WELCOME
FINALLY! IT’ S WARM ENOUGH FOR BBQS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
An abundance of incredible, fresh produce pulses through the very lifeblood of Kent, and this month- the wonderful, spring-summer cusp month of May – is all about food, glorious food … washed down with a healthy dose of drinking too. Work out where to while away sunny afternoons on our ultimate Kent pub crawl from p77; we take you on a gourmet trip around the world with a six-page guide to the county’ s best global cuisine from p91; and we’ ve also put together a handy beginner pack of stock cupboard essentials, helpful products and recipes for anyone who’ s caught the baking bug, but isn’ t sure where to start( p105). Lucky old me has been on a personal quest to find Brighton’ s very best restaurants too and you can check out three back-to-back reviews from p99 if you fancy a gastro-weekend across the border …
Combining music, yet more food and feel-good frolics, festivalgoers are spoilt for choice as to which of the county’ s numerous festivals to go to throughout spring and summer. There really is something for everyone – bookworms will be at home at Chiddingstone Castle’ s Literary Festival; Tom Kerridge’ s Pub in the Park comes to Tunbridge Wells in early July celebrating food, gin and cider; vintage lovers should head for The Big O; and the Black Deer Festival is an Americana and country extravaganza welcoming A-lister Keifer Sutherland to its lineup among many other brilliant acts. The list goes on and on … head to p51 for our whopping 15-page guide.
We’ ve also got gadgets( p148), getaways( from p132) and wellness( p129) galore alongside our usual round up of excellent Kent events( p21) for you to choose from if you have any time left between pub crawls, restaurant visits and party weekends! Please find and follow us on Twitter( insideKENT) to let us know what you think of the mag. I’ m off to dig out my festival wellies …
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MY FAVOURITE THINGS THIS MONTH …
ANNIE SLOAN DETAIL BRUSHES £ 14.95 for four, www. anniesloan. com
Annie Sloan’ s Detail Brush set is designed to bring a no-fuss approach to mark-making and decorative paint effects. Ideal for painting fine details and dynamic shapes using Chalk Paint ® and gilding waxes, the four brushes give great control, amazing precision and ensure an even spread of colour thanks to their soft, durable bristles. One set comes with four brushes: small round, small flat, large round and large flat.
THUMBS UP MINI EMERGENCY CHARGER £ 9.99, www. thumbsupuk. com
When that inconvenient ' low battery ' symbol starts flashing and you ' re miles away from a socket, don ' t panic! Just plug this wireless and pocket-sized emergency hero directly into your smartphone and let the 2000mAh battery work its magic. Fully charges most devices with a single charge – compatible with Android devices; a handbag-friendly lifesaver.
ROOT7’ S HIMALAYAN SALT SHOT GLASSES £ 25 for four, www. root7. com
Made from 100 per cent solid salt, these Himalayan salt shot glasses give drinking tequila the grown-up credit it deserves; carved from natural pink rock salt mined from the Himalayas, they’ re washable and add a subtle salty flavour to your shot, both taking the edge off the spirit and waving goodbye to awkwardly licking your hand forever.
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