Foraged ingredients and in-house smoker set to take The Albion Rooms dining into a new bracket

The Albion Rooms in Margate needs no introduction, really.

The boutique hotel initially caught everyone’s attention due to its famous owners The Libertines and the labour of love that led to the eventual opening of the Wasteland Bar in 2019 and the rest of the hotel in 2020.

But now there’s something else sure to capture the imagination of the masses and this time it’s the food.

Head chef Axel Loughrey, who came on board last year, has revamped the menu of The Albion Rooms (@thealbionroomsmargate) restaurant and it’s really quite something.

Behind the scenes, he takes his chefs foraging for native ingredients you may never have heard of. His ethos is pumping creativity into each of his dishes, with a focus on local and seasonal produce. And he has plans for the summer, too, including an outdoor smoker for his meat and fish.

Loughrey says food should be exciting and, with competition fiercer than ever in the industry, there’s all the more reason to be even more creative.

“I’ve always been interested in doing something different and I’ve been very fortunate with the people I’ve worked with who have had the same mindset,” he says.

“I grew up in France and my father was always very focused on food and cooking, so I had a very early education on all this.”

He says with the new menu, as well as working with local producers, they’re using foraged plants and floral elements in the dishes.

“I think now there’s a growing respect for the chef trade and therefore chefs are becoming more focused on knowledge and doing creative things,” he explains. “Fifteen years ago, when gastropubs started evolving, it was much more about the chain aspect and making sure the offer was going to be consistent across the board.

“Now, with this generation, the main demographic is millennials and Gen Z and they are more focused on health and independents.”

Loughrey’s journey to the Margate venue is apt given his - and the hotel’s - musical background.

In his twenties he was a signed musician and touring. He also worked in kitchens to top up his bank balance.

It was from there he became a leading light in general management, running top London nightspots including The Scotch of St James before being headhunted to open a club in Soho, working on massive events such as London Fashion Week and Frieze Art Fair.

But it was working in kitchens that really stole his heart.

He honed his skills working under talented chefs in London and Norfolk and moved to Margate last year.

“There are amazing restaurants opening up and a lot of talent in the area,” he says. “It’s a very exciting time to be in Kent and particularly Thanet.”

INFO: thealbionrooms.live