A popular fishmonger has said an emotional farewell after decades of trading at his previous location.
Jenkins & Son, which has traded on Deal High Street for over 80 years, has left its site next to Dial A Pizza to move to a larger site nearby.
A fish shop and takeaway is set to open in the former premises of JC Rooks & Son – two years after the popular butcher’s shop filed for bankruptcy.
The unit has been empty since the family-run chain collapsed in 2022, resulting in the loss of 150 jobs.
Over the past nine months, construction workers have been carrying out repairs and renovations to the store so that the fishmonger can open this Tuesday.
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In a post yesterday that received widespread support on Facebook, Jenkins & Son stated: “So this is our last and final day of trading at 118 High Street, deal.
“It was an emotional day for everyone as this little shop has been the backbone of the Jenkins family, their friends and work colleagues for too many years to mention.
“But the doors of our new company will soon open and we will have the space to expand and grow our business.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal customers for their years of supporting our local family business. Without you, we would not be in this position.
“We hope you will continue to come to our new address at 77-81 High Street, Deal for fresh fish and home-cooked meals.
“We open our doors on Tuesday and can’t wait to see you there.”
The ground floor of the former JC Rooks & Son store has been split into two areas, with one half housing a traditional fish and poultry retailer and the other a 24-seat street food bar and grill.
This means customers can enjoy fresh fish dishes prepared before their eyes by head chef Peter Keyes.
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Speaking to KentOnline last month, marketing coordinator Sacha Taylor explained: “We’ve outgrown that shop because we now offer home-cooked meals prepared by our chef that people can get to take away.”
“We were bursting at the seams, so we made an offer for the Rooks unit when it came along a few years ago.
“The purchase took a while because it was quite complicated, but now we have taken over the 1,000 square meter building to move into as before as a fish and poultry dealer, but also to set up a kitchen with a grill area, a bar and a seating area for street food.
“We have applied for an alcohol license and hope that if it is granted, we will also be able to sell alcohol in the store.
“This is a new venture for us and we are quadrupling our size. The idea is to give people new ideas on how to use fish in everyday cooking.
“The concept will ultimately be that people can buy a piece of fish from the fishmonger, go to the chef and have him prepare it exactly the way they want it.”
It took Jenkins & Son 14 months to purchase the building and builders and electricians are currently on site to prepare the new store for opening.
“At some point we will also go upstairs because there might be room for a restaurant and a fish bar with a roof terrace,” she explained.
“The upper floor won’t be available for a year or two, it depends on how everything goes. We also want to host pop-up and sushi events.
“We’ve always done this, but we had to use other people’s space. Now we can do it in our own store.”
“At some point we also want to offer cooking classes, so we have lots of ideas for the future.”
It is not yet clear who will take over Jenkins & Son’s current unit after closure, but it will be leased to a new company.
JC Rook & Sons was one of the oldest and largest butchery companies in Kent with 11 shops across the country.
The company has been in existence for more than 55 years, having opened its first butcher shop in Dover in 1965. However, following the pandemic, the company was forced to file for bankruptcy.