Interiors of the restaurant showing blue bank seating and round wooden tables and chairs in Brewing Brothers Beachside in Folkestone

THE LOCATION

Since 2014, Folkestone Harbour has developed a reputation as a beacon of regeneration on the South-East Coast and what started as just six small, seasonal street-food businesses in 2014 has now grown to a community of over 66 independent businesses that span bars, restaurants, taprooms, street food kiosks and retail units so if you are after stay-cay on your doorstep, Folkestone ticks so many boxes.

You will find Brewing Brothers Beachside by Platform 2 of the historic Folkestone Harbour Station overlooking Putters!, the adventure golf course which opened last year, to really drive those holiday vibes home.

Exterior of long line of shipping containers at Brewing Brothers Beachside in Folkestone

Sitting snug against the wall of the historic Folkestone Harbour Station, Brewing Brothers Beachside has uninterrupted views across Folkestone’s Seafront and, being westerly facing, has views of the sunsets during long summer evenings.so this is your ultimate sundowner spot.

It’s in good company too as Little Rock, a beachside seafood restaurant brought to you by the Rocksalt team, as well as Pilot – one of our favourite bars in Kent and yours too as it walked away with Best Bar in Kent in our 2022 Muddy awards – are right next door so you can see why Folkestone Harbour Arm is quickly becoming our favourite corner of Kent.

THE LOWDOWN

Brewing Brothers Beachside is a brand-new taproom space brought to Folkestone Harbour by Hastings based brewery, Brewing Brothers. The brainchild of brothers, Ned and Charlie, following their travels in the States in their early 20s where they fell in love with the brew house concept and wanted to bring it back to Blighty and put more of a spotlight on craft beer.

They joined forces with their mutual friend, Billy and since 2016, Brewing Brothers has carved up a great local reputation in Hastings with their beer (of course) but is also well-loved for their pizzas spearheaded by another key member of their group, Dan who brought in an woodfired traditional pizza oven from Italy to make sure those pizzas are done in a truly authentic Italian fashion.

The new addition to Folkestone came up after Billy and his wife visited the town for a weekend away and decided that the next venture needed to be at the Harbour Arm having enjoyed the buzz of the independent eateries in that space and wanted a bit of the action.

The Hastings crowd has fully got behind the new establishment and a fun bus is currently being planned to take their loyal BB customers from Hastings to Folkestone for the day so they can enjoy their new beachside venture.

Impressively, Brewing Brothers Beachside is now the largest single independent business to operate at Folkestone Harbour Arm and is housed in seven extra-large shipping containers with an outdoor deck for alfresco dining with ample room inside if the English weather is not playing ball.

THE VIBE

It’s a truly family affair at this joint with Ned and Charlie’s sister in charge of the interiors and Billy’s father designed and built the eye-catching bar built from concrete with wooden slats.

Expect dusky pink walls nicely matched with teal blue banquettes and brass lighting – all very on trend and laid-back – no standing on ceremony here. The main focal point is that view but you will also see some impressive artwork from up and coming artists on the walls with more local artwork to follow once the team have done a full recce of what’s what in the area.

Getting the music right was a key part for the team behind Brewing Brothers so they made sure they invested in good speakers especially with a late license until midnight come the weekend. Charlie prides himself on the playlist which he has taken time to shape up and really delivers in terms of the upbeat but non-cheese variety.

There’s lots of Insta-worthy photo opps including the BB micro-car positioned on the sun deck that is crying out for a photo. Coupled with bright orange tables and the holiday sounds of people putting in front of you, Brewing Brothers Beachside cannot help but be a very happy place to while away the hours.

SCOFF AND QUAFF

It’s amazing how many ways you can use a pizza oven so if traditional Italian style pizzas don’t float your boat, their ‘from the oven’ menu rotates on a regular basis and can include Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder, Charred Mediterranean Vegetables and Wood Fired Haddock so there is really something for everyone to salivate over.

We went full pelt on our visit and tried out a medley of Antipasti which have been created as ultimate drinking snacks and are designed for you to pick with your hands so be prepared to get food down your chin – sure sign of a good meal in our book anyhow?

Wood-fired corn with Parmesan Nathan’s buffalo sauce is case in point but well worth it. Burrata, Sun-dried pesto and Oregano is a more refined dish to eat as well as being incredibly fresh and delicious. The Crevette Prawns, Garlic Chilli Butter need to be mopped up with chunks of their Sourdough bread sourced from local Docker bakery and Anchovies with Salsa Verde served on Sourdough bread will require an ice-cold beer or wine with it as the perfect pairing.

There is a fine selection of pizzas including G.O.A.T (with Caramelized Onions and Goats Cheese) and The Bomb (with Salami, Red Onions, Blue Cheese and Jalapenos) as well as vegan options (Sunrise) with toasted mushrooms as well as mushrooms, artichokes and sun dried tomatoes so all taste buds and preferences accounted for here.

We went old-school and opted for the Margherita and it was the perfect side of puffiness from a crust perspective and silky mozzarella and tomato sauce in the middle so if you a pizza perfectionist, you won’t be disappointed here. We didn’t spy puddings on our visit so if you have a sweet tooth, you can wander off later for an ice cream on the Harbour Arm.

As well as showcasing an impressive selection of their own beers with some memorable names – hello Yeastie Boys – there are the usual suspects of fruit juices and low-alcohol choices too plus a wine list which is well-thought out despite being on the smaller side of things.

ANYTHING ELSE?

And there’s more restaurants opening up the whole time at Folkestone Harbour Arm at the new Harbourside development nestled onto the Eastern side of the site with Portenio (Argentinian) and Le Coq (yep, you guessed it – chicken done rotisserie style) plus Harbour Coffee Co for coffee, made from fair trade beans roasted on site and check out their sister site Sail Box for the best brunch and breakfast.

They are all housed in upcycled shipping containers, perched along the quayside. And on a good day, you have uninterrupted views across the English Channel with glimpses of France- we literally could start spend the whole day stuffing our faces on Folkestone Harbour Arm.

There’s regular pop-up events at Brewing Brothers in Hastings to keep luring the punters back hosted by local foodie experts such as poké bowls and quesadillas plus live music too and more of this is planned for the Folkestone site. There is talk of an outdoor kitchen and guest chefs once it is fully up and running so watch this space as things will only get bigger and better round here.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR? Family by day with amazing pizzas and alfresco space that feels that you are not spoiling anyone’s fun, but equally come back in the evening with your friends to toast the sunset and enjoy the music.

NOT FOR? This is easy-dining with a very laidback approach to life that that suits the environment around it and us down to the ground but if you are after a more formal affair, you may want to seek elsewhere.

THE DAMAGE

Antipasti plates range from £4.50 to £9 depending on the calibre of the dish.Pizzas start from £8.50 to £13 but they are hefty so don’t worry, you do get bang for your buck.

Folkestone Harbour, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 1QH, 01424 233883, Opening Hours: Weds, Thurs & Sun, 12-10pm. Fri & Sat, 12-11pm

Review: Brewing Brothers Beachside, Folkestone Harbour Arm

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