Rockfish to open three further restaurants over the next year

Rockfish has announced that it has three new restaurant openings planned for the next twelve months.

The seafood restaurant group has secured sites in Salcombe, Sidmouth and Topsham, and has plans to strengthen its pipeline for future growth.

Mitch Tonks, the founder of Rockfish, recently won a Catey for Restaurateur of the Year - Group at the 2022 awards.

In its latest results for the financial year ending April 2022, Rockfish reported sales of £13m, restaurant earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of £2.9m and group EBITDA £1.34m.

Rockfish has consolidated its supply chain by acquiring two further suppliers, Brixham Seafish and Hillside Foods.

The creation of an integrated supply chain means that the restaurant group can quickly adapt to inflationary pressures or shortages triggered by the war in Ukraine.

Rockfish made the decision to remove cod from its menus due to supply chain issues in June.

The group’s investment in Brixham-based fishmongers has also enabled Rockfish to sell its ready-to-cook seafood and British tinned fish range to both locals and people across the UK.

Tonks said: “I am extremely proud of what the team have achieved at Rockfish over the last two years. We always set out to create amazing seafood restaurants using produce landed by local boats and small-scale fishermen.

“Covid allowed us the space to think differently, build a better business and focus on culture and our clear mission to be the leading sustainable seafood restaurant business in the UK.

“Whilst the industry faces multiple challenges in terms of inflation and staffing, I believe the investments made this year in our supply chain and our people gives us a clear competitive advantage that will allow us to build a more significant business over the next few years.”

Will Beckett, chairman of Rockfish and co-founder and chief executive of Hawksmoor, added: “Five years on from joining as chairman, I can see first-hand that this is exactly what he and his team are doing. With awards like Restaurateur of the Year at the Cateys, it is also obvious to me that people are noticing what many of us have always known – that a very special business is being built in the South West, and I expect it to develop significantly from this point.”

Rockfish first launched in 2010 in Dartmouth and currently operates nine restaurants across Dorset and Devon.