fifteen years at rocksalt

Rocksalt has been part of the Folkestone Food Scene since June 2011. The restaurant was one of the early elements of the regeneration of the town.  Building a fine dining restaurant, cantilevering the harbour, when the area was no longer a functioning ferry port was a risk, but one that has paid off.  There are many people that have worked at Rocksalt and gone on to run their own hospitality businesses in town and beyond.  There are many a happy guest who returns for another meal in this stunning location.  Folkelife spoke to founder Josh De Haan, and his senior team, three of whom worked at Rocksalt in the first year.

Josh: “I actually don’t remember the opening day very well.   I hadn’t slept for a couple of days as it was incredibly stressful.  The building wasn’t finished, I think the builders were still popping in to finish things a few weeks after we were open.  Also, the harbour area was really neglected at that time.  The port had closed in 2001, and ten years later, it was looking very sad.  To open a big, fancy restaurant was a huge risk, but, if you don’t try these things, then how do you know?”

new restaurant new baby

Marcin Szelag, now Executive Chef at Rocksalt, started out on that first day as a Chef de Partie.  Before long was promoted to Sous Chef, second in command under the Head Chef.

“I had been working in London at Claridge’s.  I always wanted to work for Gordon Ramsey and so had moved from Folkestone to London to chase that dream.  However, my wife at the time was pregnant, and we had moved back to live in Folkestone, and I loved my job, but wanted to be closer to home.  So I spoke to my head chef there, Steve Allen, about some stability in my working pattern.  He went away, thought about it, and in a couple of hours came back to me.  He had been speaking to a good friend of his – Mark Sargeant – who was leading a new kitchen at Rocksalt in Folkestone.  And that’s how I started here.

“My wife moved back first, and our daughter was born, and Rocksalt opened a month and a day later.  I started as a Chef de Partie and then was soon promoted to Sous Chef.  We started off with a lot of staff from London who had moved down to work at Rocksalt.  There wasn’t much else going on in Folkestone at the time, especially when you had been working in London.  It was a lot different to how it is now; people have come to Folkestone now and think it’s amazing to be here.”

folkestone fifteen years ago

Josh: “Fifteen years ago there were not very many restaurants here in Folkestone.  We had a selection of good Italians that served good, regional food, but not much else.  Now you look at Folkestone and it has changed so much.  You can eat food from nearly every continent on Earth!

“Rocksalt has played a significant role in developing hospitality talent across East Kent.  Many of the region’s leading chefs, restauranteurs and operators started or honed their careers with us.  Over the years, we’ve become something of a training ground for the local industry, nurturing individuals who have gone on to share Kent’s vibrant food and drink scene.

“Among them is Pete Lawless, who began behind the bar at Rocksalt before going on to establish the much-loved Bathtub and Gun cocktail bar on Folkestone Harbour Arm.  Greig Hughes, founder of Bao Baron, was also part of the Rocksalt team, as was Ollie from Lucky Chip.  Jim Lawrence of Dr Legumes worked with us too, alongside several members of the Lawrence family.”

nurturing talent across East kent

“Our influence extends well beyond those who have launched their own ventures.  Many former Rocksalt team members now hold key positions in some of the region’s most respected hospitality businesses.  The Pig at Bridge, Boys Hall in Ashford, and numerous other acclaimed venues across Kent have benefited from talent developed within our kitchens and front-of-house teams. Harry Johnson, who recently opened Keppels at The Grand began his culinary journey with us, before progressing to Hide and Fox and ultimately leading his own kitchen.

“When you look across East Kent’s hospitality landscape, it’s remarkable how many successful businesses have a Rocksalt alumnus at their heart.  Developing people has always been just as important to us as serving great food.  We are incredibly proud of the contribution our team has made to the wider industry.”

new blood

Jack Nimmons joined Rocksalt in October 2011, just months after the restaurant first opened its doors. Today, he serves as Operations Director for The Rocksalt Group, overseeing the day-to-day operations and strategic development of the group’s seven venues across East Kent.

Jack: “Before joining Rocksalt, I was working at Quarterhouse on Tontine Street. I knew Josh and the team because their offices were nearby, and they would often pop in for a drink or something to eat. At the time, Folkestone was a very different place and there wasn’t the level of activity there is today. I was fortunate to be invited to interview for a management role and joined as Assistant Manager shortly afterwards.

“Part of my role was to develop our events and outside catering business. We spent several years catering at festivals and events across the region.  This was a fantastic way of introducing people to Rocksalt beyond Folkestone and helping to build awareness of the brand in those early days.

“As the business evolved, so did my role. One of the biggest milestones was working alongside Josh on the acquisition and opening of our first pub, The Duke William in Ickham.  I was responsible for project managing the launch. From there, the business continued to grow and my responsibilities expanded from managing a single venue to supporting a multi-site operation.

“Looking back over the last fifteen years, it’s been incredible to see both Rocksalt and Folkestone transform. What began as one ambitious restaurant has grown into a collection of seven venues.  I’m proud to have been part of that journey from the very beginning.”

building the team

Josh: “I think Jack’s journey reflects quite a lot of the people within the organisation.  They will start in one place and then end up in another.  That’s probably one of the reasons why we have kept so many staff for so long, over the years.  If we were just one restaurant, there wouldn’t be so many opportunities, but we’ve created a lot more. Rocksalt in the summer is our busiest venue, we do hundreds and hundreds of covers and it’s not for everyone.  If you want a job in hospitality, we have different options. 

“Georgetta at Little Rock is a great example of someone moving from one setting to another.  She started off as a Kitchen Porter and couldn’t speak much English at all.  She’s progressed through the culinary ranks and now is Head Chef at Little Rock and no one is taking that away from her!  Both Niel and Ryan at Radnor Arms have worked for us at Rocksalt and The Pilot.  The Head Chef at The Duke, Joe, was Marcin’s junior at Rocksalt, and before that Adam was there.  It’s a long list that keeps going!”

Marcin: “Rocksalt is an incubator for training people at the highest level, certainly in the summer when it’s our highest volume of business.  And when people are working here, even at Head Chef level, they have the skill set to be able to go out to the other venues where you know they are still busy sites.  It stands them in good stead to take on greater responsibility in other venues.”

Josh: “We didn’t set out to be an incubator space, it just happened, and I think that’s a product of our success. We have also tried to instil in the teams that there is an opportunity to progress.  It’s not just a part-time job. We offer training, and the money is good too as you get your share of the tips as well as a good salary.”

marketing

Helen Nimmons, wife to Jack, has been a part of the scene since the start, if only in support of her husband.

Helen: “In many ways, it feels like I’ve been part of Rocksalt for much longer than I actually have. Because Jack has been here since 2011, so much of our life has revolved around the business and the people within it.  Rocksalt has always been a big part of our conversations around the dinner table at home.

“Before joining the company, I worked in estate agency, specialising in sales with some marketing & PR work on the side. After having our two children, I decided I wanted a change and an opportunity to apply my marketing experience in a different industry. I joined the business four years ago, initially working a couple of days a week helping with the central reservations system. At the time, calls from across the group’s venues would come through to us when the restaurants were busy, helping the teams stay focused on looking after guests.

“Back then, each venue managed its own social media channels. As the group grew, we recognised the need to centralise our marketing activity and create a more consistent brand presence across all the businesses. My role evolved from there.  Today I work full-time across marketing, social media, events and partnerships, with a particular focus on Rocksalt.”

Influence

“The way people discover restaurants has changed dramatically over the past few years. Influencers and content creators now play a significant role in driving awareness and reaching new audiences. We recently collaborated with an influencer whose content reached more than 80,000 views within the first 24 hours of going live. That’s the kind of reach and engagement that simply wasn’t possible when Rocksalt first opened 15 years ago. Social Media Marketing has transformed enormously, and it’s exciting to be part of that evolution while continuing to tell the Rocksalt story.”

Josh: “And if you think back to 2011, Rocksalt was here and the Harbour Arm was still closed, that hadn’t been renovated yet.  There were a few shops on The Old High Street but that was still in early stages too.  So people were discovering us, and then seeing what else Folkestone had to offer.  Now, it’s working the other way around.  I saw some people getting off the train at Folkestone Central and they were clearly new visitors, coming to see the things they had heard about in Folkestone.  They will discover us because of all the regeneration and wonderful things that are going on in the town.  It’s all of mutual benefit to everyone, new visitors find us and then Folkestone, or find Folkestone and then us.”

the restaurant manager

Leon Foissy joined the Senior Team in 2023 as the General Manager of Rocksalt.

Leon: “I discovered Folkestone on a family day out to the seaside.  In a similar sort of situation to Marcin, we had our first child, expecting our second and didn’t want to bring them up in London.  We had moved to Kent but it took me about seven years, commuting to London to work, to find the right place for me, and that was Rocksalt.  What I saw on that seaside day was an interesting restaurant that was of similar stature to ones I had worked with in London and back home in France. I needed to find the right offering for me, somewhere that had the right product, the right demographic and the right people to work with. 

“I’m passionate about what I do, and if I don’t believe in the product and the people then I can’t do my job properly.  Here it feels like a marriage made in heaven.  We all have the same outlook, and are striving for the same standards and experience for our visitors.  People come to Rocksalt to celebrate events in their lives and we have to bring the magic to those, on a daily basis.  We had a proposal the other evening, luckily she said yes, but we all knew about the plan, the music, the delivery of the ring, and everything has to be just so.”

Josh: “To begin with, it felt very lonely running Rocksalt.  We needed people from Canterbury, from Rye, to buy in to coming to Folkestone on a cold and wet November evening for a stunning meal in the restaurant.  It was a tall order.  But now, Folkestone is very much on the map, and people are coming from much further away.  It’s great for the town, it’s great for the people, it’s great for employment and great for employing people.  The flip side is that there are other opportunities for our staff in the town too.  We need to remain competitive.  I can remember seeing Leon’s CV, it was very impressive, and it’s not one you see a lot of around here, so to be able to employ him, and keep him, is pretty critical to the success of this place, for all of us.”

the next fifteen years

Josh: “If we took a photo every year to show how much older we all look, that would be fun.  I think the industry has gone through some incredibly tough years; Brexit, Covid, the energy crisis, cost of living, and now what’s happening in Iran.  We have really gone through tough times.  But, having said that, we had a very successful year in 2025, and we are building on that.  The Garden is open on the top of the Viaduct, which gives a less expensive offering but still with Rocksalt standards.  Our breakfasts are going well, which again, is offering that magic of Rocksalt but not as formal as dinner in the evening. 

“In the first five years we were evolving to deliver a consistent service from the wonderful summer days, to the cold and wintry evenings in a coastal town.  Now, we are working on our live music Friday evenings.  We’ve held a series of hugely successful sports-based lunches with some high profile athletes such as Sir Geoff Hurst, Jason Robinson and Sir Jason Kenny to name a few.  For a restaurant to survive for fifteen years you do have to evolve, and try new things.  Sometimes ideas work, sometimes they don’t but it’s so important to breath new life into what we do, and make sure the customer can feel that too.  

“We are so proud to own the awards we have achieved as well.  That’s testament to every member of staff who has contributed to what we do.  Our pub, The Radnor Arms, is one of the top five pubs in the country, Little Rock has won a place in The Good Food Guide for two years in a row, and has just celebrated its fifth birthday, so we’re really pleased with what we have achieved.”