FOOD + DRINK
The Food Issue
“ Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It’ s not about nutrients and calories. It’ s about sharing. It’ s about honesty. It’ s about identity.”
LOUISE FRESCO, FOOD SCIENTIST AND WRITER
In this bountiful county of ours, we’ re lucky for so many reasons. Not solely because every terrain from the countryside to the coast is so awe-inspiring to look at, offering so much to see and do, but also because the complementary climate and soil, working symbiotically with the people who live and work here, combine to create culinary wizardry, producing the freshest, most gratifying produce for our dinner tables and beyond. From the juiciest of fruits and crispest vegetables to top-tier meat and award-winning wine, Kent has got it all.
We all know food is essential to our wellbeing – yes, it sustains us and helps our bodies function daily, but that doesn’ t mean our diets have to bland, basic or boring, which is something Kentish food producers seem to understand better than anyone else. The more exciting and imaginative food is, the more diners want to really understand, appreciate and enjoy it.
Food, therefore, has become an art form and this county’ s growers, makers, restaurateurs and producers are artists in their own right. Beautiful displays of brightly coloured ingredients entice us to taste – and buy – at farmers’ markets; delicatessens overflow with salads, cheeses and charcuterie to be excitedly unwrapped and devoured at home; and mouthwatering butchery forms the foundations of so many tempting restaurant plates whose chefs combine all of this food sorcery to create the most spectacular meals.
Remind yourself that wherever you are and whatever you’ re eating and drinking in this magical county of ours, there’ s been some serious hard work behind it; it’ ll make you appreciate its value, beauty and wonderful flavour just that little bit more.
www. insidekent. co. uk • 73