This June, nearly 30 years after opening his first fishmongers in 1996, Mitch Tonks will launch his tenth Rockfish restaurant, connecting the people of Salcombe, South Devon, with responsibly sourced seafood, directly from boat to plate.

The 90-plus-cover restaurant with a seated terrace is nestled in a small alcove on the waterfront of Batson Creek. It serves a daily changing menu of seasonal fish and seafood, fresh from the quayside at Brixham Market, where it’s prepared for the first lunch service of the day.

The first Rockfish restaurant opened in 2009 in Dartmouth, South Devon next to Mitch Tonks' critically acclaimed The Seahorse restaurant, which has since been handed over to Spearheading the mission to serve UK consumers seafood at peak freshness, and to showcase the world-class produce available at our fingertips, for CEO and Founder Mitch, the tenth site is testament to a truly scalable sustainable model.

On the new opening, Mitch said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be opening our tenth Rockfish, and doing it in Salcombe makes it even more special. It’s a place full of coastal character and charm, and it feels like the perfect spot for this next chapter. At Rockfish, we’ve always said tomorrow’s fish are still in the sea – it’s a reminder of how important sustainable fishing is, and how lucky we are to have access to the best seafood right here on our doorstep. In Salcombe, we’ll be working closely with local fishermen landing crab and lobster at the end of the quay – you can’t get much fresher or more local than that. Whether it’s through our waterside restaurants, our range of tinned fish, or our online seafood market, we’re here to champion British seafood and get more people enjoying what’s caught in our own waters.”

Open for lunch and dinner, Salcombe will offer a quintessentially Rockfish spread: a selection of English and Mediterranean-inflected starters, tins of hand-picked Rockfish seafood, and centrepiece mains of grilled fish, all served with various accompaniments of Jalapeño tartare, Roasted Garlic Aioli, Romesco , and Curry sauces.

In true Rockfish fashion, the Salcombe menus will be hand annotated by the Rockfish kitchen team, indicating which fish is fresh that day. Fully integrating with the local community, the new restaurant has also forged a special partnership with the craft brewers at Salcombe Brewery, encouraging guests to enjoy their award-winning beers with a coastal meal, or in situ at the brewery just a stone’s throw from the restaurant. Unique to the Salcombe offering, an extensive fine wine list will run alongside, differentiating it from its other Rockfish counterparts.

Inside, the interiors will preserve original wooden joists and house long seating benches for communal dining, all designed by Creative Director Lisa Helmanis of Day Studio. A brand new deck outside the restaurant will accommodate further seating, with breathtaking views of the estuary. Around the open kitchen, hand-painted tiles will decorate the space, punctuated with photographs of the Tonks family.