Jason Freedman the chef patron has sold the freehold of his sea-front Minnis Bar & Restaurant in Birchington-on-Sea, to Shepheard Neame. The Kent brewer will take control of the site on 29 June.
Freedman acquired the property, a former 1930s beachside café in 2003, but was forced to undertake a complete refurbishment when the two-storey building suffered major fire damage in 2007.
It is believed Shepheard Neame will invest around £2m renovating and extending the building, with the addition of much-needed overnight accommodation for holiday makers.
The Minnis Bar & Restaurant, which under Jason was open all day and operated 365 days a year, currently has inside seating for over 140 diners. There are 20 covers in the bar, 72 in the downstairs restaurant and a further 50 upstairs in the Taste of the Med tapas restaurant. There is also alfresco seating for a further 80 on the sun terrace.
Jason Freedman’s plans
“It’s been a labour of love for nearly 13 years, it’s a big operation and open every day of the year,” said Jason, adding, “I want devote more time to my event catering business, developing artisan food crafts and be involved in a more intimate dining concept.”
Last year Freedman opened Curiously Kentish a café-delicatessen joint venture with The Minnis’s head chef Kevin Faux, as an outlet for the pair’s home made and home cured produce. There are also plans to host more of its sell-out monthly supper clubs, where diners turn up, not knowing what impromptu dishes of will be served or even who they will seated with. Curiously Kentish has already received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award for 2015.
Jason and his team will again cater for Produced in Kent’s prestigious Taste of Kent awards dinner on 3 March next year, an assignment he last undertook in 2014. Mama Feelgoods catered for the awards in 2015.
Jason’s latest addition to his outside catering operation is a mobile Kahuna Hut, serving Cuban sandwiches and street food. The hut will appear at the Canterbury (25 to 27 September and Broadstairs (2 to 4 October) food festivals.
‘Sir Galahad’, Jason’s fully equipped 1963 California Sundial split screen VW microbus, available for private hire complete with onboard catering team will make an appearance at the Kent VW Festival at Headcorn Aerodrome (24 to 27 July).
Minnis Bar & Restaurant, The Parade, Birchington, Kent CT7 9QP
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