insideKENT Magazine Issue 39 - June 2015 | Page 41

FOOD+DRINK
MADE IN KENT cont.
Anno Distillers
www.annodistillers.co.uk
// Marden
Andy and Norman are the cofounders of Anno Distillers,
makers of fine Kentish gin. They
are also PhD research and
development chemists, so they
know how to create the perfect
smooth gin. With Patience, the
copper pot still who is seen as
part of the Anno Distillers’ family,
and patience when it came to
perfecting the blend using
Kentish ingredients, Anno
Distillers now offers a refreshing,
award-winning gin.

Chegworth Valley
www.chegworthvalley.com // Harrietsham

Hugh Lowe Farms
www.hughlowefarms.com // Mereworth
Hu gh Lowe Farms
specialises in
strawberries and
raspberries – perfectly
juicy, utterly delicious,
and totally Kentish
varieties that taste of
summer. With over
120 years of
experience under the
family’s belt, Hugh
Lowe Farms has
staked its claim as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to producing
perfect Kentish berries.

Chegworth Valley has many fine products, but it's the freshly pressed juices
that caught the eyes of the judges at 2015’s Taste of Kent Awards. This
is a family-run fruit farm established in 1983, and everything is handmade
in small batches onsite. The juices are usually made within hours of the fruit
being picked, ensuring total crisp freshness and Kentish flavours. Varieties
include raspberry, strawberry, wild elderflower, apple, pear, beetroot, and
rhubarb.

Macknade Fine Foods
www.macknade.com
// Faversham
The award-winning
Macknade Fine Foods is a
perfect fusion of Kentish
produce and Italian cuisine.
Everything that can be made
into delicious dishes can be
found here; fruit and
vegetables such as
asparagus, apples, pears,
ugli fruit, and yams, over 300
different cheeses (including
Winterdale Shaw – Robin
Bett’s award-winning Kentish
cheddar), a superb
charcuterie, and wonderful
Kentish-reared meat.

Kent Crisps
www.kentcrisps.co.uk // Ramsgate
It was just five years ago
that managing director
Angie decided that crisps
was the way to go, and
Kentish crisps at that.
Therefore, using
rapeseed oil from the
Quex Park Estate, and
experimenting in her own
kitchen with a variety of
different and local
flavours, these crunchy,
quintessentially Kentish crisps were born. Now flavours including Oyster
& Vinegar, Beef & Spitfire, and Ashmore Cheese & Onion are available for
all to enjoy.

Squerryes Court
Vineyard
www.squerryes.co.uk
// Westerham
Squerryes Court Vineyard is
responsible for the tripleaward-winning exclusive first
vintage reserve made from
a blend of chardonnay, pinot
noir, and pinot meunier
grapes, all grown on the
estate. The family motto here
is 'licet esse beatis', which
means ‘permit oneself to be
joyful’ – it’s certainly
something that the
winemakers here have taken
to heart.

Biddenden Vineyards
www.biddendenvineyards.com
// Biddenden
Biddenden has 23 acres of
vineyards and grows 11 different
varieties of grapes, enabling it to
produce excellent white, rosé, and
sparkling wines, as well as
traditional Kentish ciders and farmpressed apple and pear juices.
This is Kent’s oldest commercial
vineyard, and it has been
producing excellent wines since
1969.

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