A celebrity chef has been left rueing his luck after his new venture flooded – just two months after opening for business.

Mark Sargeant has shared a number of pictures of the damage caused to The Restaurant MS in Clifton Gardens, Folkestone, by a leak.

Standing water can be seen in the dining area and kitchen, with liquid trickling down one of the walls.

A spokesman for the restaurant told KentOnline: “The leak was caused by a boiler issue in one of the flats above.

“We have cleaned it all up and are drying everything up.

“We just need a day to dry everything out and will reopen as normal on Thursday.”

Mr Sargeant, 50, posted about the incident on social media, saying: “Become a chef I thought. Yeah go into catering they all said! #realitybites.

“Happy day off Tuesday everyone.”

Though there is expected to be some longer-term damage to the floor, it is hoped this can be resolved and will be glad only one day of trading will be lost.

The establishment is not open to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The new eatery has only been welcoming customers since late September, having opened with promises from the boss to “do it right this time”.

“I’m so excited and can’t wait to get the stoves pumped up and the doors open,” said Mr Sargeant back in September.

Mark was forced to close down his last attempts at a French cuisine restaurant – the Brasserie MS – in February this year, citing “tough trading conditions”.

He had taken over the Folkestone venue from Italian restaurant Tavernetta after husband-and-wife team Tommaso and Kirstine Borrello decided to retire after more than 15 years at the helm of the business, which had been in the town since 1965.

The news came just weeks after Michelin revealed the Brasserie MS would be included in its prestigious Great Britain and Ireland Guide, though it had not been confirmed whether or not the eatery was to receive a coveted Michelin star.

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.

Prior to the building of his impressive portfolio of restaurants and pubs, Sargeant won the National Chef of the Year award in 2002.