A celebrity chef has announced the opening date for a restaurant in a coastal town after he was forced to close it down earlier this year - saying he “better do it right this time”.

Mark Sargeant shut the Brasserie MS in Clifton Gardens, Folkestone, in February citing “tough trading conditions”.

But in August, he revealed it would return to serving up delicacies in September, under the new name Restaurant MS.

Now, the official date visitors will be able to enjoy dishes at the site has been revealed as September 29 with the celeb sharing his excitement on social media.

In a post on Instagram, the chef said: “I am thrilled to announce that ‘The Restaurant MS’ will be opening on September 29 (AT LAST)!!!

“I’m hoping to get the reservations live by the end of next week so please do bare with me.

“I’m so excited and can’t wait to get the stoves pumped up and the doors open.”

He added a Christmas menu will be available soon.

“I will also be releasing our festive menus for the Christmas period (when I get the website finished) as before we will be open Christmas and New Year's Eve,” he wrote.

“Sorry it’s taking me so long to get going again but better do it right this time.”

A former protege of Gordon Ramsay, Sargeant was the figurehead of a Kentish culinary empire that included Rocksalt on Folketone harbour as well as Wife of Bath in Wye and The Duke William in Ickham.

But that ended in October 2021, when he announced he would be stepping away from his restaurant and pub empire, citing "unresolvable differences" with his business partner Josh De Haan.

He then took over the Folkestone venue from husband-and-wife team Tommaso and Kirstine Borrello, who decided to retire after more than 15 years at the helm. The site was formally an Italian restaurant named Tavernetta which had been in the town since 1965.

Now, the former Rocksalt head chef will be reopening later this month with customers able to make reservations soon.