Folkstone whelks, Kentish chickens and Gypsy Tart
There are big plans for Folkestone. The high speed train from St Pancras has slashed the journey time down to just 50 minutes and town planners have earmarked run-down districts for ambitious regeneration plans. Investing into this future is chef Mark Sargeant of Saturday Kitchen fame who, having worked under Gordon Ramsay at Claridges when the restaurant earned a Michelin star, has opened two restaurants on Folkestone harbour: Smokehouse, an upmarket fish and chip cafe, and Rocksalt, a smart restaurant and bar.
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| The weatherboarded curved sides of Mark Sargeant's Rock Salt, Folkstone |
These glossy glass, steel and black weatherboarded buildings sit in striking contrast to the gritty industry of this working harbour with its piles of fishing nets, cobbled quay and hotch-potch of warehouses. It’s a wonderful juxtaposition of old and new, industry and leisure, utility and beauty, all unified by seafood and its provenance. You don’t need Heston Blumenthal spraying salty sea air above your head - just take a deep breath and fill your lungs with it. The smell of the sea and the low-tide muds, the cry of seagulls and the sight of fishermen brining in their hauls whip up an appetite for seafood, the speciality of Rocksalt.
