Dev Biswal, the owner-chef of The Cook’s Tale (formerly The Ambrette) restaurant and Marrakesh Café in Canterbury, has acquired the fourteen-century Phoenix Tavern in Faversham, in time for Christmas.
The pub closed the two AA-rosetted kitchen six months ago, but has remained open for drinks, with reduced hours.
Biswal will open for drinks on 20th November and operate a full kitchen service from 1st December. The pub will also let a family room for overnight guests from the New Year.
The Phoenix Tavern is a characterful, historic pub located on picturesque Abbey Street in the market town of Faversham, in north Kent. Occupying a stunning medieval hall house that dates back to around 1330, the tavern is highly regarded for its beautiful period features, original oak beams, and a roaring inglenook fireplace. It also boasts a spacious, enclosed walled garden decorated with wooden furniture, and colourful potted flowers.
The dog-friendly pub is known locally for hosting regular live music, community art classes, and local book clubs.
Chef Biswal’s innovative approach to contemporary Indian cuisine has earned recognition from national and international awards organisations, including Michelin. At his new venture, he will serve a modern gastropub interpretation of traditional English pub food alongside authentic Indian dishes, show-casing Kent’s wealth of local produce.
The project will create 12 new entry-level jobs for trainees with little or no experience in the hospitality sector.
With the prohibitive cost of a university education, with AI technology destroying many graduates’ employment prospects, Biswal is urging school and college leavers to consider a career in hospitality.
Biswal’s business partner, Frank Ward, who will be the pub’s new landlord, said, “For ambitious, hard-working youngsters who are keen to learn, the opportunities and rewards are tremendous,” he said, adding; “International travel, working on private yachts, cooking in top ski resorts are all very real possibilities.
Biswal will use his training kitchen in Canterbury, where he gives regular cookery lessons, to teach kitchen skills. https://www.thecookstale.co.uk/cookeryclasses
Questioned as the wisdom of taking on a pub, when the news is full of doom and gloom about the hospitality sector, Biswal said; “It’s a good time to be negotiating with suppliers – there’s deals to be done – the UK is still the 5th richest economy in the world.”
While many independents are seeing a squeeze on margins, a fall in sales due to rising costs, and fewer customers, several large chains a reporting higher profits.
“A lot of pubs and restaurants are falling to control costs, said Biswal. A serial entrepreneur, who also leads the Odyssey Advisory Group restaurant consultancy business, Biswal offered:“When we take on a new client, we invariably identify immediate savings, usually running into the thousands, by eliminating waste and cutting unnecessary costs, without reducing the quality of the customer experience.”
The Phoenix Tavern, 98 – 99 Abbey Street, Faversham, Kent ME13 7BH
www.thephoenixtavernfaversham.co.uk
The Cook’s Tale www.thecookstale.co.uk
The Cook’s Adventures www.thecooksadventures.com
Odyssey Advisory Group www.odysseyadvisorygroup.com
Café Marrakech www.cafemarrakech.co.uk
Author: George Shaw
Former BBC journalist and founder and CEO of an award-winning London advertising and PR company for 20 years, providing restaurant consultancy services. Spent a decade as the director of communications of the Asian Catering Federation in the UK and lead judge for its various restaurant and chef awards programmes. Now returned to journalism, specialising in food and travel and currently the Editor-in-Chief for Taste London, Taste Asia, the Good Curry Guide and CEO of International Culinary Guides.