Why Kent ?
I grew up in Kent and so have been privileged to work with Kent ’ s prestigious bounty of produce for my entire career . As the head chef of a seaside restaurant , I am in awe of the quality and range of fish and shellfish that we receive from our excellent suppliers . We are currently in the process of expanding our menu to showcase some of the delicious local shellfish available to us .
Tell us about the dishes and the menu you have created .
I am incredibly proud of our current and previous menus . I strongly believe in utilising the skills and talents of my team and am pleased to say that our menus are a group effort .
Our menus are designed around the seasons . Our spring and summer menus have a lighter eating style as we aim to complement proteins in their prime , like sweet and soft hake with seasonal English countryside vegetables . Similarly , in the colder seasons we like to ramp up our roast dinners and make the most of our local winter root veg and team it with slowly braised beef shoulder and a warming red wine jus .
What ’ s your signature or favourite dish from the menu ?
My favourite dish to eat and make is the rich and hearty lamb ragu . It has multiple elements and requires different techniques to complete . I love that within one dish you can enjoy a tender lamb leg that we braise overnight and an intensely rich lamb Bolognese that we combine with linguini , topped with a crunchy crumb and served with homemade garlic bread .
What is your guilty pleasure ?
I ’ m sure some chefs and non-chefs would think I should be ashamed of this , but anyone who knows me would not be surprised that my guilty pleasure is a decent donner kebab with chips and classic burger sauce . I do have some class though and like to combine this with a creamy and well rounded Simpson ’ s chardonnay .
The Waterfront Marine Parade Hythe CT21 6AW reservations @ the-waterfront . co . uk 01303 233 844 www . the-waterfront . co . uk
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