The Sportsman, Seasalter

 For my (eek) 30th birthday meal last week I lunched at The Sportsman near Whitstable, Kent.  Their twitter bio modestly describes the place as a "grotty rundown pub by the sea" and gives a hint as to the relaxed and non pretentious atmosphere you're likely to encounter should you visit this Michelin starred 'gastropub'. 

As we visited during the week we requested, in advance, to have the tasting menu (not available at weekends or for tables larger than 6) and this was to be one of the loveliest meals I've had in a long, long time.  I absolutely cannot wait to return, and it's a mere 30 minute car journey from my sister's house!  Kid, I'm coming to stay more often.

We arrived just before midday on a rare sunny June 2012 day,  though rain had been predicted, obviously.  We started with a bottle of Colli trevigiani prosecco at £21.95.  Later on I enjoyed a Pol Roger, as it was a special occasion, wonderful to see it served by the glass, and for only £9.

I won't bang on about the food, as I'll be here all day, we totted up a total of 15 or so courses, of which so many were highlights, the treats just kept coming, and we were there until 5pm - a 5 hour lunch, that's my kinda meal!  Here are the pics:-

Cheese and tomato biscuits - think cheese straws and melt - in - the - mouth doesn't even come close!

Pork scratchings with wholegrain mustard and home cured herring on rye bread.

 

First of oysters 2 ways - baked and served with poached rhubarb and dried seaweed

And again a baked oyster, served with beurre blanc, pickled cucumber and caviar.  A favourite of the day.

 

Next the breads, made here of course, with home churned sweet cream and Seasalter salt butter.  From left to right, soda bread, focaccia and sourdough.   I don't stand a hope in hell of learning my don't fill up on the bread lesson when they're this good.

Chilled asparagus soup with milk foam and asparagus and cream cheese tartlets.

I was so happy to see this dish, a simple but refreshing salad of rocket, burrata and tomatoes.  

Signature dish of slip sole with seaweed butter.  (New plates, I overheard the chef telling a neighbouring table).

Braised turbot with asparagus and smoked roe sauce.  Another of my standout dishes, that sauce was amazing.

Lamb belly with mustard breadcrumbs served with a mint sauce.  This was brilliant.  The dipping sauce was quite sweet but there was a real kick from the English mustard hiding under the crispy coating on the lamb.  I was beginning to struggle at this point, but got 2nds as my Mum is not a fan of lamb.  Happy to help where I can!

Roast Monkshill Farm lamb saddle and fillet with greens and aubergine puree.  More extras for me!

Matured Winchester cheddar served with white cherries. 

These rhubarb ice lollies in cake milk were OMG.

Cream cheese ice cream with scone crumbs, meringue and strawberries.  A take on eton mess.

Perhaps the biggest treat of all were the petit fours.  Clockwise rom the left, elderflower posset, chocolate mousse with salted caramel, raspberry tarts, bitter chocolate truffle and gooseberry fool.

I really cannot heap enough praise upon The Sportsman, plenty of blogger love is out there already (see their Urbanspoon page) but, like the good Kentish girl that I am, I feel it's only right that I become a regular.  £65 per person, for all this food, seemed like an absolute steal versus comparative prices for meals in London, and they even sang me happy birthday!

Come here for fantastic food in a relatively casual environment, don't expect tablecloths and fancy decor but you'll feel most welcome and I'm certain will want to make a return visit.  I saw some pretty special looking non taster dishes coming out of the kitchen and there's a large menu to pick from.  Booking, or at least calling ahead is a must and it's drinks only on Mondays.

The Sportsman
Favesham Road
Seasalter
Kent
CT5 4BP
10/10

Boo in Kent - The Carpenter's Arms

Mother's Day lunch, the Kid was charged with finding the venue and selected The Carpenter's Arms a recently renovated hotel/gastropub in the very town from which I hail. I have eaten here on a number of occasions when visiting the family but have never felt the need to post about it owing to being disappointed by the food. I recall a particularly lousy Thai green curry with prawns.

This time however I was pleased to see that the quality of the food is much improved and everyone seemed pleased with their dishes. I ordered the garlic prawns which came rustically presented on a wooden board with salad and roasted vine tomatoes.


I liked how it looked and the prawns were meaty in texture and sweet in taste. There was none of the advertised garlic though. They tasted unmarinated and unseasoned. Could have done with a chilli kick. I was actually grateful for the blandness of it all really owing to a stonking hangover. I wasn't given a finger bowl so made an ungodly mess of things. The bread was a bit stale.

Various roast dinners were ordered around the table, beef and chicken, all of which seemed to go down well. I will note that I have now decided not to order roast dinners in pubs due to the constant disappointment I encounter when I do succumb. One day I will find a place that satisfies, I was rather taken with Lizzie's account of The Anchor and Hope which is a firm favourite of my best friend Nibs. Must go there. Also I really like the idea of this blog documenting Sunday roasts tried and tested in (mostly) north London, my neck of the woods. Must try the roast on offer at the Bull and Last (website still in progress....)


Anyhow, I thought the potatoes needed to be browner, I think it's unforgivable to serve anaemic roasties, they do this every Sunday and should know how long they need to be in the oven by now, no? No excuses.

Perhaps don't bother to look at their website which is littered with grammatical and spelling errors and annoyingly doesn't have the menu on it. Despite all this I think there is potential here, the service was fine, there are a lot of waiters and they all seem very attentive and eager to serve you well. It was very busy, usually a good sign and the place ticks all the boxes aesthetically, wooden floors and quirky furniture of varying shapes and sizes. There's a nice bar where there is also food served. I think with a few finishing touches the place can be a success. Tonbridge is otherwise a bit of a culinary wasteland.

The Carpenter's Arms
3 Elm Lane
Tonbridge, Kent
5/10

Boo in Kent - The Chaser

The Kid's birthday lunch at The Chaser was on a Sunday, among the things they do very well is a traditional roast dinner with all the trimmings, the others all opted for this, 2 chicken, 1 beef and I had a summer lamb stew.

Growing up in Kent certainly contributed to my love of hearty home cooked food and there is a plethora of country pubs serving exactly that. The Chaser in a tiny village called Shipbourne has always been one of my favourites and many a Sunday afternoon has been whiled away inside these cosy 4 walls. There's a large garden and a covered terrace as well as a more formal dining area and the bar, complete with log fire. Something for everyone and any weather eventuality. It's a beautifully picturesque setting with an old church to the rear and a vast common opposite and the rain even held off for us.

Having once again tackled transport issues, at one point forcibly abandoning Nibs at London Victoria due to the unhelpfulness and idiocy of a National Rail employee, we convened at one of our old haunts and enjoyed some very decent Kentish pub grub.


The roast dinners were up to scratch, the Kid got a birthday Yorkshire pudding on the house with her roast chicken. There was a good variety of veg and we ordered sides of cauliflower cheese and dauphinoise potatoes, a Chaser classic, I thought this time it didn't taste particularly garlicky but the others disagreed and it was certainly very creamy.

I had the summer vegetable lamb stew which was an rather strange beast.


It had courgettes, green beans, new potatoes and a tomatoey sauce. This was served with some chunky bread. It was fine but some of the lamb wasn't particularly tender, slightly tough and gristly. I should have had a roast.

I wasn't tempted by dessert, I usually like the butterscotch tart but it wasn't on the menu. Kid had the champagne jelly with summer fruits which looked rather nice despite a minor collapse. It had plenty of berries and passion fruit seeds but was very sweet, I think they'd slightly overdone the sugar in the jelly itself.


Noyl had the sticky toffee pudding with honeycomb ice cream, a no brainer as the latter is her favourite flavour and it certainly didn't disappoint. I love the generousity of the servings here. We each had a try of the puddings, the sponge was light and springy and the sauce was wickedly sticky and delicious.


There was one weird thing, the waitress was super efficient in a slightly neurotic kind of way, like she's been wound up and let loose. We had a bottle of the house white which was fine but the glasses we were given varied in size, I found that odd. But rustic is the key here, there's little to grumble about, I love it and heartily recommend a visit if you're in the area. The menu changes daily and there are plenty of specials. They are also open for breakfast now on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I'm keen to check that out.

The Chaser Inn
Stumble Hill, Shipbourne
TN11 9PE
7/10

Boo in Kent - The Harrow Inn

One of the things that excites me the most these days about returning to Kent is that I can dine at one of the many brilliant country pubs that the county has to offer.

I used to work at The Harrow Inn, Ightham as a girl and this is the first time I've returned as a proper patron, it was strange being back, I managed to resist the urge to stack the plates and set the table myself, the waitress in her got the better of the Kid however, she used to work there too, and she assisted the lone waiter of the evening in any way she could!

Knowing the ins and outs of a kitchen is obviously beneficial and I had the inside info on what would be the best dishes to order, i'm a firm believer that it's best to order from the specials. Little in terms of decor and dishes has changed in the 3 or so years since I did my last shift here.

So the 4 of us were in for a 3 courser, this vist had been in the planning stage for sometime, dates finally fixed I was invariably very excited and knew I was in for a feast! The starters we chose were smooth duck liver pâté (Crann and myself), goats cheese tart for Kid and marinated sardines for Thomas.


The pâté (which was not on the menu but we asked Eddie, 1 of the chefs, if they had any and lucky for us they did) was delightful, moreish and delicious, served with a cranberry compote and some homemade melba toasts. I was disappointed to see that they no longer serve the rye loaves from the Plaxtol Bakery that used to accompany this order, instead when I asked for bread we were given a rather miserable looking white baguette, advertised as sourdough. That aside, the pâté itself was great, I let Thomas share this with me because his starter was disappointing. There was a slight mix up in that I recall a special of grilled sardines and said were this on the menu, it's a must have.


These sardines were marinated, not grilled and resembled (and tasted like) anchovies, the waiter even said "here's the tomato and anchovy salad" as he delivered it. Hmmm. What's also a little bizarre is that the same salad is served with everything, mixed leaves with chopped up peppers and tomato, it's nice but no thought goes into throwing a little bunch of the the same thing onto every single plate. Thomas thought this starter was not well balanced, the fish having been marinated in vinegar was extremely tart and not offset by any sweetness other than a few splodges of balsamic reduction dotted here and there. It would benefit from another component. Thomas preferred the pâté and Kid's goats cheese.

This starter of a circular disc of goats cheese placed on top of some caramelized red onions in a pastry tart casing is a winner. A classic combination of flavours and textures, again presented with a salad garnish, this is a fragrant starter, goats cheese is not for everyone and Kid is usually not a fan of such strong flavours but all agreed this was a fine choice.


For main course I had the scallops. This was a special and came on a bed of bubble and squeak with a serving of seasonal vegetables, broad and green beans, courgettes and peas. This was the most expensive main course and I thought that it was slightly overpriced at £17.50 for only 5 scallops. They were cooked well, a little over if anything and were classically paired with some parma ham. The bubble and squeak looks a little shiny in this picture, it did not have a typical crispy exterior and was essentially mash with some greenery.


Thomas ordered the rump steak, medium, which is one of the most perfectly executed dishes here. Head chef Dave certainly knows how to make a good steak. This is served with a peppercorn sauce and fries and salad. John Elton (yes, really) owner of the Harrow Inn informed us that his meat supplier had delivered some fine rump steaks to temporarily replace the usual sirloin on the menu here. Thomas very often orders steak and rarely is this satisfied with the way it is cooked.


Kid went for the salmon and chive fishcakes which are large balls of poached salmon and mashed potato. The best thing about this dish is the accompanying citrus sauce which is surprisingly light for a such a creamy and buttery sauce, largely thanks to the lemony flavour.


Again, this main course comes with fries and salad, as does the Cajun chicken which was Cranns main course. This can be spicy or mild, depending on your preference and is pan fried until cooked, this was succulent and juicy.

Happily, we all still had room for desserts. I usually prefer savoury dishes but the one thing I was most looking forward to trying again at The Harrow Inn was their home made orange and ginger tiramisu. Both us girls opted for this and were not disappointed, it was just how I remember. I think my time working here was when I really developed a love for food and returning and eating these dishes was really special.


This is served in fairly small portions due to the richness of it. The layers of crushed ginger biscuits alternated with cointreau infused marscapone, served with more cream and a slice of fresh orange.


Thomas had the creme brulee with raspberries which is a traditional custard dotted with vanilla seeds with some juicy crushed raspberries at the bottom of the ramekin. The crisp caramelised sugar was thick and crunchy. I dislike the sprinkling of icing sugar that comes with each pudding, it adds little, if anything, in terms of flavour and instead of looking thoughtfully decorative, it looks messy.


Crann was pleased with his melting chocolate pudding, served with a generous 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream and some pouring cream. I didn't try this but it looked like it oozed in the right places.

I think the Harrow Inn is definitely worth seeking out if you're in the area, the food is above average and good value for money if eating in the bar area (there's a more formal dining room towards the rear of the building), where side dishes are included with the cost of the main. The majority of customers are locals and regulars or walkers and visitors from the nearby National Trust property Ightham Mote. The Harrow Inn is a Good Pub Guide approved establishment, so many people visit having read this recommendation. It's also worth telling the chaps that the gents toilet is apparently haunted by the ghost of a baker, the building was a bakery a hundred or so years ago. John has some interesting paintings of the building in its former glory on the walls of the bar. The ghost did not make an appearance whilst we were here!

The Harrow Inn
Common Road
Ightham, Kent
8/10

Boo in Kent - Woods

Returning to Tunbridge Wells a visit to the beautiful Pantiles is a must. There's a wealth of nice places to eat along the strip as well as cute boutiques and a fantastic Kitchen Shop, Trevor Mottram, a must see for any foodie in the area, I could easily while away an afternoon in this place!

I was keen to show off Tunbridge Wells to Thomas, who had not seen where I grew up before this visit and we chose to have lunch at Woods where I have eaten before and loved the food, including a fish pie topped with rosti and a bacon avocado and rocket sandwich. They do classic british dishes very well and have a large outdoor eating are and an upstairs bar area with piano, they regularly host jazz evenings and various events.

We arrived at around 3pm in need of lunch. I had a glass of Chapel Down Downland dry white wine, local wine from Tenterden to accompany my salad of Kent Lamb, Courgette and Halloumi with Rocket Pesto.


This was perhaps the best of the 3 dishes but it was slightly odd. The major elements were all warm, the courgette was nice, well cooked and retaining a bite. The lamb was tasty but a bit tough, not so well cooked, and the halloumi was fine, salty and satisfyingly squeaky as I chewed it yet this didn't really work together. The leaves were well dressed with the rocket pesto and I can't think of one thing that was wrong as such but unfotunately I didn't enjoy this very much.

Thomas tried the Smoked Mackerel with Roasted Beetroot and Horseradish Crème
Fraiche on Toasted Granary bread. This was virtually beetroot with a little bit of mackerel in it.

Thomas was not pleased at all, luckily he had ordered fries as a side, but for someone with a healthy appetite, this simply was not enough. It is from the starter section of the menu so they cannot be blamed for this, really but the purple mass on top of the bread tasted of little but beetroot, it would surely work better if this individual flavours were recognisable and served individually?

The chips were okay, Kid also had a portion of these. I was puzzled as to why they would serve it in such a large bowl, looking like half of them had already been eaten before they made their way to the table. Maybe I was being a grump but this seems silly to me.

Kid had the Woods 'Massive' bacon and egg sandwich, with locally cured bacon (no hint as to where). She was very happy with this, thick cut white bread, a fried egg and a fat slice of bacon, just the type of food Kid likes.


I'm sad that Woods is not how I remember it, I loved it a few years back but I was disappointed with the food on this visit, when I particularly wanted them to deliver because I'd been so complimentary about my previous meals.

I even turned into 'disgusted' of Tunbridge Wells when it began to rain and we made a hasty exit.

Woods
62 Pantiles
Tunbridge Wells
5/10

Boo in Kent - The Bohemian

Whilst in Deal Thomas and I were keen to sample some of the foodie delights they have to offer and on the recommendation of Neil (the owner of the B&B) we lunched at The Bohemian opposite the pier. When we arrived and head out back to the pretty terrace area I must admit I was a little underwhelmed by the appearance of the place. It looks much like a generic bar and had it not been recommended to us I would have most likely voted for having a drink and heading off to eat elsewhere.

Things got worse when the ladies on the table next to us received their gluttonous portions of fries topped with cheese, bacon bits and sour cream. I was pleasantly surprised however, by the quality of the food that we ordered. I was still fairly full from breakfast and ordered the Bohemian Greek salad.


This was good, certainly better than it looks in this picture, there was a nice size portion with a generous amount of feta (my favourite) and both green and black olives, the black ones were particularly tasty. This was much better than I had anticipated.

Thomas' selection was also well received, he'd come to the coast hoping to have the opportunity to sample plenty of fresh fish and seafood, here he tried the mackerel.


This was nicely done, served on top of a char grilled slice of thick granary bread, with some roasted cherry tomatoes, leaves of crisp baby gem lettuce and sliced sauteed onion. The fish was tasty and worked well when sampled in combination with all the other ingredients. Thomas' one gripe was that it would have benefited from some form of spread or sauce on the bread which was a tad dry being such a thick slice.

Being on a holiday, of sorts, we opted for a third dish to share, scallops with asparagus and fresh peas which was quite brilliant. The scallops were perfectly cooked, barely touching the heat leaving them perfectly sealed on the outside whilst retaining their delicate and pure flavour and texture in the middle. There's little worse than an overcooked scallop in my opinion and they got these just right.


The asparagus was nicely charred, retaining a bite and the peas were fresh and crunchy, I love summer vegetables and these were great companions for the scallops, it was slightly disappointing that there were only 3, 1 and a half each but what was there was good.

In conclusion I should not judge a book by its cover and should thank my lucky stars that I'm not a cheesy chips kind of gal, well, I say that......

The Bohemian
47 Beach Street
CT14 6HY
6.5/10

Boo in Kent- Number One b&b

I've been back in Kent for the weekend and the trip began with a night at the Number One B&B in Deal. It's by far the finest b&b accommodation I have ever stayed in, I would not hesitate to recommend it and I shall definitely be returning myself to try out their famous weekend deluxe breakfast. Each of the rooms and the communal areas are decorated to a very high standard and our stay there was all the more enjoyable due to the friendliness and capability of the owners. Each bedroom has a coffee maker, large flat screen television and a remarkably comfortable bed, it was a shame that the visit was so fleeting.


For breakfast during the week there is a buffet selection of cereals, fruits, yoghurt, juices as well as a full cooked breakfast. I started with a bowl of fresh berries and some Special K, I know it's naughty but I rarely eat breakfast during the week instead grabbing a coffee on the way to the office. This means that when I do have breakfast I go all out and I was very impressed with both the quality and variety of food on offer here.

The cooked breakfast was lovely, not overly greasy and included all the English breakfast staples, fried egg, bacon, sausage, beans, mushrooms and tomato.


All this was served with your choice of toast and tea or coffee. Everything is well considered and executed and it is clear that these guys know what they're doing and really focus on providing an above average service to their guests. A great price too at £75 for a double room. Such a pity that, yet again, a trip in the UK was scuppered by the ineptitude of the national rail service who abandoned us and about 40 other passengers at Folkestone.

We were made to feel very welcome and comfortable as soon as we eventually arrived and Neil recommended some great local places to grab a drink and a bite to eat. This really is 10/10 accommodation, a wonderful place for a weekend getaway from the city.

Boo in Kent - The Hare

Over the weekend I trekked back to the motherland of Kent and stayed with relatives for a couple of nights. The reason for the trip was to head to a much loved and trusted pub with the girls and have a hearty lunch to combat the big freeze.

The Hare is a Brunning and Price establishment, a brewery with classic English pubs in, somewhat randomly, the South East and the North West exclusively.
The menu consists primarily of classic English dishes like Toad in the Hole, Fish and Chips, Ploughman’s, Ham, Egg and Chips and Sausage and Mash. These had always been perfectly presented with very generous portion sizing meaning that reservations were advisable due to the popularity of the place.

A firm favourite from the menu among our group was always the 4 Cheese Baked Macaroni. This dish was gargantuan in size and earned the nickname ‘the trough’ due to the vessel in which it was served and to it’s guilt inducing nature. Not for the feint hearted it often got the better of us but was a welcome mainstay on the menu.

That said, our eager foursome ventured to Langton Green at 1pm on Saturday and one of us inevitably opted for the trusty old mac and cheese. However, after waiting for more than an hour what arrived was a bowl of pasta (chiocciole, - not macaroni) with barely a hint of sauce and a thick layer of breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top making the whole dish virtually unpalatable because it was so dry. The overwhelming taste was cinnamon, an interesting and wholly unwelcome take on macaroni cheese. Even the trough gone replaced with a regular green bowl. I suppose this is more in keeping with the ‘light bite’ that the Hare’s 4 Baked Macaroni Cheese has always claimed to be however, we all agreed it is a deeply unsatisfying turn of events.

The other dishes selected were Steak and Ale Pie with cauliflower cheese and Slow Roasted Beef with dauphinoise potatoes. More successful but still lacking something and not up to the usual standard to which we had become accustomed when dining here.
With the benefit of hindsight, we might have known that standards have dropped when there were many empty tables where once it would have been impossible to find a space. A shame, possibly a off day….

6/10