A popular cafe boss who “always had a story to tell” has died suddenly, leaving his family heartbroken.

Mark Howard was well-known in Whitstable as the boss of Howard’s Kitchen in Gladstone Road before his death aged just 61 on July 16.

A no-frills breakfast joint in the heart of town for 16 years, the business has continued to thrive.

His wife of 23 years, Annika, said: “Mark was a great dad who valued his family and kids above all.

“He was immensely loyal, generous to a fault and had a great zest for life. Nothing was ever boring with him around.

“He always had a great story to tell.

“The special thing about Mark was that he always had a kind word for everyone and always stood up for the underdog.

“Mark was a beloved character in Whitstable and will leave a huge hole for everyone that knew him.”

The cafe has been temporarily closed but Annika says she intends to reopen in the near future.

Born in Manchester in 1963, Mark grew up in Northern Ireland and spent time living in Canada too as the middle child of five boys.

Joining the merchant navy at 15 after his father died, Mark worked at sea for almost a decade learning the tricks of the trade as a chef.

One of his favourite stories was when travelling through the fjords of Norway in the fog, he discovered a batch of freshly caught lobster and swapped them for a bottle of whisky. He fed the crew for a night, leaving the fishermen none-the-wiser.

When working on the ferries, he escaped tragedy when the Herald of Free Enterprise sank in Zeebrugge in 1987 on his day off, a disaster which killed 193 people.

Next on Mark’s impressive CV were stints at Harrods and The Globe Theatre as part of an eight-year stay in London, a time which also saw him run the Trailfinders catering arm.

But after finding himself captivated by Whitstable, Mark settled down in the area and opened Howard’s Kitchen in 2008.

While living in the town, he has become a father to three children, Freja, Elva and Fabian – all of whom have talents in acting or fishing.

Mark’s youngest brother Michael described his elder sibling as an inspiration to him.

He said: “He's a big character, very loving, and I worked with him a lot.

“He liked to have a party, he would do soirees and was so loved by everyone.”

Mark is survived by brothers Stephen, David, Paul and Michael, son Mark Jr as well as his wife Annika and their children Freja, Elva and Fabian.

Funeral details have not yet been confirmed by the family.