The story
In the heart of Saltwood, a village on the edge of Folkestone, a former village shop has been transformed into a destination for modern British cuisine. Hide and Fox opened in June 2019, the first venture of chef Allister Barsby and manager Alice Bussi. What began as a neighbourhood restaurant quickly earned a Michelin star in 2021, and in 2025 it was awarded a second star — the only restaurant in the South of England to hold that distinction.
Allister Barsby grew up in nearby Whitstable and started his career at Wheelers Oyster Bar. He worked under Michelin-starred chefs including David Pitchford, Michael Caines at Gidleigh Park, and Sam Moody at the Bath Priory. By 24 he was head chef at Gidleigh Park, maintaining two Michelin stars and five AA Rosettes. Later, as executive chef at Grove of Narberth in Wales, he opened a second restaurant. Alice Bussi, originally from Liguria, Italy, trained at the Stresa Hotel School and worked at five-star hotels across Europe. After earning her AIS Sommelier Diploma, she spent four years at the Bath Priory, then launched Beach House in Wales, winning AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales. In 2018 she was named Food and Beverage Manager of the Year at the Hotel Cateys.
Together they created a restaurant that feels both intimate and relaxed. The dining room, once a shop, is now a characterful space where the focus is on the food and the wine. Allister chooses every ingredient with a focus on quality and seasonality, sourcing locally where possible. The menus change daily, offered as a five- or eight-course tasting menu. Expect dishes like Loch Duart salmon with garden peas, kombu ponzu, and English wasabi; cavatelli with mushrooms, broad beans, and egg yolk; turbot with barbecued bone sauce and sea vegetables; or Middle White suckling pig with nettle pesto. A vegetarian tasting menu is also available, and the kitchen can accommodate gluten-free, pescatarian, and seafood-free diets, though not vegan or dairy-free.
Alice curates the wine list, featuring accessible, beautiful wines from family-run wineries and the finest English estates. They offer both a classic and an English wine pairing to accompany the tasting menus.
The Michelin Guide describes Hide and Fox as a place to "start your night with a cocktail" and praises the "exquisite craftsmanship" and "fabulous flavours and textures" that highlight the best ingredients from Kent's larder. The service, they note, comes from a "charming team who work with pride and passion." It is a testament to what two dedicated people can achieve when they bring their considerable experience back to the garden of England.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Excellent cooking
Allister Barsby's cooking has always impressed, and overall enthusiasm for this unassuming former village shop continues with the award of a second Michelin star. Saltwood knows a good thing when it sees it, even if the prices are starting to get as haute as the cuisine . However, judging from reporters’ positive comments ('we regularly go every three months as well as family celebrations and their special occasion evenings’), a meal here is still seen as a bargain compared with the equivalent elsewhere. Co-owner Alice Bussi runs front of house with a rarified calm – not unlike dining with a rather formal new acquaintance who takes food and wine very seriously. The ambience is pleasant enough, but the draw here is the cooking. Over the years, the kitchen has wavered little from its tried-and-tested formula of refining contemporary ideas with classic techniques, serving impeccable ingredients with seasonal punctuations on a choice of tasting menus – perhaps white asparagus and wild garlic in springtime, paired with halibut and Dover sole respectively. The wine list lives up to the standard set by the cooking, with a broad and varied selection from around the world (including a strong English showing) carefully chosen to balance quality and price.
3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
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