Hatch Chicken – Hatching something tasty

Robert and Emily Porter have been working on something, hatching something, you might say.  They’re bringing Hatch Chicken to Folkestone Harbour.  It’s rotisserie chicken, with roasties, gravy and broccoli – arguably, the most beautiful match made in heaven.  There are other veg and sauce options, and there’s the whole summer to refine your favourite combination.  The two have been in hospitality since they were 15 years old, but discovered Folkestone a couple of years ago, and are now bringing their best to our spot.  Folkelife brought napkins and wipes to the meeting.

Emily: “We were living in London, with our two dogs, and came down to Folkestone for a visit.  We’d heard about it and thought we’d come and see what it was all about.  After two visits, we decided to move down here.”

Robert: “That sounds spontaneous, but why waste time? And Folkestone has a really nice vibe about it.  It’s not your generic seaside town, and there’s so much going on here.”

Emily: “Initially we thought we’d move here but still work in London.  Then pregnancy and baby appeared, and so I got used to being here.  Robert’s contract ended in London and if we’re honest, the real reason for moving here was so that we could bring a business to The Goods Yard.  It was something we really wanted to do.”

the secret is in the sauce

Robert: “And what we’re bringing is Rotisserie Chicken!  We’ve got a rotisserie that cooks 30 chickens at a time.  It smells so good when you’re cooking it.  You just want to pick little bits off!  It’s also healthy as it’s not a greasy way of cooking.  There’s theatre to it too, as you come up to order, you’ll be able to see it there, and smell it too.  You will get half a chicken, two sides and a sauce.”

Emily: “The gravy, this is Robert’s perfection.  Keeping the bones from the chicken and making stock from them, then also using some of the juices from the bottom of the rotisserie, there will be a delicious chicken gravy on tap, as it were.”

Robert: “I also use the cooking juices from the rotisserie to roast the potatoes.  I’ll start them off in the normal oven, and then pop them in the bottom of the rotisserie and they are honestly, the best roast potatoes you will ever taste.”

mac’n’cheese sides

Robert: “There’s no easy way to say this one, it’s another side option, mac’n’cheese with chives.  I mean, if you’re not going to eat roast potatoes, then what’s better than melted cheese? There’s also a chipotle slaw and some lemon and garlic broccoli.”

Emily: “90% of the menu is gluten-free too, just because it doesn’t actually have any gluten in to start with.  And, it’s really easy to change up the menu to join in with the special events that happen here.”

waiting for the chance

Robert: “We have been waiting for the chance to work here at Folkestone Harbour Arm.  It was the place that helped us decide to move to Folkestone, and then when it was clear we had space to work here instead of having to commute to London, we practically stalked the Harbour Arm website each week until a vacancy came up. 

“We put in our application and then had to do a cook-off to show what we would be presenting in our hut.  It was the most nerve-wracking thing!  The Harbour Team are so good at poker – they didn’t give anything away with the tasting, and so we had no idea if we’d been good enough.  I then learned later, that as soon as we left, there was a fight over the chipotle slaw, and nothing was left!”

Emily: “We’ve both worked in very busy and sometimes chaotic environments, so we’re really looking forward to the challenge of working here at the Harbour Arm.  Some days it’s going to be so busy, but we love that, and really thrive on it.”

Robert: “Every element here has to be good.  People have become much better cooks since Covid, so we need to be offering the best.  You come out to eat, and you want it to be something better than you can get at home.  So, our selection is simple, but stunningly tasty, and with the atmosphere of The Goods Yard, you’re coming out to something which is going to be a great trip out, and one you’ll want to make again and again.”