April 2025
My husband, Nick, has fond memories of the ‘Fordwich Arms’, a pub which is now home to the latest restaurant we visited. When he was just a whippersnapper, back in the late ’70s (!), he lived close by and worked behind its bar. Who would have thought that it would now be home to a Michelin-starred restaurant?! Things have definitely changed over the years and having heard good things about its latest residents Nick and I took a day trip out of London to check it out. First impressions were good, Nick was pleased to find that although it’s a lot smarter, the interior was not dissimilar to the old pub he remembered. You can still enjoy a pint at the long bar in the main pub or you can spoil yourself with the fine dining menu in their wood-panelled dining room; this is where we were seated. The room is lovely but unfortunately, on the day we visited, the English weather was undecided and the room was a little chilly, it would have benefited from the fire being lit even if it was mid-April. However, fortunately, the house cocktail, a ‘Mandarin & Ginger Sour’ soon made me forget the chill and we dived into the tasting menu (£110) – it’s also possible to order the a la carte menu for £85. The meal started, as you would expect from a fine-dining establishment, with a selection of ‘snacks’; an amuse-bouche which tantalized our palates and left us excited for what was to follow. There was also homemade soda bread and a glazed brioche roll, these were both delicious but it was the ‘smoked bacon butter’ which was the show stopper. This butter was seriously good, it should be sold in tubs – it would make the most wonderful breakfast bap with a fried egg…! Our first course was ‘Smoked Chalk Stream Trout & Jalapeno’, it was a deliciously refreshing dish – the sorbet with jalapeno was a game changer, subtly lifting the flavours of the smoked trout. Next, ‘Chicken Liver Parfait, Biddeneden Ice Cider & Warm Doughnuts’, was, after the lightness of the trout, a heavy step up but a delicious one! The smooth parfait was cut by the sweetness of the cider jelly whilst the doughnuts were an inspired addition, rather like brioche, rich and slightly sweet yet light and fluffy – the perfect complement. The next dish was my favourite, ‘Hake, Swede, Monks Beard & Vin Jaune’, it was absolutely fantastic. The swede was the perfect partner to the hake; who would have imagined that its light, subtle sweetness would have gone so well? It was an elegant dish, every flavour was carefully considered – the soft hake, the swede puree, the slightly vinegary pearl onions, the little roll of fresh cabbage and an additional batter-covered nugget of hake… I could eat this dish every day! It was a hard act the follow, and so it was difficult to give the ‘Beef, Grelot Onion, Creamed Potato & Pickled Walnut’ the credit it fully deserved but it was still a joy to eat! The tender fillet of beef and rich braised beef were served with a sauce of green peppercorns, the plate was balanced in both flavour and presentation. Finally their signature dessert, ‘The Fordwich Arms Snicker’, which is unsurprisingly much better than its namesake; a smooth, rich chocolate parfait cut with toffee and peanut butter – seriously moreish!
Our day out was not only a trip down memory lane but a fantastic culinary adventure. I must admit that we weren’t expecting the cooking to be of such a high standard or its flavours to be as inventive. Of course, a good restaurant is not only down to its food but also the service and atmosphere and this is again where the Fordwich Arms excelled, the staff were professional yet friendly and genuinely proud and passionate about the food they were serving. I imagine that it won’t be long before the Fordwich Arms gains a second Michelin star. We will be returning!..
July, 2023
We took a trip down memory lane the other day…
Nick grew up around Canterbury, so feeling nostalgic he fancied a drive around the villages of his childhood. Some years ago, before his mum passed, we would often drive down to this area to take her out for lunch. One of our favourite haunts was the Sportsman in Seasalter and so our recent visit ended with lunch at this wonderful gastro pub which is widely acknowledged as one of the best in the UK.
I was pleased to discover that the Sportsman was just as scruffy as ever, despite serving food akin to ‘fine dining’ the interior is very ‘shabby-chic’ with mismatched wooden tables and paper napkins. Owing to its location in the middle of the marsh next door to the sea, the building is rather weather-beaten and I must admit that I often feel a bit ‘chilly’ seated in its airy open space; I always make sure I have an extra layer just in case, and on the breezy, wet summers day that we visited, I was happy I’d remembered my cardigan! But I must stress that its scruffy nature is very much part of its charm and of course, you’re here for the food – this is after all a gastro pub with a Michelin star!..
One thing that has changed since my last visit is that they now only serve a five-course tasting menu rather than à la carte. However, each course on this tasting menu has at least three options – so we were in fact spoilt for choice. We started with some little snacks and fresh bread which is served with home-churned butter and their very own ‘Seasalter salt’. For my next course, I chose ‘Cured Trout Fillet with Gooseberry Granita & Seaweed’, the freshness of the trout was beautifully complemented by the sharpness of the gooseberries – it was both delicate and satisfying. Nick enjoyed the ‘Poached Rock Oysters with Pickled Cucumber & Avruga Caviar’. For his next course Nick had the ‘Slip Sole Grilled in Esplette Butter’ – such a simple dish, but wonderfully executed – cooked to perfection with the subtly spiced butter, meanwhile, I enjoyed ‘Roast Seabass Fillet with Chorizo Sauce & Green Olive Tapenade’, it was a delicious plate and although the chorizo and tapenade are robust flavours they were balanced and didn’t overpower the delicate fish. Next up were our meat courses, ‘Roast Chicken with Truffle Cream Sauce & Girolles’ – what a pairing made in heaven, it was a fantastic dish! There was also ‘Charred Maple Cured Pork with Wholegrain Mustard Tartare, Cabbage Salad & Gooseberries’, flavours that again deserved each other; the slight sweetness of the pork, the crunch of crackling, the tang of mustard, not to mention the sharpness of those gooseberries (again!). Finally desserts, there was ‘Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raw Cream & Raspberries’, incredibly rich but moreish and ‘Raspberry Souffle with Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream – how could I not choose that?.. it was light and dreamy, a perfect end to a perfect lunch!
By the end of our meal, I was asking myself why we hadn’t returned sooner?.. as it’s worth speeding along the motorway from London for this quality of food. Incredibly chef-patron Stephen Harris is self-taught, but there is no lacking in the professionalism he demonstrates at the Sportsman and his passion for food and flavours is evident in every dish. The five-course tasting menu is a steal at just £80 a head and for this reason, getting a table can prove difficult, so make sure you book ahead!..
Menu Mistress 