insideKENT Magazine Issue 96 - March 2020 | Page 41

FREDERIC CAFE STARTED LIFE IN 2012 AS A SMALL HUMBLE BISTRO SPECIALISING IN FRENCH RUSTIC FOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF MAIDSTONE’S RESTAURANT QUARTER OFF EARL STREET. Frederic ´´ ´´ Cafe. ´ Bistro It soon garnered a reputation as a favourite hot spot for locals that wanted an inexpensive lunch –to this day many lunch time dishes are still less than £6. The bistro soon became very popular for informal relaxed evening meals with its policy of encouraging people to stay as long as they want and not make them feel rushed out the door. This is a real family love affair led by husband and wife team Ulric Allsebrook (Chef-Patron) and his wife Sarah herself a Patisserie chef who to this day still runs all things Sweet – the restaurant itself is named after the youngest of their 4 boys Frederick as a little “clin d’oeil” to his French roots. Over the years the premises expanded to allow for a bigger kitchen, & a bigger dinning area. A bespoke open patisserie kitchen was also built at the far end of the restaurant to allow for the production of a bigger range of french patisseries – these can now be bought to take home with a patisserie display that includes all the french classics like macarons, meringues, millefeuille, tarts, profiteroles along with the traditional french croq’en bouche wedding cake. The addition of a wine bar / wine shop completed the circle – an impressive collection of 800 different wines populate a library of wine dedicated to some of the best known french vintages with 400 different classical French wines alone that complement other countries like Chile, Italy , Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Argentina, California, South Africa to name a few. Ulric curates the wine list on an almost daily basis and loves sharing his passion for wine through no-fussiness wine tastings. The explosion of interest in craft spirits is also recognised with a shop & bar stocking 250 different gins all available by the glass along with another 100 rums, single malts, brandy, port & sherry. This is quite truly a unique emporium dedicated to all things French, Food & Drink. xxx [email protected] 01622 297 414 facebook.com/cafe.frederic 105