Two Years on the Pier: The Story of Samphire Sauna
This May, we’re celebrating two years of Samphire Sauna on Hastings Pier. Two years of steamy sunsets over the sea, icy dips, community, connection, and countless cups of tea. We’ve come a long way.
Where it all began…
Back in 2020, Samphire Sauna was just a dream shared between two Sauna lovers, living by the sea, us: Nell and Zoya. The dream grew, and with a lot of saving, securing a grant from Let’s Do Business, and the hope that we could find a spot for our Sauna on the shore of our beloved seaside home, Hastings and St Leonards, we began the journey…
But it was a slow process… and after much discussion between ourselves, The Foreshore Trust and Hastings Council, it looked like a place on the pebbles sadly wouldn’t materialise. So, we took matters into our own hands, and got started anyway! By the end of 2021, we had bought a horsebox and transformed it into our first mobile sauna. Our friends up at Brewing Brothers kindly let us park at their brewery while we figured out what next…
The road to the pier
2022 took us further afield: first inland, taking the sauna to the Hub in Bodiam to a pop-up in Eastbourne with Port Hotel. Then, in winter 2023, came a pitch outside the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill. Each stop was a step closer to home. And then finally in spring 2023, after a public shout-out for help, we secured a space right in the heart of Hastings: the iconic pier.
Building community, one steam at a time
In 2024, we expanded our area on Hastings Pier and Millas Sauna was installed, and brought to life with the wonderful artwork of MollyMural. We added two new changing rooms, a communal covered space, better fencing, and two more incredible members of staff joined the Samphire crew. Alongside our public sauna sessions, we began hosting women’s groups, breathwork workshops, and launched our first range of body scrubs with the help of Sue from another wonderful local business, Natural Skincare Deli. We have expanded our opening times, with sunset saunas in winter and, early bird saunas in summer. Our visitors can choose from our friendly communal saunas, where countless new friendships have been made, or private sessions where friends and family can reconnect and relax together in their own space.
This year, we’ve upgraded again – with fresh signage, improved privacy screens, and seasonal scrub blends alongside our signature scent (also from Sue). We’ve now got FOUR fantastic sauna hosts who make each guest feel welcome and confident in their sauna experience… and we’ve got so many more exciting plans on the horizon.
Celebrating two years on the pier gives us a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come and how happy we are that we’ve been able to establish Samphire Sauna in our home town. We’ve never felt more rooted in this community, or more inspired by the growing passion for health and well-being in the area.
We are invested in making sure Samphire Sauna makes the most of what the town has to offer. From the independent businesses we are collaborating with to our local customers coming forward with ideas on new experiences we can offer (hello Mother and Baby Saunas). We love living in this town and are proud to have brought our dream business to such a unique spot on the pier.
Thank you for being part of the journey
Whether you’ve been with us since our horsebox days in the countryside or you’re a recent convert to stress reducing, relaxing benefits of sauna bliss, thank you. Samphire Sauna wouldn’t be what it is without you.
With love and warmth,
Nell & Zoya, Samphire Sauna