A popular restaurant and bed and breakfast has announced plans for a radical change - turning almost exclusively into a wedding and events venue.

The Ferry House, a 16th-century restaurant beside the Swale estuary in Harty, on Sheppey, says the changes will come in from April 2026.

It means a reduction in its restaurant and B&B services - although it says it will continue to host select ‘pop-up’ dining experiences, taster evenings and special occasions.

Victoria Burden, co-owner of The Ferry House, explains: “As our wedding business has grown, it’s become increasingly challenging to balance frequent, large celebrations with the intimate dining retreat atmosphere we love to create.

“Rather than compromise on either, we’ve made the exciting decision to put special celebratory experiences at the heart of what we do. We know many of our customers consider us their ‘special place’ and the transformation of the venue doesn't change that.

“We will still offer pop-up dining and taster evenings, so our loyal diners can enjoy the dishes and hyper-local produce they’ve come to love at The Ferry House, just in a more exclusive and carefully curated way. This step forward ensures we can continue to offer the best of what we do, without compromise.”

The venue currently holds two AA Rosettes and has a 4.5-star rating on Tripadvisor.

It has been owned by the Burden family since 2000 who expect to have a second wedding barn - increasing capacity - complete in time for the business pivot.

In addition to ending walk-ins for the restaurant after the transformation, it has also confirmed those hoping for a drink will not be able to turn up on spec either.