High-profile chef Mitch Tonks told M&C Report his restaurant company is on track to report its first million pound EBITDA in the next 12 months as he prepares to open a fourth Rockfish restaurant serving the freshest available fish.
The newest site includes both a restaurant and takeaway inside of Brixham fish market, Devon, serving fresh off the boat seafood.
Tonks told M&C Report he plans to keep adding one new restaurant each year to his estate focusing on the south west where he believes the best British fish is available.
“I want to add very bespoke destination restaurants by the sea and water as I only want to serve fish landed on the same day.”
He said site selection will be based on the merits of an individual location rather than a target list of towns.
“We are happy going into areas other people see as risky but have proven that we become destinational and people want to come to us to eat fish on the coast.
He said the expansion will continue along the south coast keeping restaurants as close as possible to the fish to create family-friendly seafood restaurants where people can enjoy the vibes and eat with their children.
“We want people to come to the south west to eat seafood – I have named it Britain’s seafood coast as it has the best fish. This is where the fish lands and I want people from all over the world to eat it here.”
The group, which counts Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby and John Barnes – who was part of the team to roll out Harry Ramsden’s in the 1980s and 1990s – as both shareholders and non-executive directors, is supported for its expansion plans via investment from friends and family. Tonks said this would be reviewed as the growth continues.
The newest restaurant in Brixham is located inside the fish market overlooking the boats landing throughout the day with catches ensuring the food served is as fresh as it could possibly be.
“I would go so far as to say it’s probably the closest restaurant to the source in the UK,” Tonks said. “Seafood tastes much better when eaten by the sea and we want to keep it as close as possible to cook it as quickly as possible. Before London even orders its fish we will be cooking it.”
Fish is bought strait from the boats, prepared onsite and dispatched to other Rockfish restaurants for use that day.
The two-floor restaurant has 100 covers inside and an additional 65 on the balcony as well as a private dining room where guests will be able to order bespoke menus for special occasions.
The main restaurant menu will be the same as the other Rockfish restaurants with daily specials to reflect the catch of the day. The takeaway will serve a selection of fried fresh fish with chips including cod and haddock but also squid and other specialty options rotating daily.
The restaurant’s soft launch will be from 27 April with the full launch on 30 April.
Tonks said Brixham – where he lives – is a working fishing port that attracts some tourists and is growing in popularity as more people are drawn to the bars, restaurants and fish & chip shops.
