking slowly). The indoor seating area is quite small and there are a couple of tables outside. Coffee and peppermint tea are particularly good. The tea is served properly with extra water provided without having to ask. Also, it is dog friendly and there are newspapers to read as well. It is handy to know that there is a toilet towards the back of the cafe. Note that it closes quite early at 4.00 p.m. and is not open currently on Mondays.

Walking from Eastbourne to Seaford stopped here for tea and lemon, blueberry and poppy seed gluten free muffin. Lovely light texture proving how good gluten free can be. Friendly staff. Enjoyed it so much did a repeat stop on the return journey the next day.

We stopped here when passing and thought that we would try a coffee and a bite to eat - we were not disappointed I have read the review that said this was overpriced but do not agree with them as they obviously haven't travelled too much - the price here is the average price for the quality of the produce that they serve and yes it is very good quality and serve many local products as well including alcohol such as the cider The staff were so friendly and professional that we could not fault them and I believe the owner came in as well who couldn't have been more helpful and pleasant Great position and views from here out onto the village green and to the hillside I would definitely return here when in the area Recommended - Enjoy

Whenever we stay in East Dean we make a point of visiting here. The coffee is delicious and they have an excellent range of tea & cold drinks too. They have a well stocked delicatessen range with almost everything you could wish for. Stop by for a morning coffee or linger for a light lunch, I can bet that you won't be disappointed.

This a small but expensive deli/cafe. The food was average with the cost above average. The staff polite except for the manager. His was rude and lacked professional customer skills..Setting nice by the village green but cafe very hot, stuffy and cramped..

High quality food and very friendly and efficient service. Great location on the other side of the village green to the Tiger Inn. Can either eat in the cafe or take away and sit on the green. Highly recommended.

My partner and I stopped off with the intention of continuing a dog walk from the nearby Cuckmere Valley. Lovely staff, who were both knowledgable about the area and extremely helpful. We both had a roast beef and horseradish roll - delicious! They were £3.95 each so not your budget eatery. They cafe is stocked with relishes, sauces and all sorts. Lovely place and would definitely visit again.

What an absolutely fantastic find!This is the absolute perfect spot to duck into on a walk from Beachy Head (1 mile over the Downs from Birling gap) and means you can avoid eating in the over-priced generic pubs nearby.I had the feta and spinach quiche and it was incredible- incredible! The delicious homemade pastry had poppy seeds in it which I loved. The coffee is excellent, the cakes are excellent, the salads are excellent, the selection of drinks (including local ciders, beers and even wines) is excellent and the decor and ambience is excellent. It's all very reasonably priced and the staff were wonderful. I felt really smug about finding this place, as you can possibly tell. I will most certainly be back to try one of their pork pies!

We popped in for a sandwich and ended up buying more from what can only be described as true English fayre and charm. We decided to sit outside as we had dogs but soon, as it does in England, the rain came but to our delight we were offered seating inside. The sandwiches were superb and perhaps the best pork pies ever, I resisted cake but purchased treats to take away. This place along with the staff are what make this country great, warm, friendly but above all inviting and I will return and hope these few words encourage you to do the same.

We found this after a long walk and initially were headed for the Tiger across the green. However the lunch menu at the pub was more evening meal than lunch and a little pricey. The bee hive however served a great choice of rolls and salads along with cakes and biscuits. We opted for a roll washed down with a glass of very nice red wine. Perfect. The cakes were also beautiful. Will return for a coffee another time. Very friendly service and reasonably priced.

Stopped here for a coffee and cake and the place was bursting at the seams. It is true that you can perhaps only fit a dozen inside but nevertheless a good show for a Tuesday afternoon.In addition to hot drinks and cakes, light lunches were on offer which looked excellent value. We would have been tempted but unfortunately for us it was closing early for a private party being held there.We shall return to this pretty village for lunch this summer.

A friend lived nearby and my wife and I had a light lunch there several times. The friend was elderly and dropped her mug of coffee but the staff immediately cleared the mess and gave her another one without charge. That sums up the nice atmosphere and good simple food we experienced there.

Cute place - lots of unusual deli stuff to buy - good for gifts! Very friendly staff and coffee (Illy) was good.

We were visiting the local farmers market and decided to cross the green and give this little place a try. Limited seating but a very interesting little shop worth a visit if you are in the village.

The Beehive is highly rated on Trip Advisor, and with very good reason. This venue is both a deli and a small café. We visit East Dean quite regularly, especially when we have friends and family visiting. The setting is delightful overlooking the village green and Sherlock Holmes' 'retirement cottage'. This place is perfect for a light lunch or afternoon tea. Tasty food and friendly staff. They were very busy when we visited so had a short wait for our food but that gave us more time to enjoy the view from the window. Incidentally, while we were there, a well known 'hotel inspector' called in for coffee and cake so the reputation of 'The Beehive' is clearly widespread!

A little gem of a spot for luncheon after we had finished our walk on the South Downs. An excellent selection of deli products - we couldn't resist taking home a pot of marmalade. Delicious coffee too

I can highly recommend this lovely deli / cafe as a welcome rest-stop if you are walking to Seven Sisters or just visiting East Dean. We were meeting our daughter from a weekend camping trip on the South Downs and stopped in for a light lunch before walking on to Seven Sisters. The ploughman's we had were excellent, with an impressive array of locally made chutneys and pickles and a great choice of Sussex Cheese and ham. They stock the Long Man brewery ales and some pretty decent prosecco which is always a good sign and also serve delicious coffee. The owners were really lovely and welcoming and very helpful when we decided to stock up for some extra refreshments for our returning hiker. Thank you for a lovely lunch in such a beautiful idyllic setting on the village green. We will no doubt be returning!

This lovely little, unassuming deli on the edge of the green in East Dean is a fabulous surprise. The place is lovely and well stocked with local and specialist jams, tuna, oils, wines and beers. The service is very friendly, accommodating and efficient and the food itself is blinking amazing. We popped in for lunch but on our next trip to the Birling gap or Beachy head i will be stocking up on their goodies and having the best picnic in the south of England. Honestly a real shame if you can't grab some grub from here.

Well worth a visit, be prepared to take something delicious home to eat or drink later. Although there is limited seating for eating in, you can always buy a selection of delicious meats, breads and cheeses and sit on the green opposite. What is so lovely here is the feeling of friendliness, warmth and hospitality you receive from the owners and staff. Well done all.

We happened to come across the jewel when we went to walk the 'Beachy Head' walk.. Located just across the Green and the Tiger Pub in Little Dean by Eastbourne, this is a place to visit for a refreshing beverage or snack either before or after the walk. Lovely local beers and ales along with healthy salads and snacks. We will be back

Delicious cheeses and other deli produce. Maybe not as much choice as there used to be but well worth a visit if you are in the village.

We are so lucky living three doors from the Beehive!Everthing is amazing and pop in for bread,deli food ,wine and bring friends for lunch.Staff welcome you and cannot fault the lovely food.Thank you all !

Good menu with many tempting savoury and sweet offers. Nice views across the green. Mid price range.

fantastic stock of finely selected products, superb range of local bottle beers and award winning wines which i wouldn't have a clue what to choose for my wife, they always have time to recommend, local cheeses, homemade quiche, etc... often pop in on my way back from a run over the downs, the extremely friendly staff always have time for a chat, highly recommended.

It is so pleasing to find an establishment that is willing to put the customer first. We popped in to by some ingredients for a picnic and left with a feast. And enjoyed a glass of their fabulous house red wine too. They could not have done enough for us. The food we took was delicious.

The owners are lovely. The food is excellent quality and excellent value. There's a huge range of cheeses all of which are delicious, perfect for gifts and parties. The baked goods and beverages are all brilliant. Would definitely recommend a visit!

This is one of my favourite places to go for lunch, especially on a Wednesday which is the day of the weekly Farmers Market in East Dean. The earl grey tea and the coffee are good, and they make their sandwiches with food from their wonderful deli. The ham is the most delicious I've ever tasted (from Southover, who, I think, supply the Queen), so I sometimes have the coronation chicken and then take some ham home to make an easy supper of ham, egg and chips! The deli is full of more exotic delights too. I particularly enjoyed the confit duck legs which I took home to make my sausage cassoulet more authentic. It's a great place for foodies. The owners, Debbie and Lee, are so warm and welcoming. They'll even lend you a blanket and bring your food outside on to the green to picnic on a sunny day. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

East Dean is a lovely village to stop for lunch on a walk from Birling Gap. Most walkers head for The Tiger Inn however it was so busy we decided to try out The Beehive. And we are so glad that we did. Possibly the best Ploughman's you will ever have. A lovely place to stop and enjoy great food as you watch the world go by.

My wife took her 91 year old Aunty here for a birthday tea and she has not stopped raving about the place. Fantastic staff, lovely location, wonderful cakes & warm scones with lashings of clotted cream. I am now looking forward to her taking me and the dog for a Beehive picnic lunch on the Green and raiding their cheese counter.

I live in Eastbourne and this is one of my favourite places to go to for a light snack. The couple who own this place are so friendly and always make sure your visit is a pleasant one. I love their homemade soups in the winter as they're fabulous to warm you up after a walk on the downs! In the summer their fresh homemade sandwiches/salads which are made to order are lovely, as they're made with good quality meat/cheeses, and with fresh bread/rolls. I cant leave here without having a yummy slice of cake. This is also a great place to go to for a cream tea! If you like the outdoors - you can borrow one of their picnic blankets and sit outside on the grass to enjoy your drinks/food. This is great if you have little ones as they can enjoy the space and freedom of having a run on the green! Oh and they sell a yummy ice creams in various flavours which my son always likes to have. Also worth noting they have a 5* rating for hygiene! I am sure you wont leave here disappointed!

Having read some of the excellent reviews regarding this place I decided to give it a go. Let's face it after my last review of the nearby Tiger Inn I need something else to tempt me to the idyllic Eastdean village.The Beehive on the green is a lovely bijou deli serving lovely looking cheeses, fantastic pork pies to name but a few.The staff are attentive and friendly, and you get the feeling there is something for everyone here.We settled for two ploughmans, one cheese and ham, the other with pork pie and cheese. Both arrived on wooden boards decorated with salad, artisan bread, and little pots of beetroot, mini pickled onions and piccalilli. The board looked appetising and we both polished our lunch off with no problem!As mentioned the place is bijou and as such tables are limited, however we had no issue and sat outside overlooking the green which suited.If I was to be fussy I would love to see a couple of comfy chairs or small leather sofa to sink into and watch the world go by, however I think the lack of current space would prevent this which is a shame! I have no doubt the experience can only be enhanced by warm weather and glorious sunshine, and I can't wait to return when the weather improves and enjoy a cream tea on the green! Go on, give it a try

We stopped by after walking from the Seven Sisters. We always normally stop at the pub but it was so packed. So by luck we saw the Beehive. We had an excellent salad and there are some great Sussex cheeses to be bought there too. The coffee was fab. You must visit if you are passing.

The food and service were great…. having simply gone in for a sandwich we ended up being lent a blanket and having our food brought to us out on the green, followed by coffee too! Great friendly little place!

Had lunch today at the beehive. My wife had the very well presented cold meats and cheeses with olives, sun dried tomatoes and fresh bread - absolutely delicious! I had the ploughmans which was also presented beautifully and tasted delicious - cheddar cheese, ham, coleslaw, salad and pickled onions. Ample portions served with a smile. Simple fresh good quality ingredients. Sat at one of the two outside tables in the shade overlooking the Green - lovely relaxing location after walking up from Birling Gap.

We are locals so visit a lot! Very friendly couple who have gone out of their way to join this lovely community! The coronation chicken is scrumpy as well as the cold meats,coleslaw in fact everything and the service 10 /10All the breads are from the award winning lee .Lots of local food and cheeses.

This was a lovely little find. We all fancied a cream tea in a nice little English tea shop and we found this gem. Once we ordered the lady of the shop asked if we would like to take our tea onto the green and so she gave us two blankets and a little while later they came to us with our cream tea in a couple of crates which you then turned over and used as 'tables' - what a simple yet great idea. The scones were FAB, they had just enough spice in to make them really interesting, and the tea bags used were tea pigs and if you know your tea you will realise that these are good tea bags. Thank you for such a lovely afternoon.

Huge variety of sumptuous items and wonderful, friendly service. I saw comments on this deli/cafe in an oldish guide book and wondered if it was still the same high standard as reported. It was better! A surprise to me: You can have your purchases boxed up and then carry them out to have a genuine picnic on the green, blanket included. And to round it off a delicious pot of tea and date crunchie was carried out to me. Soak up the olde worlde peace of the village and spoil yourself with this treat!

We visit the Beehive at least once a week for fantastic coffee in a relaxed atmosphere with a lovely view. While the previous owners were nice, I used to feel pushed towards buying all the time; not so with the new owners, who are friendly, welcoming and helpful, and who offer picnic blankets and serve you your coffee on the green if the weather is good. The range of deli foods is always very tempting, and the bread is gorgeous. What's not to like?!

What a wonderful rest stop after a 6 miles ramble over Severn sisters. The atmosphere is wonderful and the team could not have done more to make our modest but scrumptious lunch a real treat. Tired from our walk we sat on the green on a picnic blanket provided by The beehive. They brought our food and drink in a crate which doubled as a picnic table which was a lovely touch. The rolls where fresh and the fillings very tasty and the owners Lee and Debbie absolutely charming hosts in every respect. We will be back, again and again and again!

On Saturday 31st May we went to East Dean to have lunch at the Tiger Inn. When we arrived we were pondering where to park and we asked the advice of the waitress from The Beehive on the Green, the deli/café opposite. She told us and then said next time we go to East Dean we might think of having lunch at the café.We parked the car and on a whim we decided to go to the café and we were so pleased we did. We had a wonderful platter of 3 different salamis, 3 different cheeses, sun dried tomatoes and a fresh granary roll, more than we could eat. We had 2 glasses of wine, 1pot of tea and 1custard tart, all for £22.50. The café will also prepare a picnic for you, place it in a box with a rug so that you can sit on the large green in the centre of the village, you take the picnic out of the box, turn it over and it becomes a table.The café is only small and unpretentious but the staff couldn’t be more helpful and the food was excellent.

No longer Frith & Little - now ... THE BEEHIVE ON THE GREEN. I must say 500% improvement on its previous incarnation! A delightful couple run this with equally delightful staff. We are frequent visitors and travel from Bexhill to enjoy the welcome... the food both 'eaten in' (sardines on toast as you've never tasted before!) and goodies bought and taken home - esp the Chilli Lime and Ginger Jelly :-) The drive there and back through the National Park scenery via the Beachy Head road is just stunning - winter and summer - we are so lucky!