insideKENT Magazine Issue 96 - March 2020 | Page 74

FOOD+DRINK
KEN T’S TO P G AS T R O P UB S
AN N O U N CE D
The Estrella Damm Top
50 Gastropub Awards
have placed five top Kent
Gastropubs on the coveted
list, with Kent boasting
more award-winning
eateries than any other
county outside of London.
The Top 50 Gastropubs
list, now in its 11th year,
ranks the UK’s best
gastropubs according to
the votes from more than
400 gastropub owners,
food critics and other
industry experts.
The year’s listings see two ‘Top 10’ entries for Kent, with Seasalter’s acclaimed
Michelin-starred The Sportsman at No 2, and iK fave The Compasses Inn rising
15 places to claim spot No 6. The esteemed list also includes The Fordwich Arms,
Canterbury (no.17), The Kentish Hare at Bidborough (no.28) and The Dog at
Wingham, Canterbury (no.49).
James Healey, UK country manager for Estrella Damm, said: “This is the fifth year
that we have sponsored the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Awards, an awards
ceremony that celebrates high calibre ingredients, culinary excellence and innovation,
qualities that are also shared by Estrella Damm.
“We want to extend our congratulations to all 50 gastropubs on the list and hope
more pub-goers are lucky enough to experience their talent in 2020.”
MA C K N A D E E L W I C K PL ACE
OPE N S I N AS H F O R D
Macknade’s latest venture in
Elwick Place has opened its
doors to offer Ashford residents
and visitors an all-day dining
experience that takes guests
from breakfast and brunch;
through to supper and evening
cocktails, with menus that
reflect Macknade’s Kentish and
Meditteranean roots, using
quality ingredients, simply
cooked to bring out their
natural flavour.
Having developed a strong and loyal community of fans since it was established
in 1979, Macknade’s new Elwick Place venture will offer café staples such as
freshly ground Manaresi coffee, home baked cakes and scrambled eggs with crispy
serrano ham. There will also be a well-stocked bar serving local and continental
wine, beer, cider, spirits, and soft drinks. And whilst the emphasis will be on eating-
in, in the informal and social dining space, there will also be a host of products to
buy to take home.
Pete Bowler, general manager at Elwick Place said: “Our new site will celebrate and
support local businesses, as well as our customers growing desire to shop and eat
locally. We have a fantastic community of staff, customers and suppliers in Faversham
and I am looking forward to building that same affection at Elwick Place.
“Today more than ever, people are looking to support businesses with sustainability
and provenance at their core. These are two of the guiding principles for Macknade
and these haven’t waivered for the last 40 years… and this is why I am so excited
to begin the Ashford journey.”
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A SH F O RD’ S T H E H O OD E N
SMO K EH O U SE & CEL LAR
NA MED BEST P U B GARD E N
IN U K
The Hooden Smokehouse
& Cellar in Ashford, which
reopened two years ago
following a major fire, has
beaten off stiff competition
from 2,500 pubs from
around the UK to be
crowned winner of The
Best Outdoor Garden
category in national pub
awards run by Heineken-
owned Star Pubs & Bars.
The Hooden excelled in all areas, being awarded 10 out of 10 across
seven criteria, and was described by the judges as ‘amazing’
in the awards where judge look for the perfect place for customers to
eat, drink and relax outdoors, with great child friendly facilities, high
levels of cleanliness and provision for inclement weather, ensuring
year-round use.
The huge hidden garden at The Hooden comfortably hosts 300 people
and has different zones – two heated covered areas for watching live
sports or films outdoors, two kids play areas appealing to different ages,
an area with picnic tables, a quiet drinking section and an outside bar
and kitchen with pizza oven and bbq – the perfect place for the pub’s
beer festivals and family fun days.
Says licensee Howard Lapish: “We’re really proud of our garden and
so are thrilled to have it recognised through our Star Award win. We
provide the facilities, food, drink and the service, but it’s also a win for
our staff and our regulars who provide the atmosphere that makes it
such an enjoyable space in which to spend time.”
COPPER RIVET DISTILLERY
T O P S 10, 000 V ISIT O R S
Copper Rivet Distillery, birthplace of Dockyard Gin, has revealed that
it welcomed over 10,000 predominately Kent-based visitors to its distillery
in Chatham in 2019. 80% were guests on the distillery's popular tour,
which showcases the field to glass production of Copper Rivet’s award-
winning gins, vodka and grain spirit, that costs just £15pp. The remainder
were visitors attending events or eating in the 70-seat delicatessen.
Stephen Russell, co-founder, Copper Rivet Distillery, commented: “Our
distillery stands like a cathedral of the seas, with water on both sides.
We were so lucky to find such a stunning building. It has loads of space
and free visitor parking; and, as half of the building is our own delicatessen
and eatery, we are offering visitors a really memorable day out.
“A new waterside decking area was added in 2019, and we will be
adding a smart new bar this summer to cope with our extra visitors.”