A town’s once-loved fish market destroyed in a blaze could be gone forever despite previous hopes of reopening it early next year.
Whitstable Harbour’s Fish Market and Crab and Winkle restaurant were gutted in a fire in May 2022 after flames spread into the building from a neighbouring cockle shed.
It was a devastating blow for tenants Elizabeth Bennett and her late husband Peter, who died in May 2023.
But while owners Canterbury City Council finished its reconstruction in summer last year, and offered a prospective reopening date between February and April next year, its future now appears to be uncertain.
While it had initially been planned for Elizabeth to take the business back on, she confirmed she will no longer be involved in the project.
She told KentOnline: “I gave it a good try, but through ill health, I’ve been left with no option but to surrender the lease.
“I really just want to thank the people of Whitstable who supported Peter and I both before and after the fire.”
The blaze was caused by sparks from a grinder being used by a workman, near the former cockle shed, as part of a project to build a new car park in the harbour.
Elizabeth and Peter were well-known in the area, and his death two years ago, aged 76, marked a significant loss of someone who contributed hugely to the town.
Peter started working at St Augustine’s Fish Supplies in 1984, moving the business to Whitstable Harbour in 1990 – dubbed a “great big empty shed” by him at the time.
By 1994 he would launch the Whitstable Fish Market and in 1999 the Crab & Winkle Restaurant above.
Recently, with no tenant in place, workers have been spotted inside the building stripping it of furniture and fittings left by Elizabeth.
No guarantees have been offered over who could move in, with council chiefs now saying the plot could potentially be split into three smaller units.
However, the authority is yet to commit to a timeline for this, and said “we are not yet in a position to start asking for people to come forward with offers”.
A council spokesperson told KentOnline: “Contractors are in the process of stripping out the internal structures that were left by the previous tenants.
“This will take the building back to its shell and create an attractive blank canvas for future businesses interested in operating in this prime and very popular position.”
“We are currently seeking advice on how best to improve the marketability of the former Crab and Winkle restaurant.
“It includes taking soundings from agents on whether it would be more attractive to the market to continue with one large unit or potentially split the space into two or three smaller units.
“We hope this piece of work will help us reach an informed decision on the best approach for this space to get the maximum benefit for the harbour and Whitstable generally.”
