Bouverie Tap – So Much More THan A Pub

Luke Blown has been in hospitality all his life.  He studied at Thanet College in Broadstairs, now East Kent College, but it carries its reputation as one of the best catering colleges in the country.  After a year’s stint in Australia, Luke returned home to work at high-end pubs and restaurants in London.  His wife Lucy and he now live in Deal, and it was his dream to open Bouverie Tap as soon as he saw it.  But, it took a while to get his hands on the place.  Since then, it has been come a seasoned venue in Folkestone for Sunday lunch, brunch, beer and backgammon (and a few other things too.  Folkelife met up with Luke to hear his story.

“Once I had decided that a venue on the coast is what I wanted, we started to look around to see what was on offer.  We went to Margate, Dover, Deal, but this place in Folkestone, 45 Bouverie Road West, was the one I fell in love with.  It came up on the market and a lady took it over as a cocktail bar but that folded in about 6 to 7 months.  Then the estate agents were reluctant to give it to me as they didn’t want this to be a place with a license if it wasn’t a restaurant.  So my dad took it upon himself to ring them every day asking if it was available until they gave in.  It took about a month!  That was eight years ago and to this day the estate agents come in for a drink and a meal.

“I always wanted the Bouverie Tap to be a place where you could come for a pint, or a cup of coffee, or a sit down meal with your family.  It’s not a pub, it’s a lot more than that, and it’s not a restaurant either, we sit between the two and cater for many more people who want that sort of thing.”

location

“The location is what I love about this place. We’re walking distance from the station, and there are plenty of offices around here that need a place for a drink after work or a meal, or their Christmas do.  But it’s also about the other businesses on the street here.  Butty’s, the sandwich shop next door, has gone from strength to strength.  Andrew, the butchers on the other side of us, well, he’s been here for ages.  My parents had a pub outside Ashford for about 20 years and they always got their meat from him.  I do too.  It’s quality produce and it’s important to support each other in town. 

“I think that’s what drew me to here; it’s the people, the place, it has good connections to the train and the buses.  It’s different here to being down at the Harbour, there’s a really different atmosphere and I think it’s good to embrace that and help them both work.”

expanding the space

“In October 2019 we took on the next door premises and knocked it through to what you see now.  We ran a Christmas Market in there that first Christmas.  There are a lot of people who sell down at the Harbour Marketplace who started here with a table.  Then the craziness of Covid happened.  We were paying two rents on this and not knowing what was going to happen next.  

“That was a stressful time, but it’s always been important to us to build a space that welcomes everyone.  Dogs are allowed upstairs, downstairs is always dog free because not everyone wants a furry friend sniffing around.  And the decor has been something that I’ve worked on with my Dad.  My wife calls it my ‘clutter’ but I love old advertising and have some wonderful signs around the place.  There’s a huge Lipton Tea one downstairs, and flags over there, and photos and memorabilia.  If you look at the lampshades above the bar they’re old Army armoured helmets. 

“If you see the photo of my dog on the wall at the back, below that is an original poster from the Second World War.  It comes from the Channel Islands, which were occupied by the Germans, and says that anyone seen doing the Victory sign is likely to be shot.  It’s signed by General Rudolf Graf von Schmettow.  I read up about him and after the war he went back to the Channel Islands to live as a normal citizen. So next time you are in, have a look around and see what you can find.”

old-fashioned feel to the place

“The bar top is made from the benches from the science labs at Castle High School in Deal which is where I went as a kid.  The circles of wood in the bar are where the bunsen burners would go.  I wanted there to be parts of my history here as well as from the local area.  It gets people talking, to us and to each other. 

“I’ve always know what I wanted to serve which is roast dinners.  They’re such an important part of British life, maybe moreso in the winter than when it’s really hot, but we’re always busy for our roasts.  We do everything from breakfast to burgers, mussels and chips, we make our own Scotch Eggs.  It’s not a vast menu, it’s small, but good, and one that we can make every item on fresh for our customers.  And there’s a kids menu too so that everyone can find something they like to eat.”

food and drink

“All of our drinks come from Page and Sons in Ramsgate.  We have Kentish gin, whiskey, vodka, ale, larger, and many soft drinks from Kent too.  I think people like that, especially if they’re visiting from out of town or the continent, they know they will find something local to try.  We get a lot of visitors who are stopping over before or after crossing the Channel.  Having local brands means that our customers are willing to try something new, be a bit adventurous.  

“We have Krombacher beer and Mark at Sailbox also serves this.  There are a few of us in town who get our drinks from Pages’ and if we run out, we always share with each other until a new delivery comes.  That’s what Folkestone is like though, we’re here to support each other as that’s what makes the town more successful.  

“Chris from The Chambers has been helping out here for a few shifts a week.  He’s got so much experience and it’s great to have him as part of the team.  Alex who runs Vintage and Vinyl on The Old High Street is running vinyl nights here too.  It’s about us being part of a community and giving people the option of exploring the other end of town.”

next steps

“I’d like to work on the space we have downstairs.  I want it to have a cinema theme to it.  That’s then somewhere I can show off my collection of film memorabilia and posters from greats such as Jaws – but it’s a long thin poster of the shark and the boat on top of it.  There’s some Alfred Hitchcock posters and Quentin Tarantino ones too, but possibly not the films you’re thinking of. 

“The Bouverie Tap is ever evolving, but with subtle changes to make sure everyone still feels welcome and knows what they’re coming to.  We’ve brought in quizzes and backgammon tournaments and additions that our customers enjoy.  There are seasonal tweaks with the food and drinks, but always menu favourites you can rely on.  I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”