I first opened Rocksalt in 2011, with the idea that Folkestone needed a decent restaurant to work as a magnet to draw people to the harbour area. At the time the Harbour was a very deprived area and had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country for young people. Fast forward to today and Folkestone continues to experience such an amazing resurgence with Rocksalt being awarded 2 AA Rosettes. The food and drink scene in Folkestone has exploded since we opened our doors at Rocksalt and I am delighted to be in some way part of that. In 2019 my business expanded further with the acquisition of four further pubs under The Pickled Egg Pub Company. In line with the growing success of Folkestone’s Harbour Arm, in 2020 we opened Little Rock, the sister restaurant to Rocksalt, serving fresh daily fish from a converted shipping container and The Pilot Beach Bar situated next door. I continue to play a vital role in the daily operation of all seven sites today with a keen eye on the next opportunity whilst also being involved in other interests that have an impact locally and beyond.

It has to be the wonderful people who work for the group and our combined passion for working with independent local suppliers. Being involved in a really exciting food and drink renaissance in Folkestone and East Kent is a huge passion of mine and it still excites me today when we recruit new and talented chefs who are bursting with creative ideas and flair to bring outstanding dishes to the group. A lot of our team have been with us for a long time; it’s a wonderful thing seeing them grow within the business and to see how their lives develop outside.

That’s like asking who my favourite child is… if pushed it has to be Rocksalt because it’s my original baby and without Rocksalt none of the other sites would be here today. Beyond the group my favourite restaurant has to be Frantzen or Scotts in Mayfair.

Little Rock comes a very close second though as its gloriously stripped back and it was all put together whilst we were all wallowing in the depth of lockdown back in 2021, when restaurant owners were only allowed to operate outside, so opening a beachfront venue with plenty of outside space was a really good idea. A very close third would be any of the pubs, but The Radnor Arms probably tops the lot.

Outside of work, when I am not dealing with the joy and heartache of being a father of four daughters I enjoy playing and watching most sports but especially tennis, padel tennis, rugby, hockey, cricket and skiing, pretending to be a farmer at the weekends and wait for it… I even once sang for the Pope in the Vatican but that’s a whole other story.