The owners of an award-winning seafood restaurant have launched a street food-style fish and chip shop as part of an expansion.

Nadine and Simon Morriss, who opened the Buoy and Oyster in Margate in 2015, have opened Beach Buoys on the building's Marine Drive entrance, opposite the beach.

The menu for the new venture offers more than just your average cod and chips - with street food such as spicy salt and pepper squid, cockle popcorn and Panko sesame king prawns.

There are also loaded seafood fries, packed with crab with yuzu or king prawns with chipotle chilli mayo, as well as a seafood bar offering the daily catch including crab, lobster, jellied eels and whelks.

Fish and chips, sausages and chicken are also on the menu, in addition to loaded doughnuts for those with a sweet tooth.

They are currently running a click-and-collect service until lockdown restrictions are lifted and are also gearing up for the reopening of the Buoy and Oyster restaurant next month, for terrace bookings.

Nadine and Simon, who were awarded two AA Rosettes in 2019 and 2020 for the restaurant in Margate high street, say it had always been their ambition to open a fish and chip shop.

"Having had the opportunity to meet some experts over the last couple of years we have such a respect for the industry and we want to do it proud," they said.

"We have been busy behind the scenes with a large building project transforming our Marine Drive entrance - previously back of house area - into a modern and fun chip shop which overlooks the beach.

"Simon has been busy creating our seafood takeaway menus and he will be moving down to the Beach Buoys kitchen full- time to take the helm of the takeaway - this is truly restaurant quality food to take home or enjoy at the beach.

"We don't mess about."

They say they have also been fortunate through the government furlough scheme to have been able to retain all 25 members of staff.

They are taking terrace bookings for the Buoy and Oyster from April 12 onwards and for the restuarant for May 17.

The couple has also launched their newly-refurbished holiday accommodation above the restaurant as part of the expansion plans.

"The support of our customers and our town has really kept us motivated and has given us the confidence to really fight to make sure that we come out of this year stronger," added Nadine.

"Margate is my hometown and the last six years of the restaurant has been such an adventure - we are not planning on going anywhere."

To order food visit www.beachbuoys.co.uk

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