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From the Kent on Sunday, 11th January, 2009.
When business partners Tony Marsden and Hugh Oxborrow decided to invest £1.5
million in converting an old village pub into a restaurant with luxury
accommodation, a few eyebrows were raised. Was such an ambitious venture
the thing to do in the face of Iooming recession? But the two went ahead
at the 200-year old Marquis of Granby in Alkham, near Dover, and it's
been a success. They talk to KOS Media Business Editor Tony Patey about
making the dream a reality, and how their project could become a
template for similar ventures.
Q. What did the project involve?
The renovation took six months and the 19th century former inn now
boasts five luxury double en suite bedrooms, a dining room, wine bar and
meeting room-cum-private dining area.
The transformation is stunning. The whole building has been stripped
back to its original brickwork, extended, refurbished, and decorated and
furnished to provide contemporary style and elegance.
We have also created 20 jobs in the process.
There have been plenty of teething problems along the way, but we are
both absolutely delighted with the end result.
Q. What promoted you to get involved in the project in the first
place?
We believe there is a growing demand for intimate, luxury venues
which combine a first-class restaurant with boutique-style hotel rooms.
Tony remembers the first time he visited the Marquis when it was a
pub and he was struck by its potential.
He realised there was a gap in the market for a quality restaurant
and luxury letting rooms in the area.
Q. How important is the restaurant to the success of the Marquis?
The restaurant is the bedrock of the business and head chef is
award-winning Charlie Lakin, who is leading a team drawn from some of
the best restaurants in Kent.
Charlie trained with a Michelin-starred chef and has earned numerous
accolades in his career. His menu has an emphasis on locally-caught fish
and locally-sourced produce.
Q. Is there a niche in Kent's hospitality market for a venue like the
Marquis?
We think so, but don't just take our word for it. The Marquis was
opened by Sandra Matthews-Marsh, chief executive of Visit Kent, and she
hailed the venue as a very welcome addition to the hospitality sector in
Kent.
She said Kent needs additional high-quality bed stock and the Marquis
offers just that. She also said Kent needs to continue attracting
visitors from the Continent, especially at a time when the euro is so
strong against the pound.
Q. What are your plans?
Our restaurant is developing an excellent reputation, attracting
diners from across the county, and we'd love to see our hard-working
team earn recognition by winning AA dining rosettes.
We're also committed to introducing innovative new menu ideas, which
will reflect our passion for locally sourced, organic, freerange
produce.
Tony has also established a vineyard in Alkham, planting 10,000 vines
in 2007 - a mixture of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Menure grapes.
He expects to have the capacity to produce up to 30,000 bottles of
sparkling wine, which could be on sale in the Marquis by Christmas 2010.
We have already discussed the possibility of using the Marquis
business model as a template that will allow us to find and develop
similar high-quality venues across the region.
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