Westgate residents and Louie Louie café co-owners Chris and Lena Greenwood will bring their restaurant and café to Turner Contemporary with the launch of Louie On Sea in January.
Partnering with isle chef Julian Brown, of Love Café, Samphire and Streets, Louie on Sea will open on Saturday 20 January in time for the Spring Exhibition – Beyond Form: Lines of Abstraction, 1950-1970.
A café by day and restaurant by night, Louie On Sea will serve lunch and brunch offerings during the day, and aperitivo with music in the evenings.
As a welcome addition to Margate’s burgeoning food scene, they will host ticketed supper clubs with nationally and internationally renowned chefs.
Louie On Sea takes over from Turner Contemporary’s pop-up café Staple which took the reins when previous operators Barletta ceased trading at the end of 2022 due to ‘the financial impact’ of a bank scam.
Louie Louie has been the resident café at the South London Gallery since January 2023, and will take up residency in Turner Contemporary’s café to deliver coffee by Redemption Roasters, pastries and cakes by Staple, cocktails and a range of seasonal and locally sourced menu choices to suit all dietary preferences.
Turner Contemporary and Louie On Sea are committed to ensuring that produce is locally sourced, and operations are as sustainable as possible. Founders of Louie On Sea, Chris and Lena, bring over 30 years of catering experience.
Clarrie Wallis, Director of Turner Contemporary, said: “We are delighted to be working with an experienced and creative restaurant team, bringing a new and exciting approach to our café at Turner Contemporary.
“The café is a warm, welcoming space that significantly enhances the gallery experience. It’s a place where the community can gather, reflecting our commitment to supporting local suppliers and strengthening the town’s social fabric.”
A Louie On Sea spokesperson added: “We are really honoured to have been given the opportunity to spread our wings and ethos to Margate inside this wonderful building. Having spent the last year running the café at the South London Gallery gave us the confidence to go national.
“Alongside our local partner chef Julian Brown, we look forward to serving the gallery audience and public great value quality produce, sourced locally and sustainably.”
For supplier enquiries, please contact Chris Greenwood on [email protected].
The café, and gallery’s Foyle Rooms are available to hire for events and weddings, which can be booked by emailing: [email protected]
