BESTOFKENT ®
ASTER, BROADSTAIRS
Aster, a new eight-cover restaurant on Oscar Road in Broadstairs, opened in November 2025 and offers one of the most intimate dining experiences in the county. Run solely by talented chef Luke Crittenden, Aster serves a fully vegan, gluten-free set menu built around wild ingredients, hyper seasonal produce and the best from local growers.
The opening of Aster marks Luke’ s return to Kent after running his first fully vegan restaurant, Foxglove, in North Wales. The small Aster site previously housed Stark, the first solo venture from Luke’ s brother and well-known chef, Ben Crittenden. When the site became available after Ben relocated, he offered Luke the opportunity to take it on.
ASTER
Holding over 16 years of cooking experience, before Foxglove, Luke also opened Arya in Ramsgate with sister Jess, which was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand just one year after opening. A keen forager, Luke draws on French and Italian influences with touches of Japanese ingredients, changing Aster’ s menu almost weekly to reflect what’ s most seasonal and exceptional.
Aster is now open Wednesday- Saturday at 6pm and 8pm. asterbroadstairs
MAD DOG BREWERY CO TAP ROOM
MAD DOG BREWERY CO. TAP ROOM, TUNBRIDGE WELLS
A beautifully historic venue has re-opened as the town’ s newest tap room from the Welsh-founded Mad Dog Brewery Co.
Situated on the Lower Pantiles, the pub is located in the beer cellar of what was once The Gloster Tavern and offers an array of craft beer, wine and cocktails in a lively yet relaxed setting. The brewery prides itself on catering for all drinking preferences while offering their own beers made of all-natural ingredients, as well as a range of freshly prepared pizzas and bar snacks. All of Mad Dog’ s 14 beers are vegan and preservative-free, with five gluten-free beers part of the permanent range.
“ Our range of drinks is designed to appeal to everyone, making beer more accessible while also ensuring those who prefer wine or spirits are well catered for,” says Tim Waters, the founder of Mad Dog Brewery Co.“ It was great meeting people during our official opening and we look forward to becoming a part of the Tunbridge Wells’ community!”
Mad Dog Brewery Co. Tap Room is now open daily from 3pm- 11pm. maddogbrew. co. uk / tunbridge-wells-taproom www. insidekent. co. uk • 21