Mark Sargeant to reopen Folkestone site as Restaurant MS

Mark Sargeant is to reopen the Folkestone restaurant he closed in February as Restaurant MS having found a new backer.

Formerly called Brasserie MS, the chef closed the site earlier this year citing difficult trading conditions.

Sargeant, who spent 13 years working with Gordon Ramsay and won the National Chef of the Year award in 2002, now has the backing of local hotelier Kanagaratnam Rajamenon, managing director of Leaf Hotels, which operates the Best Western Clifton hotel in Folkstone.

He will open Restaurant MS in September with a similar style of food to the dishes he was serving at the beginning of the year, which then included the likes of lasagne of seafood, pigs trotter ‘Pierre Koffmann’ and fish dishes based on the catch of the day.

Sargeant told The Caterer: “I’m keen to make this a stand out dining spot in the south east. When I sat down to think about the reopening it became clear that I was going a little more high end than brasserie style, so the Restaurant MS name is a little more in keeping with the style of food.”

Sargeant added that he was now looking to rebuild his team, having found a business partner that was prepared to invest in the restaurant and was already keen on looking at other possibilities.

“I’ve a brilliant new backer who came on board immediately as he understands the area and knows the potential of the town with the development that’s happening in the next five years,” he said. “Mr Menon’s Clifton hotel is undergoing a £4m refurbishment and they already have a Marco Pierre White Steakhouse so we can do some cross-pollination.

“There are a couple of other sites that I’ve got my eye on as well and we’ve spoken quite candidly about it so I’m hoping this could be the start of the MS brand. I’d like to reintroduce Brasserie MS elsewhere and also work on a diner concept – somewhere that works for families.”

Rajamenon said: “We are incredibly pleased to collaborate with Mark and reintroduce the Restaurant MS, fortifying its legacy in our vibrant town."