A unique pop-up restaurant in Tonbridge’s former fire station is the hot new place to eat in town thanks to the coterie of top chefs, some of them Michelin-starred, who have been hosting fun foodie evenings there since its launch last October.
“We were supposed to trial out the concept of running The Old Fire Station as a pop-up restaurant for three months,” explains Sam Goode, who is behind the project with his business partner Richard Collins.
“We decided Tonbridge really needed something like this; a creative site where we could indulge our love of food but would also double up as an area people could hire out for events or meetings.” Needless to say, the three-month trial has turned into a fully operational and successful enterprise that looks set to go the distance.
Since opening their unique venture, Sam and Richard have hosted the likes of Adam Handling, who was a finalist on MasterChef the Professionals in 2013 and has appeared on BBC2’s The Great British Menu; Sankey’s seafood restaurant and the team behind Fuggles, a craft beer bar in Tunbridge Wells.
They have also welcomed the likes of Daniel Hatton, who won a Michelin star when he was at Thackeray’s; Stephen Edwards, who runs i360 in Brighton and Justin Brown, who trained at The Landmark Hotel in London and has worked for Jamie Oliver.
“Each chef is different, and brings something unique to the culinary table,” says Sam.
To find out more, read our full interview with Sam here.
