Worthing MasterChef winner Kenny Tutt to bring a touch of Miami to town with new seafront restaurant Bayside Social

A Worthing restaurant owner and former Master-chef winner is intending to bring a touch of Miami to the town’s seafront with his latest venture.
Kenny Tutt and Lucy Tutt at the launch of Pitch in 2019Kenny Tutt and Lucy Tutt at the launch of Pitch in 2019
Kenny Tutt and Lucy Tutt at the launch of Pitch in 2019

Kenny Tutt, the owner of Pitch in Warwick Street, is preparing to open his second restaurant in Worthing this July.

Bayside Social will be located at the base of the new luxury Bayside Apartments development on the seafront, on the site of the old Aquarena swimming pool.

Mr Tutt said the restaurant was ‘basically on the beach’.

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“The whole front is glass and it opens up, so even if you’re inside you get 180 degree views of the coastline, which is amazing,” he said.

“We’ve got a really nice outside space.

“I want to create that laid-back, beach-side vibe.”

The venue will be informal, he said, like ‘a Miami seafront restaurant – or as close as you can get to Miami in Worthing’. “It’s really exciting,” he said.

When it opens in July, customers will be able to enjoy some ‘nice and simple’ breakfasts, including a full English using locally sourced produce wherever possible.

There will also be healthy options to suit those heading to the gym round the corner, including granola, muesli and fresh fruit juices.

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Lunch and dinner will involve a variety of small plates, with everything from croquettes to calamari, cold cuts and olives – ‘fun, snacky bits’ which would ‘go well with a nice little beer’.

“I think it’s going to be really lively down there,” he said. “It’s great for the town. Worthing keeps getting better.”

Mr Tutt launched his debut restaurant Pitch alongside his wife Lucy in 2019, not long after winning Master Chef and giving up his day job as a bank manager.

The restaurant has become a popular staple of the town’s food scene but, like all businesses, Pitch has faced a tough year as pandemic restrictions saw restaurants and hospitality businesses forced to close for many months.

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Speaking to the Herald on Tuesday, Mr Tutt said: “Today is the first anniversary of when this whole thing started.

“When we first got the news, it was shock and awe, and you feel a bit helpless.

“You keep going with a bit of that true British grit. But not everyone is so fortunate.

“We’ve had a lot of sleepless nights and times where it’s been, are we doing the right thing?”

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This latest lockdown has seen Mr Tutt and his team busy planning the new restaurant, making tweaks to recipes and cocktail menus.

“I’ve got this feeling that when lockdown ends, although you still have to be safe and conscious of what’s happening, there will be a feeling of celebration, a new VE day if you like,” he said.

Pitch has already been getting lots of bookings ahead of its planned reopening on May 17.

“I think people miss socialising, and not having to do the washing up, being looked after,” he said. “We’ve had enough banana bread now, it’s time to treat ourselves.”

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Worthing is likely to benefit from a flock of people coming to enjoy the seaside, he believes, with uncertainty over travel restrictions leading many to spend the holidays at home.

“I think we take for granted what we have in the UK,” he said. “I walk down to the seafront and I just think, this is a really beautiful place, we are really privileged to be here.”

This summer will also see Mr Tutt expand his food operations to Brighton.

His new venture Ox Block will open up at Shelter Hall, Brighton’s seafront food hall, from April 26.

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“It’s a really great development down there,” he said. “The main thing is they want to really take aspiring chefs and help grow businesses.”

Ox Block will be a robata grill serving smoky meats with different sauces, with everything cooked over coal.

The single dessert will be a ‘really naughty’ caramel ice cream with deep fried oreos.

Mr Tutt said he was looking forward to branching out down the seafront – having previously lived in Hove and worked in Brighton in the past.

“All along the coast, I see us as one big family,” he said. “I love the feel of Brighton, it’s really cosmopolitan, it’s a really friendly, warm place.”