Michelin Debut for Saltwood on the Green

Saltwood on the Green restaurant near Hythe in Kent has achieved the esteemed status of being recommended in the new Michelin Guide the UK & Ireland 2016.

Recognition by the guide is regarded by leading restaurant critics, restaurateurs and gastronomes as the ultimate endorsement.

The Michelin Guide describes the Saltwood on the Green as: “A former village store run by a charismatic American chef. It has a relaxed, modish style and a bar laden with cakes. Appealing, highly original dishes are flavourful and healthy.”

The guide goes on to remind readers that restaurant is open for breakfast and has a “notable” cocktail list, which features unique artisan creations using foraged botanicals and even home made tonic water.

The restaurant had been tipped to debut in the guide back in June after an undercover Michelin inspector tweeted, “Hard to beat the good value £18 lunch menu @SaltwoodGreen” using the hash tags #NewFind #Kent via @MichelinGuideUK.

The venue received a further boost the following month when The Observer's restaurant reviewer, Jay Rayner, wrote, “For all its laid-back chic, this is a serious kitchen keen to punch above its weight.”

Saltwood on the Green, Jeff's first restaurant, opened in the picturesque village of Saltwood's 2014, is immensely proud of the endorsement.

“The Michelin recommendation provides us with a broader and deeper reach – we've already been visited by significant numbers of gastro tourists, bringing much valued income to nearby businesses,” said Jeff, who added, “Customers travelling through South East Kent know there is a dependable standard to be had - and should bring a further boost to the local economy.”

Kipp regards the accolade as acknowledgement of the effort his front and back of house teams put in to get things right.

Scars

“It is amazing for our little neighbourhood restaurant to be listed in such an iconic guide. It is difficult to imagine how much work goes into creating a Michelin level experience. Working at Hospital Road with Gordon Ramsey left no question to the commitment required by each team member. Twelve years on I still have the scars to prove it!”

Saltwood on the Green will be closed from 24th December until 30th January – opening just for dinner on New Year's Eve, as the staff take a well earned break and develop new dishes for 2016.

Kipp was recently named of the county's top three chefs in the Kent Food & Drink Awards, and has been nominated in the Taste of Kent Awards as 'Kent Restaurant of the Year 2016'.

Organised by Produced in Kent, public voting via www.tasteofkentawards.co.uk/award/11/kent-restaurant-of-the-year closes on 16th January. Winners will be revealed in March 2016.

In addition to a spell working for Gordon Ramsay, the American-born chef also held senior roles in some of world's top kitchens, including Charlie Trotter's, Duck & Waffle, Sushi Samba, before moving to Kent.

ENDS

Editors' Notes

Saltwood on the Green restaurant is an intimate, neighbourhood restaurant located in the picturesque village of Saltwood. Housed in the village's former General Store, built in 1900, the building has undergone a loving and painstaking restoration process. Guests can enjoy a cocktail or full dining service at the bespoke, hand-finished Colombian pine bar.

Led by American-born owner chef Jeff Kipp (ex Gordon Ramsay, Duck & Waffle, Sushi Samba and Charlie Trotter's) Saltwood on the Green is fast gaining a reputation for simple, but exciting, cooking with an emphasis on light bites and sharing plates. Kipp creates enticing modern British dishes with a contemporary American twist, utilising the best the abundance of local ingredients from carefully chosen producers.

Before opening Saltwood on the Green quietly last year, Kipp claims to have “done the hard work up front having spent time to painstakingly locate the best suppliers and ingredients,” adding, “Working with the seasons, the dishes create themselves – all you have to do is get out of the way.”

The original pine flooring has been exposed and sash windows returned to working order. An entire wall of the restaurant is devoted to the store's original shelving. The room's earthy tones are illuminated by vintage industrial fixtures and caged Edison bulbs. Framed historical photographs of village life documented from the 1900s include oil on canvas by local designer and artist Jo Chapman.

Weekly changing menus are likely to feature local fish from Dungeness Fish Hut and Grigg's of Hythe, local Highland cattle, Salt Marsh lamb, rare-breed pork and Kentish chickens.

Media Contact: Photos, menus and recipes available. To review the restaurant or arrange competition prizes, contact: George Shaw, Avocado Media T: 01892 750851 M: 07860 695555 E: geo@avocadomedia.co.uk

Open: Tuesday-Saturday for breakfast/coffee, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch; Wednesday-Saturday 9am – 11pm, Sundays for brunch/lunch 11.30 – 5pm.

Saltwood on the Green

The Green, Saltwood, Kent. CT21 4PS.

T: 01303 237 800 W: www.saltwoodrestaurant.co.uk

E: info@saltwoodrestaurant.co.uk Tw: @Saltwood Green