Since it opened in 2011, Rocksalt restaurant and bar has become an iconic landmark and a symbol of the ongoing regeneration of Folkestone harbour.

Now, a decade after it helped put the town on the foodie map, the kitchen is beginning a new chapter under the guidance of head chef Scott Dineen. Reporter Rhys Griffiths went to meet him...

Walking along the quayside towards the restaurant, there is still a wintry bite in the air as clouds scud across blue skies and seagulls wheel overhead.

Once seated in the dining room, where the day's lunchtime service is slowly winding down and waiting staff dart busily about, the feeling is instantly warmer.

With sunshine hitting the harbour waters and the Channel beyond, and the floor-to-ceiling windows keeping the cold out, you could easily imagine yourself in warmer climes at a more southerly latitude.

Scott Dineen, the 33-year-old head chef now at the helm of this harbour-side institution, greets me with a warm smile and a firm handshake. We sit at the far end of the dining room, coffee for him, a pot of tea for me.

I am eager to know how this five-time Roux Scholarship finalist, who cut his teeth at The Ritz in London, sees the next chapter of the Rocksalt story evolving following the departure of previous figurehead Mark Sargeant.

"The heritage of the restaurant still remains absolutely the core..."

"We've created an engine room now which can drive the business forward," he said, explaining how the kitchen has benefited from a significant refurbishment at the start of the year.

"Not just the terms of footfall, revenue, but certainly taking the food evolution of Rocksalt to a new level and bringing something different to the diners.

"The heritage of the restaurant still remains absolutely the core but we're adding a little bit of a tweak, a little bit more finesse, a little bit more intricate sort of plating.

"We want it to match the backdrop, so when it comes to the summer and you're here tucking into a delicious lobster salad it looks aesthetically pleasing married with an amazing coastline. It brings the two together."

The chance to take charge at Rocksalt and fulfil "a dream of running a great restaurant" is made all the more special for him because of family ties to the place he considers home.

Born in Surrey, he moved to the town as the child of an Army family before moving on again to south east Asia, but relatives remained local and visits were a regular feature of life growing up.

"I moved away for many years, I've travelled the world with my parents' profession, obviously ended up in London for my profession, and then met my partner and had two boys.

"We wanted to settle somewhere it was good for the kids to grow.

"We'd always come here, I'd always remember the Rotunda, always remember the Sunday market, and when we came back the one thing that stood out the most obviously was this iconic building and it being part of the growth of Folkestone with all the new developments that are happening.

"The main DNA that we are keeping is obviously working with fresh and local, getting fresh day boat fish and shellfish just five steps away.

"I've always sort of had the ambition that a menu will write itself..."

"All the way along the Kent coastline we've got some great micro-producers, some great local farms, so we'll certainly be using and showcasing local and highlighting the importance of small independent businesses."

The Dineen family relocated to Folkestone around the time Rocksalt first opened, eager for the quality of life that comes with living just minutes walk from the sea.

For many years this meant Scott was a regular on the high-speed trains to and from London as he juggled career in the capital with life by the coast.

But the long hours - and occasional missed stop after drifting off to sleep en-route - meant eventually a job closer to home became inevitable and the Rocksalt opening was too good a chance to turn down.

A glance at the menu gives a sense of what guests can expect from the new head chef.

Shorthorn beef ribeye with glazed ox cheek and smoked bone marrow just speaks to a commitment to nose-to-tail dishes, while the presence in his dishes of elements such as yuzu purée, maitake mushrooms and miso reveal the influence of Asian ingredients and flavours.

And how would he describe his cooking style?

"It's first and foremost flavour driven and produce led. Get those two right and that's me in a nutshell.

"I've always sort of had the ambition that a menu will write itself and when you've got a natural larder like the Garden of England, it's easy.

"So the menu evolution, obviously it's going to grow and grow, but we've started with a kind of shortened menu just to break everyone in, just to kind of tease the customers as to what to expect.

"The customer's journey and experience has got to be at the forefront of what we do..."

"We're all about that produce led, flavour driven. Texture, acidity, bold flavours, but not too intimidating."

The point about intimidation seems central to Scott's philosophy. His fine-dining credentials are clear, but he is at pains to explain that he has no desire to run a restaurant that makes anyone feel it's 'not for them'.

He's also competing in a market offering myriad dining options, from Michelin-starred fare at Hide & Fox a short drive away in Saltwood to the dive bar vibes of burger joint Lucky Chip 10 minutes up the Old High Street.

So where does he like to eat when off duty? All the top spots get a mention. Family days out to the Harbour Arm, drinks at the Pullman, the full works at the likes of the Fordwich Arms and Bridge Arms.

Those last two venues have - along with Hide & Fox - put this corner of Kent on the map by winning much-coveted recognition from the Michelin Guide. An ambition that drives Rocksalt's new kitchen supremo?

"I'm not an accolade chaser," he insists, with a grin. "What I aim for is a full restaurant turning over every day, with a full bar, with great reviews.

"Whatever comes after that, no problem at all. But primarily the customer's journey and experience has got to be at the forefront of what we do."

Although I sense his modesty belies a steely determination to shine among his peers, I don't doubt he is truthful when he says its all about the hospitality, all about the people.

And if the next chapter of Rocksalt is written in the reactions of delighted diners, I am sure that will be the only accolade that really matters.