STORY
Foodie Faces cont...
ADAM & CARMEN PAGOR In Whitstable and Faversham, Grain & Hearth has become a buzzword for how seriously Kent now takes its bread. Founded by Adam and Carmen Pagor, the bakery has grown from a garage operation into one of the county’ s most respected names, winning Best Bakery in Kent at the National Bakery Awards in 2024 and 2025. Long-fermented sourdough, laminated pastries and seasonal specials- including the now socialmedia famous sticky toffee pudding cinnamon bar- draw daily queues, but it’ s the consistency that matters as, far from being occasionally excellent, this craft baking powerhouse has reset baking standards.
NATALIA RIBBE
Margate’ s transformation into a cool, coastal foodie hotspot is more than underway and Natalia Ribbe is a talent who’ s actively shaping it. At Sète, she has created a wine bar and restaurant that feels wonderfully continental with a Margate twist- think small plates, low lighting and a tightly edited natural wine list chosen with knowledge over trends. Ribbe was already part of the town’ s culinary uptick with Barletta, and Sète sharpens that identity into something more defined with critics praising the restaurant for nailing a Parisian wine bar feel without losing its coastal identity. More broadly,
Ribbe’ s work with initiatives like networking community Ladies of Restaurants places her firmly within a new generation of hospitality leaders redefining the industry..
LEE COAD, CHARLOTTE FORSDIKE & ROB COOPER At Angela’ s, owners Lee Coad and his wife Charlotte Forsdike, together with chef Rob Cooper, have helped set a new standard for how seafood is sourced and served on the Kent coast. Awarded a Michelin Green Star, the restaurant focuses on low-impact fishing and day-boat catches, with menus that respond to what can be responsibly landed rather than what can be reliably supplied. Alongside this, Coad is part of The Perfect Place to Grow, a Thanet-based training kitchen supporting young people into hospitality careers in an approach that connects sustainability with access, ensuring the future of the industry is considered alongside the future of the menu.
ALLISTER BARSBY & ALICE BUSSI How could we not include Kent’ s only two-Michelin-star restaurant? At hide and fox, Allister Barsby and Alice Bussi operate on a whole new level, where nothing is left to chance. Defined by precision and restraint, Barsby’ s cooking pairs serious technical grounding and years spent refining his style( he won his first Michelin star at the age of just 24) with exceptional clarity of flavour, while Bussi, a sommelier and hospitality specialist with a Hotel Catey award to her name, shapes the experience around it. Praised for inspired wine pairings, service that anticipates rather than reacts and a steadfast confidence, together they’ ve achieved something rare- a restaurant where every element holds itself to the same exacting standards.
ROBIN READ In Tunbridge Wells, Robin Read has created something that manages to feel both sharp and completely stripped back at The Counter- a restaurant built around a single, ever-evolving menu served directly across the pass. His pedigree is formidable, with time spent honing his craft alongside the Roux brothers, Nico Ladenis and Marco Pierre White, and it shows in cooking that is precise, controlled and self-assured. Having cut his teeth through a series of pop-ups before settling into a permanent space, Read’ s approach is both disciplined and instinctive, rooted in seasonality, low waste and close relationships with suppliers; the result is a restaurant defined by clarity, confidence and a distinctly modern point of view.
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