Kentish Express Ashford & District - What's On
THIS WEEK’S FOOD & DRINK NEWS
lacelebrity chef is set to make his return to the seaside town where he made his name as boss of a flagship restaurant.
Former Rocksalt head chef Mark Sargeant will be launching a new venture in Folkestone at the former premises of the Italian restaurant Tavernetta which has been a fixture in the town since 1965. A former protege of Gordon Ramsay, Sargeant was the figurehead of a Kentish culinary empire that included Rocksalt on Folketone harbour as well as Wife of Bath in Wye and The Duke William in Ickham.
But that ended in October last year, when he announced he would be stepping away from his restaurant and pub empire. He is now taking on the Clifton Gardens venue from husband-and-wife team Tommaso and Kirstine Borrello, who have decided to retire after more than 15 years at the helm.
lget
to grips with nature this Easter. The Barn Farm Shop’s fresh foraging experience helps visitors explore a more eco-friendly approach to food with a wildlife walk.
Expect to leave with a helping of handpicked ingredients such as herbs, salad greens and edible flowers, all under the guidance of an experienced forager. The group will return to the farm shop at Neals Place Raod, Canterbury, where you can add to your fresh food with local produce from the store.
The foraging experience takes place on Saturday, April 16 from 10am to noon. Tickets start from £20 per adult and must be pre-booked by emailing forthandforage@gmail.com.
ltheFlippin’ Frog in Rochester High Street is to be relaunched later this year. The venue was the town’s first micropub when it opened in December 2015.
The business went from strength to strength, earning a solid reputation and featuring in the Good Beer Guide. However, it went on sale in 2019, and in July 2020 was snapped up by owners of the nearby Dead Pigeon pub.
The micropub has since been used to house the Dead Pigeon’s takeaway service, serving up items including burgers, pizza and chicken wings but owners have now revealed that the Flippin’ Frog will reopen as a pub later this year.