FOOD-FOCUSSED GENERAL MANAGER MARC BRINGS FRESH FLAVOURS AND A PASSION FOR PEOPLE TO HISTORIC SHEPHERD NEAME SEASIDE SITE

Globe-trotting pub and hotel manager Marc Duvauchelle honed his hospitality skills in San Francisco and learnt a love of Korean food in Mongolia, but now the Kent coast beckons in his new role with Britain’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame.

For French-born Marc, running the historic Royal Albion Hotel in Broadstairs has the bonus of being closer to his native France as he can almost see it from the impressive seafront site.

He brings to the Faversham-based brewer decades of experience running complex and busy hospitality businesses. He spent the last nine years working for Fuller, Smith & Turner, with whom he collected a coveted Griffin Trophy when the Old Customs House in Portsmouth, where he was General Manager, was named Pub of the Year.

Having joined Shepherd Neame in October, and moving home with his wife to Broadstairs, he is already bursting with ideas for the hotel and its views to die for. He has introduced fire pits and blankets on the decked seating area overlooking breathtaking Viking Bay for enjoying al fresco autumnal evenings, and hopes to introduce more live music, including Sunday dinner jazz. 

“I want it to be even more of a premium offering than it already is,” he said. “It is a beautiful building which has a glorious view. It has a dining area, a bar, a restaurant and fabulous outside space – everybody is welcome here. It is really important to make all the different elements work together.

“But my main passion is food and we will be creating new menus, focussing on the sea as we are right on the coast, created from scratch by our brilliant chefs, and pairing the food with the beer.”

He added: “Broadstairs is such a big town for music, so I think more live music is a must.”

Having originally trained in French and American law, Marc has worked in hospitality since leaving university, including at a Michelin-starred restaurant in France, and is now able to share the wealth of his knowledge and experience with his team members.

“Along with my passion for hospitality, I love to help people develop - I get such pleasure from it,” he says.

“People are Number One. I want people to crave a career in hospitality, and I am there to get them where they want to go. It is such a great profession to be in and I want my team to come in and enjoy every day.”

In his spare time, Marc enjoys sampling his favourite French and Japanese cuisines, cooking up a storm in his home kitchen; cycling and exploring with Buddy, his pet Shih Tzu.

Standing proudly on the seafront since 1776, the Royal Albion Hotel was once a regular haunt of Charles Dickens, and today is the perfect place to dine, drink and stay, with first class food dishes expertly crafted from fresh, local produce.

Diners can choose from Dedham Vale 28-day dried, aged 8oz rib eye steak, served with vine tomatoes, watercress salad, pickled red onions and chips, or traditional fish and chips featuring hand-coated Shepherd Neame ale batter, chips and pea puree. 

And to finish, guests can try boozy tiramisu made with mascarpone cream, espresso sponge and chocolate flakes, or a Kentish cheese board of Canterbury Cobble, Canterbury Chaucers and Kentish Blue served with grapes, Bishop’s Finger chutney and crackers.

You can find the Royal Albion Hotel at 6-12 Albion Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1AN, call 01843 868071 or visit www.albionbroadstairs.co.uk/home.