Mitch Tonks to open tenth Rockfish site

Next month will see Mitch Tonks launch his tenth Rockfish restaurant, nearly 30 years on from opening his first fishmongers.

Set to open in Salcombe, south Devon, the latest 90-cover Rockfish restaurant features a seated terrace on the waterfront of Batson Creek, offering a daily changing menu of seasonal fish and seafood, directly from boat to plate.

The first Rockfish restaurant opened in 2009 in Dartmouth, next to Mitch's critically acclaimed The Seahorse restaurant, which has since been handed over.

On the new opening, Mitch said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be opening our tenth Rockfish, and doing it in Salcombe makes it even more special.

“It’s a place full of coastal character and charm, and it feels like the perfect spot for this next chapter.

“At Rockfish, we’ve always said tomorrow’s fish are still in the sea – it’s a reminder of how important sustainable fishing is, and how lucky we are to have access to the best seafood right here on our doorstep.

“In Salcombe, we’ll be working closely with local fishermen landing crab and lobster at the end of the quay – you can’t get much fresher or more local than that. Whether it’s through our waterside restaurants, our range of tinned fish, or our online seafood market, we’re here to champion British seafood and get more people enjoying what’s caught in our own waters.” 

Open for lunch and dinner, Salcombe will offer a quintessentially Rockfish spread - a selection of English and Mediterranean-inflected starters; tins of Rockfish seafood, picked and preserved by hand; and centrepiece mains of grilled fish, all offered with various accompaniments of jalapeño tartare, roasted garlic aioli, romesco and curry sauces. 

The Salcombe menus will be hand annotated by the Rockfish kitchen team, indicating which fish is fresh that day.

Fully integrating with the local community, the new restaurant has also forged a special partnership with the craft brewers at Salcombe Brewery, encouraging guests to enjoy their award-winning beers with a coastal meal, or in situ at the brewery just a stone’s throw from the restaurant.

ROCKFISH LYME REGIS & ROCKFISH SIDMOUTH 

Earlier this year, Rockfish opened a site in Lyme Regis, on the Dorset-Devon border.  

Taking over Mark Hix’s The Oyster and Fish House in mid-March, the Lyme Regis site formally opened its doors on April 1, pioneering an in-store fishmonger for guests to order Brixham market seafood straight to their homes. 

Feature: Signs of life for Dorset's evolving culinary scene?

Mitch will open a further site in Sidmouth this October, taking over a hall at Port Royal on Sidmouth seafront.

Mitch has been on a mission to change the way people experience seafood in the UK for more than 20 years. Wanting to make seafood accessible to all, this has led to numerous TV appearances, including a ten-part fishing series with Matt Dawson, demonstrations on Saturday Kitchen and Market Kitchen, as well as a guest appearance on 2021’s Celebrity MasterChef.