Margate’s Buoy and Oyster restaurant recognised at Taste of Kent Awards

Highly Commended - (left) Simon, Nadine, head chef Craig and team at Margate's Buoy and Oyster

Margate’s Buoy & Oyster restaurant has been Highly Commended in the Taste of Kent Awards in the Kent Diversification category.

During the awards ceremony last night (May 12) the seafront venue was praised for the “passion, dedication, creativity and entrepreneurial flair shown by the owners.”

Owners Nadine and Simon Morriss opened the restaurant in 2015 and carried out a major refurbishment in 2019 to create the all-day dining seafood bar and theatre kitchen.

In early 2021, amid the covid restrictions, the couple launched a street-food style fish and chip takeaway from the Marine Drive entrance of the building.

Beach Buoys fish and chip and seafood takeaway came at a time when restaurants had been forced to close due to the national lockdown, resulting in many independents having to reformulate their business models to adapt and survive in a post Covid-19 world

Beach Buoys is just one on the innovations headed up by the couple. They also run Margate Suites – four fully equipped holiday lets with interiors by local designers- and County Chef which creates home recipe boxes with exact ingredients delivered to the door and online tutorials for every recipe.

Nadine said: “We were so pleased to be able to be a part of the Taste of Kent awards this year and enjoyed an evening with all the other brilliant finalists and Kent based growers and producers.

“Over the last couple of years, it’s been essential for all hospitality businesses to rethink business models and be open to taking some risks to adjust to the market changes. To get recognition for our efforts on a county scale means so much to us and to all of the team as it has been a positive to come out of a challenging year.

“We have a close knit team, all of whom have stuck with us for the last few years throughout furlough, multiple closures and who have been integral in launching County Chef, Beach Buoys and Margate Suites alongside us as we navigated the changes.

“It was brilliant for them to be able to enjoy a night out together with other local businesses to celebrate all of their hard work too. We are looking forward to a busy summer season ahead!”

The Taste of Kent awards are  Produced in Kent’s annual flagship event with the coming together of the finest producers, farmers, retailers, and hospitality businesses for a celebration of Kent. Following the first round of public voting to determine the finalists, it was down to industry specialists to judge the best tasting creations from across the county.

Some 400 guests gathered to watch the crowning of Kent’s food and drink champions.

Kent plays a pivotal role in the food and drink economy, with the national food and drink industry contributing £30bn to the economy annually. Having survived a turbulent couple of years, the Taste of Kent finalists have had to adapt, pivot, and diversify to thrive and are now adjusting to the new economic challenges ahead.

Recognised as a public endorsement of the best food and drink in Kent, the Taste of Kent Awards aim to drive new interest and growth for the producers, retailers, farmers, pubs and restaurants in Kent.

Find the Buoy and Oyster online at www.buoyandoyster.co.uk

4 Comments

  1. Though a tad pricey, I’ve had a couple of good meals there (my only criticism is that they need to offer salad with meals, as chips don’t really go with dressed crab!).

  2. Well done! The restaurant is absolutely fantastic. Food, service and the views. I like paying more for a meal in a restaurant – it keeps the scum away.

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