A new operator tasked with transforming a historic food market has been picked.

Jamie Clark and Thomas Mudge, who have a reputation for opening popular eateries in the county, will now be running the town centre site.

The pair own and run The Dead Pigeon Pub in Rochester and The Greedy Banker in Rainham, but will now be focused on Gravesend Borough Market.

It comes after the local authority, which owns the building and runs it at a cost of more than £156,000 a year, decided in October to bring in an external management company.

Gravesham council launched a strategy for the space adjacent to the High Street in 2020 to create a hub for the community and tourists to meet, shop, eat and drink while keeping its historic roots.

It hoped to turn one of the oldest surviving markets in the country, having opened in 1268, into a thriving food and drink destination following a refurb in 2014.

The three-year plan for the borough market was about to expire and following informal discussions about its future, the team understood the main vision was to create a vibrant and successful market.

To do this, at a cabinet meeting, councillors decided to appoint an external operator who has expertise and experience running similar venues.

It was announced today that Beer and Feast will be taking over the reins.

The company is headed up by Jamie Clark, who has more than 15 years of experience in business and marketing, and chef Thomas Mudge, who has similar length of experience in the hospitality industry.

Jamie said: “We are very excited to be bringing our business to Gravesend. The town is full of potential, and we want to make the market a focal point in the development of this up-and-coming area.

“We have a unique opportunity to create something great, not just for Gravesend but for Kent as a whole and we cannot wait to get started.”

Welcoming the new operators, cabinet member for community and leisure, Cllr Lauren Sullivan (Lab), said Beer and Feast are “great local partners”.

She added: “Our historic market has a long history that has evolved through time and this model is the next step in its evolution and is in line with the feedback received from residents and visitors.

“I am sure Jamie and Thomas will work closely with the current market traders to ensure that the market develops to represent the very best of Gravesham.

“We welcome Beer and Feast to Gravesham and look forward to working in partnership with them.”

Speaking to KentOnline previously, the current traders in the market, including husband-and-wife duo Rob and Faye Chrystal, owners of award-winning Scottish coffee shop Chrystal's, welcomed the news.

Faye said: “I am happy that someone is going to come and do something with the market. It is a terrific building and has a lot of potential. All of us here work so hard to keep our customers.

“I would welcome it, it needs some radical change and I am hoping it will be good. I am hoping they still keep the pop-up market days.

“We need something that is a bit up-market but not too much, it needs to be affordable.”

Beer and Feast is expected to take over the market in February once contracts have been signed with the local authority, which will remain the owners of the venue.