Mitch Tonks secures fourth Rockfish site

20-Oct-2014 - Last updated on 27-Apr-2021 at 12:33 GMT

Mitch Tonks will open his fourth Rockfish restaurant at Crab Quay in Brixham, Devon

Related tags Restaurant

Mitch Tonks, the high-profile chef, is to open the fourth site under his Rockfish seafood brand in Brixham, Devon, as part of plans to grow the brand to 15 restaurants in coastal towns.

Tonks, who opened his first Rockfish restaurant in Dartmouth in 2010, will open the new 100-cover site early next year after securing the Crab Quay House site in the town, according to BigHospitality's sister publication M&C Report,

At the same time, M&C report revealed that Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby has joined former Novus Leisure and La Tasca chairman John Barnes, in becoming a non-executive director of the company.

Expansion plans

Tonks said earlier this summer that he was looking to ramp-up his expansion plans following a re-financing last year. The restaurants will be located in coastal towns outside of the group’s current geographical spread.

Tonks said: “The idea is that being by the sea you get fresh fish a day earlier than anywhere else and so far the restaurants have been quite regenerative in the towns we have gone into. They’re family friendly where you can enjoy great wines and have great food.”

Tonks is still evaluating the idea of taking the concept to London or other in-land towns, he said: “I would never say no but at the moment we will keep it on the coast.”

The Brixham Rockfish will join other existing sites in Dartmouth, Plymouth and Torquay as well as the Rockfish Grill in Bristol and a Rockfish seafood & chips take-away and the Seahorse restaurant both in Dartmouth.

Read BigHospitality's interview with Mitch Tonks here.