tastefaversham approved links
In the Financial Times on 17 September 2010 Roger Protz included the Railway Hotel in the best 10 pubs with rooms in the country - it is the only pub in the South East that's included. Roger Porttz wrote "This 19th-century hotel is opposite Faversham station and embodies the pomp of the railway age. Landlord Chris Maclean is something of a local character who will offer you his home-made preserves during the hotel’s renowned breakfast. The immaculate bar is free from television screens or a juke box: Maclean encourages the ancient art of conversation. Chef Nat Victor runs the Provenance restaurant where he uses locally-sourced ingredients, organic where possible. The seven rooms have a four-star rating from Visit Britain, the tourist authority."
In January eighteen of us visited Corrine's Creative Kitchen to learn about Asian cooking and to sample her dishes. Trading locally since 2007 Corrine offers cookery classes, sells to local farm shops and delis, caters for events, parties, business meetings, and they deliver locally. Ingredients are purchased locally and all their meats, fish and vegetables come from well respected businesses in Faversham. Wherever possible the meats and vegetables we use are organic.
The curries are freshly prepared using old family recipes and their own authentic blend of spices and are packed in microwaveable containers for convenience. Frozen curries are packed and frozen immediately after cooking and cooling to trap in all their freshness and flavour.
In November our 'Literally Slow Food' evening was rather poorly attended, but Helen McNeil (who organised the event) does think that people did perhaps miss out on a rather interesting evening:
"We stood, shivered a bit, listened intently and, enthralled by the fascinating information, we tasted Helen's snails. I was even persuaded to try them and have to say that they exceeded all my expectations.
Thank you Helen for a most interesting evening where we all learnt so much about these creatures. It was truly a most interesting event and for those of you who resisted my entreaties to come along, well, you missed out!
The Snails are farmed by
Helen Howard, of H&RH Escargots has been farming edible snails and selling them to local restaurants for the last four years. For the first time this year the snails have been able to live out of doors for the summer season in the Garden Centre at Brogdale. Slow Summer Snail Farm is open to the public from the end of May to the first frosts in October.
In October at the Railway Hotel we heard from two local producers and sampled their Christmas Pudding and Ice-cream.
Kay’s Country Kitchen
Kay's Country Kitchen is a family run business located in Faversham at 120 West Street. Making homemade Christmas Cakes Pies and Pastries Preserves, Chutneys and Pickles. They offer catering and flower arrangemements for all occasions.
Simply Ice Cream
Kentish producers of gourmet luxury ice cream. Sally Newall will be joining us to talk about their seriously good ice cream. Located in the heart of rural Kent, Simply Ice Cream is a truly homemade ice cream company. Sally Newall, mother of four children, produces a range of decadent ice creams in Bonnington, Ashford using locally sourced cream, Kentish seasonal fruits and only the best ingredients.
The Railway Hotel was lauded in the Financial Times "Roger Protz's Top Ten Favourite Inns with Rooms in Britain" (18/9/2010)
"This 19th-century hotel is opposite Faversham station and embodies the pomp of the railway age. Landlord Chris Maclean is something of a local character who will offer you his home-made preserves during the hotel's renowned breakfast.The immaculate bar is free from television screens or a juke-box: Maclean encourages the ancient art of conversation. Chef Nat Victor runs the Provenance restaurant where he uses locally sourced ingredients, organic if possible"
In September we had two wonderful evenings at Bluey Walpole's Hollowshore Fisheries, Fisherman's Yard, Oare Halt,
Faversham
Kent ME13 0PY We were treated to some extraordinarily good fish, fresh and smoked at Hollowshore Fisheries. You can find the Yard to the left of the Castle Inn in Oare. Call 07733 028665 Hollowshore Fisheries is open only on Fridays and Saturdays form 09:00-15:00 but get there before noon to avoid disappointment. A family business they will likely broaden your taste in fish, and they will share their knowledge with you.
The Railway Hotel, Faversham is where we held our inaugural meeting in March 2010 with the enthusiastic support of the 'larger than life' pub landlord – it's a fine drinking hole. This is a traditional Victorian hotel which offers 4* accommodation and an excellent base for exploring some of Kent’s best real food restaurants www.railwayhotelfaversham.co.uk
Our second meeting was hosted by Stefano of Macknade Fine Foods and Debbie of Ellie's Dairy. Debbie opened our eyes and stimulated our taste buds with her goat's cheeses and Stefano introduced us to some fine local wines. Proof, if proof were needed, of the fine food and drink to be found on our doorstep.
Our third meeting, in May 2010, was hosted at the Rough Old Wife Cidery who produce traditional hand pressed cider from their own apples and with a hint of Islay Whisky, in the dry Rough Old Wife and of raspberries in the Blushing Old Wife. Spicy Old Wife, mulled, was not available - out of season, although the evening was cool enough .... The name combines that of the village Old Wives Lees and the orchard Hawkin's Rough. They have been making organic cider since 2006 and now produce 6000 litres per annum - we may be back to see the harvest in mid-October.