Matthew Drinkwater is chef and owner of No 50 Cinque Port Street, Rye. He was known and loved by many as chef at Webbes and Fletchers, and went solo in March this year. It is always a roller coaster ride in the first few months of any business so Rye News decided to see how the ride is going.
The ingredients of success
- Take one venue in prime position
- Add 10 weeks of hard graft
- Mix in help from friends and family
- Connect with local suppliers
- And finally add the best ingredient: a talented chef with the lightest of touches
And what do you have? A successful restaurant, No 50, on Cinque Port Street.
Matthew looks back over the last six months.
We opened on March 19 and the business has steadily grown. Within two weeks we were pretty much running at capacity. You can’t predict which night is going to be popular. This week Wednesday is as busy as Saturday coming up. Sometimes Tuesday night is the best. I like that we can’t predict: it keeps us on our toes.
How do you advertise?
To be honest it is word of mouth mainly and locals recommending No 50 to each other. I have to thank the local B&Bs in town who recommend us. Some nights we have four or five tables from Saltcote Place, Jeake’s House, The Windmill and Old Borough Arms. That’s what I like about Rye – everyone looks out for each other.
I think that our intimate restaurant welcomes people who want a quiet leisurely dinner and they know I will be cooking so they keep on coming back.
You have a strong team alongside you, don’t you?
Yes, James and Spencer are our front of house team: they started with me and it works. I can cook and not worry what is going on in the restaurant as I know it is in safe hands. So too with our band of young waitresses; they work well together and it is a vital ingredient to our success. It is the whole show that counts – it’s not just the ‘Matthew’ show.
What worries did you have in the beginning?
I worried about whether people would come and if they did would they like it, and also how the team would all work together. Now I just get on and cook and they get on successfully at running the front of house. When you have worked for other people in the past, like I had for 25 years, you don’t shoulder the same responsibilities. Here if it works or fails it is my responsibility and I love it. It is still unfolding every day and we are tweaking things as we progress.
So would you say you that you are a ‘fine dining’ restaurant?
I don’t like the term because I think it probably puts people off. I would just say that we are local, seasonal and modern British. At the heart, we want to use local suppliers, lamb from the Marsh, fish from Rye.
What is your most popular dish?
It has been the lamb but we have taken it off the menu from this week as it is not seasonal. We will add game and venison and pheasants and pork belly which we cook for five or six hours and the skin will be like glass, nice and crispy.
At the moment there is a glut of apples and quinces so we will incorporate those in the menu as the next month unfolds.
And what’s the most popular pudding?
Chocolate is always popular. We like foraging, for example, blackberries during blackberry season: we make the sorbet and the compôtes and these are popular. My mum and dad are retired and they like to help so they get wild garlic when it is in season and the blackberries, too.
Did you always want to be a chef?
I grew up surrounded by food. My dad was a master butcher for 50 years and my mum worked on fruit farms and was always cooking at home. I loved to help her. In the mid 90s there were lots of cooking programmes on the television and I was hooked. The chefs always looked as if they were having fun.
I trained at Hastings College and it was a great grounding. I learnt all the traditional skills which gave me a wonderful foundation.
How different is it going solo compared with working for someone?
Before, I would turn up to work and give it one hundred per cent but I was only focussing on the kitchen, my area. Now I have to focus on all of it. I spend time now folding napkins, putting the wine away, noticing the whole picture. I notice if the bins outside are full, the stockroom is fully stocked and that’s what I love. I’ve always been a bit controlling, but working for other people, you can only control what you can do. Now it’s my show and I can control it as I wish.
People say I should have done it sooner, but I think now is the right time. I don’t think I could have done it ten years ago. I have my own style and have seen it change and evolve as a person. The time was right in 2025 and I am loving it.
Saltcote Place recommends No 50
Paul King, co-owner of Saltcote Place, writes:” It’s an absolute pleasure to send guests to No 50. Matthew, Spencer and James have been responsible for many ‘repeat offenders’ (a friendly term used with guests full knowledge).
“At Saltcote, we’re always delighted to recommend No 50 to our guests. We’ve enjoyed many excellent meals there ourselves.
“Each morning we ask: ‘How was your meal last night?’— guest feedback is consistently outstanding and enthusiastic, No 50 are regularly mentioned for wonderful food, friendly atmosphere, and attentive service.
“Since 2008, we’ve found that the best experiences in Rye come from local businesses working together. Matthew and his team at No 50 share our passion for genuine hospitality, and we’re proud to call them trusted partners in creating memorable stays for our guests.”
Matt is preparing for his first Christmas and bookings are already filling up. Look out for the little Robin.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Salcote Place .