Margate’s dining scene is on fine form and Billy Stock fits right in. The chef has racked up experience at St John and The Marksman, but more importantly has built a strong local following thanks to time well spent in the seaside town, notably as head chef at Sète. No surprise then that The Wellington was packed when we visited in the first week of opening, le tout Margate drawn in by anticipation of a popular chef’s new venture.
The premises are modest enough, a centuries-old former inn and coaching house in the heart of the Old Town re-imagined as a very now sort of place. It’s one of a new breed of community-minded pubs where affordability is key and a lot of effort has gone into delivering a real drinking experience while running a restaurant in a separate space.
For such early days, things were largely running smoothly. The cheerfully informal front-of-house team – led by co-owner Ellie Topham (ex Updown) – showed enthusiasm for everything they did, as welcoming to the solo drinker with dog in tow as to the multi-generational family in for a convivial meal. And the kitchen team, on theatrical view in the corner of the dining room, put on a polished performance.
Billy Stock’s opening menu – a simple three-course format – reflected his homespun French-inflected style, fondness for robust flavours and commitment to carefully sourced produce from local farmers, growers and producers. We opened with a chunky country-style terrine that ate well with another starter of beetroot, radicchio, walnut and crème fraîche, and, pacing ourselves, followed by sharing a chunk of brill, beautifully roasted on the bone with a slick peppercorn sauce.
And then came the pie: chicken and leek, topped with a light, buttery puff-pastry, it was uncomplicatedly good – real comfort food. It may have been sized for two, but we scoffed the lot. As for the exceptionally good chunky chips with hollandaise, it was probably a dish too far, but who can resist?
And let’s not forget this is also pub, with draught beers including Meteor, Guinness and local guest IPAs on rotation. So, if you’re just in for a drink, you might well be tempted by a blackboard list of snacks including bacon Scotch egg or duck sausage roll with brown sauce.
There’s no doubt the whole team is still bedding in, but there’s a reassuring friendliness to the way The Wellington is run. It's the kind of place where you can trust virtually anything on the brief menu to be enjoyable. We’ll be back with an update in the new year – we have our eye on the beef cheek and snail suet pudding.
WHERE 1 Duke St, Margate CT9 1EP
FOLLOW @thewellingtonmargate
BOOK thewellingtonmargate.co.uk
The Good Food Guide allows three to six months before anonymously inspecting a new restaurant. Look out for a full review coming soon.
