A top TV chef has hit back at health inspectors who stripped his restaurant of its top food safety rating and said improvement was "necessary".

A disagreement over the way chicken livers should be cooked saw Rocksalt in Folkestone taken from the top five out five rating, down to two.

Mark Sargeant, who is the restaurant's executive chef, says the "powers that be" would have his staff cook the livers until they are well-done, turning them into a "rancid, crumbly paste".

He explained the way chefs cooked the product was something he had been taught in college.

He said the low rating only came about because of a conversation between Shepway District Council's inspector and the restaurant's head chef.

Mr Sargeant, who opened the popular and award-winning restaurant in 2011, acknowledged the "food guidelines are there to help us".

He said in a statement: "In any professional kitchen such as ours they are a normal part of our job.

"After many years of holding five stars, which in my mind should be normal really, we have been dropped down to two stars.

"The actual inspection part of the visit from the EHO (environmental health officer) lasted two minutes and that the score was altered purely on a conversation the inspector had with my head chef."

Many customers have defended the restaurant and others run by Mr Sargeant, who trained under Gordon Ramsay.

One said: "All of your restaurants have been exquisite. Every meal I’ve enjoyed. The Wife of Bath in Wye was the best food I’d eaten since going to Gordon Ramsay’s in Knightsbridge. That is what I judge it on."

Another added: "Fair play to you Mark, we live by the Duke William [in Ickham] and had our wedding there - best day - best food - cannot wait to try Rocksalt. Oh we’ve done Wife of Bath, also amazing."

"A well done chicken liver is like eating rancid, crumbly paste but according to the powers that be it is how we should consume them" - Mark Sargeant

Inspectors said the restaurant's "unsafe" cooking practices could give customers food poisoning.

The inspector noted chicken livers were cooked "medium" which they said could lead to food poisoning.

Mr Sargeant said: "We also know that you're no longer allowed to serve burgers rare and indeed the law has now deemed that we can't enjoy a steak tartare without searing the outside first and then scraping it off before chopping it up.

"Now it appears that we are no longer allowed to cook chicken livers pink, something I have grown up with and learnt since college.

"A well done chicken liver is like eating rancid, crumbly paste but according to the powers that be it is how we should consume them.

"So when my chef said that we cook them to 70C instead of the recommended 75C - still over in my opinion - they decided to drop us from five stars to two."

He confirmed the restaurant would be appealing the decision and writing a letter to be posted with the rating online.

The inspector's concerns were highlighted in the report, which said: "I noted some cooking procedures that could lead to an unsafe product.

“For example, chicken livers may be cooked medium.

"Chicken liver pate is cooked in the combi-oven. Core temperature is monitored using a probe and the product is considered cooked when it reaches 70C.

“The time temperature combination for thorough cooking is 70C held for two minutes.”

Mr Sargeant added: "[It is] a shame mainly for my staff, who work so very very hard to maintain the best standards. Let's hope we get our surprise inspection soon and get back up to five again."