Hungry Bear relocates to former Brading Waxworks building

Hungry Bear has announced it has moved into the Rectory Mansion on Brading High Street.

Previously known as the Waxworks Museum, Hungry Bear is now in the restaurant attached to the thatched building, which is said to have once been owned by Henry VIII.

The Waxworks gave many a visitor recurring nightmares, with its tales of chimney sweep Valentine Gray, French spy Louis de Rochefort, and its chamber of horrors, but Dayna O'Brian and the Hungry Bear team will be looking to give customers an entirely different experience. 

"We are privileged to have use of the beautiful ancient courtyard," said Dayna.

"Our premises may have changed but our yummy food, warm welcome and value for money ethos will not.

"We've been working hard ­— the business has been going for three years now.

"We're a family-run business, and Stuart Downes is at the helm of it ­— he is the Hungry Bear.

'Hungry Bear', Stuart Downes.

"His mum, Jane, who makes homemade bread, cakes and puddings, we call Nana Bear, and I guess I'm Momma Bear.

"Originally, we were a travelling kitchen, doing food at pop-up events.

"We liked the quirkiness of Fakenham Farm, where we were at before, but it was always known as a cafe, and we're definitely more of a restaurant.

"I suppose we outgrew the building ­— for Sunday lunches we were serving 70 plus people.

"We were looking for somewhere, and the guys at Rectory Mansion contacted, and asked if we were interested.

"We went and had a look and we loved it, so now we've moved in.

"It's really cool ­— it's really quirky ­— I love the history of the building.

"We've got an old Brading Waxworks poster we want to put on display as a tribute to the building, and we're also hoping to get the original Waxworks sign fixed up with some LEDs.

"Luckily, the place already had an excellent fitted kitchen.

"We didn't have to do too much work to make the place our home ­— it's been more about implementing our brand and really just making it into the Hungry Bear.

"We're fortunate to have such a good, loyal following. We take bookings over Facebook, and during lockdown, we kept going, delivering Sunday roasts and doing up to 200 a day.

"We didn't stop, and I think people really appreciated us doing that.

"We're very community minded, so we're looking forward to working with local residents and the community, to give Brading a little boost."

Hungry Bear will be open for its first Sunday lunch in its new home this weekend, on October 11.

Stuart Downes and Dayna O'Brian.