insideSTORY- FOOD & DRINK NEWS
FOOD + DRINK
insideSTORY- FOOD & DRINK NEWS
NEW MARRAKECH CAFÉ OPENS IN CANTERBURY
Dev Biswal, chef and owner of The Cook’ s Tale, the renowned modern Anglo-Indian restaurant in Canterbury, has opened Café Marrakech in the city.
The new restaurant is a mixture of authentic Moroccan flavours and traditional hospitality with slow-cooked tagines, charcoal-grilled meats, hand-rolled couscous, freshly baked khobz and semolina basbousa at the forefront of the new menu.
Biswal became inspired by North African cuisines after recruiting a Moroccan chef to join the kitchen team at The Cook’ s Tale. He quickly added the destination to his small group culinary tours operation, The Cooks Adventures.
To reflect the Moroccan atmosphere, the restaurant is complete with warm light, vibrant colours, soft music and spicy aromas, all reminiscent of a Marrakech souk.
“ Visiting Morocco for the first time was a real eye-opener- I was amazed by the similarities in Moroccan and Indian cuisines; our food and cultures have more in common than I could have possibly imagined,” said Biswal.“ I grew up thinking samosas were an Indian invention!”
BEACH STREET RESTAURANTS CELEBRATES 21 YEARS AND SIXTH OPENING
Beach Street Restaurants have announced the addition of Samphire in Whitstable to its growing collection of pubs and restaurants.
The milestone marks 21 years since the group’ s first restaurant opened on Deal’ s seafront growing from one small seaside spot to six venues that celebrate Kent’ s coast, countryside and communities.
The collection now includes 81 Beach Street( Deal), The Coastguard( St Margaret’ s Bay- Britain’ s closest pub to France), The Coach( Hacklinge), The Granville( near Canterbury), The Belle Vue Tavern( Pegwell Bay) and, most recently, Samphire( Whitstable).
“ When we opened 81 Beach Street, we never imagined we’ d one day have six ventures,” said founder and managing director, Jim Cleaver.“ We’ ve always chosen places we genuinely love- venues with character and community- and now we have a collection of pubs and restaurants that locals love and visitors remember.”
Each venue has its own unique identity but all share the same concept: fresh, locally sourced food served with genuine hospitality in spaces that reflect the nature of Kent’ s coast and countryside.
KENT NAMED TWICE IN THE TOP 100 BEST PUBS IN BRITAIN
The Leicester Arms, Penshurst, and The Radnor Arms, Folkestone, have been named in the Good Food Guide’ s Top 100 Best Pubs in Britain, a recognition that reflects the quality of food and service. shining example of what can be achieved with vision, dedication and community spirit.”
Since The Pickled Egg Company took over the restaurant in 2019, The Radnor Arms has undergone a complete transformation- turning the historic pub into one of the South East’ s most vibrant dining destinations. The Leicester Arms too underwent a major refurbishment in 2024 by the Little & Large Pub Company, which upgraded the pub while retaining its charm and character- both highly regarded reasons for their inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
The Randor Arms ranked fifth on this year’ s list, while The Leicester Arms ranked in 91st place.
“ This recognition means a great deal- not just for The Radnor Arms, but for Folkestone itself,” said owner, Josh De Hann.“ To be recognised by the Good Food Guide is incredibly rewarding. The Radnor Arms is a www. insidekent. co. uk • 151