A pub with Something Special – The Radnor Arms

Folkestone has a wealth of amazing venues to drink and eat in.  The Radnor Arms is no exception; set in the west end of town, in the Bouverie Village.  The decor is beautiful, and this is part of the Pickled Egg Pub Company run by Josh De Haan.  Manager Ryan Hillier has been part of the group since Covid and knows just how important a pub is to its local community. Niel Talan is the Head Chef and started out at 17, training in Rocksalt. Folkelife met Ryan and Niel and had the opportunity to try some of the menu too. 

Ryan: “I had a pretty stressful job in hospitality which stopped during Covid.  During that time I spent about a 18 months selling books from home, but soon realised I needed to get out and socialise again.  The Pilot Bar had opened up, down on Beachside at Folkestone Harbour and is part of the Rocksalt Group.  It was the perfect place for me to get back out there.  After a while, various opportunities came up within the Group and managing The Radnor was offered to me.  It’s really the best place I could be.  The pub looks nice, it’s cool, and that’s saying something from someone who’s grown up in Folkestone.  There were never many nice places to go, but this is certainly one of them now.“

world influences

Niel :“I started out at 17/18 years old doing my training at Rocksalt.  I stayed there for a couple of years, moving on to restaurants in London and then ending up in Cornwall.  Spending a few years travelling around Central America, I came back here wondering what I wanted to do.  There was a vacancy here and, like Ryan says, it’s a cool spot.  The Radnor Arms is somewhere where we can experiment and offer our customers something tasty if they don’t want to cook, or something special if it’s a celebration.”

boodle fights

Niel: “I cook what I would like to eat.  This makes the menu exciting for the customers and the chefs here too.  My family is from the Philippines, and with my traveling in the Americas, there is a huge variety here. 

“A favourite of mine are the Boodle Fights which happen on Asian nights on Mondays.  This, apart from the great name, is a wonderful way to experience Filipino dining.  Served on banana leaves, I create many little dishes to be shared by the whole table.  This is the sort of feast you would have at a family gathering where everyone would bring along dishes of seafood and meat and so on.  I can remember doing this when I finished school, and after a basketball game, and so on.  It’s a spiritual connection with your friends and family; sharing food and friendship.  

“On our table we have some pork belly that’s been slow cooked and fried, and a half roast chicken that has been marinated for 24 hours in lemongrass and lemonade.  The lemonade helps tenderise the meat, and lemongrass is a common flavouring across Filipino foods. There’s chili and garlic prawns, pineapple, barbequed squid, lemongrass rice and corn on the cob.” 

seasonal menus bursting with flavour

Ryan: “The Boodle Fight encapsulates what we’re trying to achieve here. We’re offering simple, not too much fuss, good cooking, but with a philosophy of sharing, tucking in together, and eating with your hands if you want to.  Come and relax, and enjoy some good food with friends.”

Niel: “We have updated our Scotch Egg for spring with a spicy lamb casing and wild garlic sauce. We’re doing an Aussie dish of fresh pasta with beef cheeks and crispy basil and parmesan cheese.  All the elements are there on the menu from baos to Sri Lankan fish curry, buttermilk chicken and a burger should you need it.”

Ryan: “We’re working together to get the vibe just right – the right food, the right drinks…  Niel uses a huge variety of ingredients and I create cocktails to complement these dishes. My background is food so the cocktails I create are based on fruit purees we’ve made, rather than the spirit being forward in the drink.

“The ingredients are key, so using blood oranges or Amalfi lemons steps things up a level. On our Spicy Margarita we salt the rim and include some beetroot powder in there which makes it pop with colour.  Or use a padan leaf which is a really striking green and fragrant leaf, and adds that little bit extra to what we’re serving.  Sometimes I come to him with a cocktail I’ve created and see if he can match a dish to it. It’s all a collaboration.”

West end Folkestone

Ryan: “Up here in the West End we have a regular set of customers who come in for lunch and after work.  Swiss Re and Sleeping Giant Media are businesses just around the corner, along with the council offices. But then others make this a destination place, and as we’re away from the Harbour, it makes a change, you’re seeing a different part of Folkestone.

“The venue is genius as well.  It doesn’t matter where you sit, you’ll always see another part of the bub.  When you’re at the bar, you see the chefs, you can see the garden from the restaurant, and see people coming through the doors.  There are nooks and crannies to discover, but the main point is that it feels comfortable and welcoming.”

To save disappointment, book a table via their website where you can plan your meal by checking out the menu ahead of time.