GETAWAYS
THE FERRY HOUSE CONT .
Tempted to just take post-massage root in the bath , the promise of dinner in the inn ’ s AA Rosette and previous Taste of Kent award-winning restaurant accompanied by the gorgeous sweeping sunny spring skies across the estuary was enough to lure us back to gentle reality .
With a firm belief that local is best , the menu here can ’ t get more local than its own back garden . Here , you ’ ll find freshly picked produce from the large kitchen garden , which has grown from one lettuce bed back in 2013 to over an acre of lovingly cultivated herbs , vegetables , fruits and even a secret orchard today . Eggs are from one of the 100 Harty hens ; beef and game from their own family-farm and local estate . Even the spirits are local , as award-winning Copper Rivet ’ s acclaimed range of vodka , gins and whisky are distilled with the estate ’ s own grains - the by-product of which are returned to the farm to feed the cows and to cultivate some rather lethally good sloe gin which is served as farewell digestif ! Anything they can ’ t grow , farm or forage themselves is sourced from a handpicked selection of Kent ’ s best local producers to ensure that every bite is bursting with as much provenance as it is flavour .
Utilising the produce grown by head gardener Natalie Read , head chef James Pilcher offers a changing daily menu bursting with estate-led dishes either as a two-course (£ 35 ) or three-course (£ 40 ) option . Tempted by the pan-fried partridge breast , which like all game on the menu is shot on the estate , my guest was eventually swayed by the smoked haddock
brandade croquette , a breaded dish offset with brown crab bisque and bronze fennel . I opted for the carbonara ravioli to be presented with a delicately crimped pasta shell which gave way to soft estate egg yolk ( all certified free-range ) topped with a delicious 30-month-aged Parmesan .
Mains are a hearty incarnation of Harty produce . Dishes such as smoked Kentish lamb shoulder ragu battle for attention alongside confit duck leg and garden Crown Prince squash . Our picks were the Kentish pork loin , served rolled with black pudding bon bon and pommes anna laced with fresh apple , and the 10oz Harty Estate sirloin . Butchered from cattle that graze the nearby salt marshes , the beef was perfectly seared and textured , served with fried garden onion and homemade chips .
Not ones to turn down pud , especially when it boasts freshly picked rhubarb , we both opted for the garden rhubarb dish ; served stewed and steamed accompanied by a vanilla custard soft serve and crumbled butter tuile . A Copper Rivet Vela Espresso Martini finished off the evening in yet more local style .
A restful night ’ s sleep , bolstered by a hearty dinner and that aforementioned massage , made way to a golden sunrise across the fields of yellow rapeseed interspersed with bouncing new baby lambs and subtle birdsong . We ventured back to the main house for breakfast . The Kentish breakfast , which frankly kept me full until dinner , was a heaving offering of
local pork sausage , crisp bacon , fresh hen ’ s eggs , The Ferry House buttery hash browns and local mushroom and tomatoes , all served with fresh bread and farmhouse butter , it served as a welcome reminder that good food shouldn ’ t be reserved for dinner !
As the sun shone out over the rippling water and the day ’ s action began picking and pruning in the poly tunnels in the kitchen garden it was with an unexpected reluctance that my guest and I bade farewell to The Ferry House . Taking rather longer than necessary to meander back along the rural lanes and off the Isle we both agreed that the year-round changing scenery , perfect setting and fabulous hospitality were each reason enough to return to this hidden gem . Offering a unique stay , a stunning wedding venue and such a credible food ethos , your reason to visit is taken care of too !
The Ferry House Inn Harty Ferry Road Harty ME12 4BQ www . theferryhouse . co . uk
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