Ramsgate: Regency elegance on the Kent coast

Until recently, to me, Ramsgate was just a lesser known Channel port, but a fleeting visit early last year radically changed this. We'd failed to get to France for Easter, so spent a couple of days exploring this corner of Kent and really liked what we saw. What's more, as it's so close to London, we've returned a couple of times since.

The big surprise with Ramsgate is the quality of the architecture, big sandy beaches and its bustling, scenic harbour – Britain's only royal harbour, a status granted to the town by George IV. Street names such as Nelson Crescent, Wellington Crescent and The Plains of Waterloo all obviously date from this period and elegant Georgian terraces shape the townscape. A century later local resident Pugin put his stamp on the town with his distinctive Grange and several other buildings. Blue plaques noting the town's many illustrious visitors punctuate the buildings and reveal just what a fashionable resort Ramsgate used to be. Over the years, fortunes have fluctuated for neighbouring Margate and Broadstairs, too, but things are definitely picking up and being only 75 minutes away from St Pancras on High Speed 1 means the so-called 'DFLs' (Down From London) will only get more numerous.

It's a great area for food and drink and I've already mentioned Canterbury's amazing Goods Shed in an earlier post. I'll be covering recommended local restaurants separately, but here are some pictures of Ramsgate basking in glorious sunshine at Whitsun.

Selfridges food hall Birmingham: a waste of (lovely) space

As you might have guessed already, I love food shopping, so, on a recent trip to Birmingham I was keen to have a nose around the glammed up Bullring shopping centre, especially the Future Systems-designed Selfridges. It was quite a stunning store and had the usual glamorous Selfridges feel, but I was mightily disappointed by the food hall. It has a great sense of space, but there didn't seem to be much in it apart from restaurant concessions, a perfectly decent deli counter and an overly blingy drinks department (lots of glitzy fizz). And I couldn't believe how many sweets there were.

Perhaps in the current climate people are just buying gift items in this environment, but it felt like a missed opportunity and a waste of rather lovely space. If you've been, I'd love to hear what you think.

Foodie breaks: Kent – Whitstable

During our recent weekend in Kent we visited Whitstable twice. Firstly on the Saturday – cool and dreary, there seemed to be too many shops selling gifts or fancy children's ware and the town looked too cute for its own good. Nevertheless, we spent an enjoyable hour or so in a cosy café and managed to get a booking at Wheeler's Oyster Bar for the following day. This was my first time in Whitstable in more than 15 years and a lot has changed – it's fashionable now and knows it.

When we returned on the Sunday in vibrant sunshine it was quite different. Clutching a half-bottle of Sancerre from the off-licence across the road, we went straight to (unlicensed) Wheelers for an extravaganza of top-notch fish and seafood which we enjoyed perched on stools at the counter in the shop. Booking a table in the tiny rear dining room that seats 16 requires serious forward-planning (or a hefty dose of good luck). However, we were happy people watching in the front, witnessing a stream of smiling customers leaving with their delicious purchases, which has probably been the case since 1856 when Wheeler's was established.

From chef Mark Stubbs's menu, we chose several small plates including crab cake and other inspired and beautifully executed dishes such as smoked haddock with kedgeree scotch egg, scallops with pork and apple, and Thai style soup with prawn tempura. Imaginative touches included the blue cheese croutons in the salad that accompanied the crab cake and the drizzle of apple sauce.

We didn't have space for any of the desserts but I have included a picture of the menu here as it looked so interesting. Next time.

After lunch we strolled around Whitstable in the sunshine where so many people were making the most of the good weather. If we hadn't eaten earlier, we'd have been spoiled for choice. We left feeling reassured that Whitstable hadn't lost too much of its saline windswept charm.

Foodie breaks: Kent – The Linen Shed

Back in the summer we had a short break in Suffolk, but a couple of weeks ago we ventured southeast to Kent for an indulgent weekend away. We had a Saturday night reservation at Michelin-starred The Sportsman in Seasalter and had arranged to stay at The Linen Shed boutique bed and breakfast in Boughton-under-Blean on the old A2 between Faversham and Canterbury, inland from Whitstable.

As we weren't sure of our arrival time on the Friday night, our hosts at The Linen Shed, Vickie Miles and Graham Hassan, suggested The Queen's Head pub in the village, Shepherd Neame Food Pub of the Year. This part of Kent is very much 'The Garden of England', an area that bristles with pride for local ingredients, and the pub even uses produce from its own farm. My home-made burger and chips with the chef's ketchup were tasty and comforting, but husband Nathan had one of the specials, braised veal which was meltingly unctuous. Our bottle of Fontodi Chianti Classico 2008 hit the spot with both dishes.

After our first night in The French Room (with emperor-sized bed and adjoining shower room), Saturday began with Vickie's spectacular breakfast. After tea and granola bites in the lounge, we were treated to a full English in the glamorous shabby chic dining room. Vickie, who's professional background includes being a private chef, cooks everything to order, and our spread included a wonderfully crisp rosti potato and creamed mushrooms, as well as excellent local bacon and sausages and single varietal apple juice. Classy condiments included truffle salt and flavoured olive oils.

After breakfast we headed into nearby Faversham to nose around antique and junk shops and admire the handsome, medieval high street. We got back in the car and drove along the coast to Whitstable where we stopped for tea and cake and a browse through the papers in a cosy café – perfect for a cold, dreary afternoon. We'd deliberately skipped lunch as we were saving ourselves for dinner.

We returned to The Linen Shed to relax for a while and freshen up before enjoying an early evening drink with our hosts and the other couple who were staying there. Vickie's delicious nibbles included little biscuits topped with mature cheddar and pear mostarda. We then headed out for the evening to The Sportsman, a 15 minute taxi ride away. We had an amazing meal which I've written about here.

The next morning we aimed for a lighter breakfast – pancakes with bacon and maple syrup for me, but Nathan couldn't resist the full English again. In fine weather breakfast can be served on the terrace, overlooking the old gypsy caravan in the garden. We'd managed to secure a booking at Wheeler's in Whitstable for lunch, so, having packed our bags, we departed in bright sunshine. (I've written more about this here.)

Less than a couple of hours from north London, this part of Kent is ideal for a relaxing weekend break. Apart from some cottage rentals and the Hotel Continental in Whitstable with its converted fisherman's huts, there isn't much accommodation available, so the three guest rooms at The Linen Shed get booked up well in advance. And while you're in the area, don't forget to check out Macknade Fine Foods the 'Fortnum's of Faversham' – a farm shop that sells an eye-popping array of goodies from around the world, as well as local seasonal specialities. It's difficult not to go mad in there – we drove back to London with plenty of Christmas goodies.

The Linen Shed
Tel 01227 752271
bookings@thelinenshed.com

Foodie breaks: Kent – The Sportsman at Seasalter

As soon as I heard about The Sportsman at Seasalter I wanted to go there. It's a Michelin-starred gastropub just along the coast from Whitstable (think oysters etc) that claims to source as much as possible from the locality, even making their own salt and butter. Refreshingly unfussy and informal. What's more, the wine list is dominated by bottles under £30, priced according to what they feel their local clientele is happy to pay. A breath of fresh air in many ways.

Seated at a bear wooden table, we were struck by the simple decor. Displayed on the walls are paintings available for sale – but not many would tempt you. That's not what you're there for, though, as a glance at the blackboards displaying the menu and wine list reminds you. The Sportsman is all about the food and was full of happy diners. As we were there at the weekend, it wasn't possible to have chef Steve Harris's renowned tasting menu which is only available during the week, however, there was plenty to tempt us.

A selection of bread and their excellent butter was brought to the table while we decided what to have. My husband selected slipsole grilled in seaweed butter and I went for poached rock oysters with pickled cucumber and Avruga caviar. We kept to fish and seafood, following on with seared thornback ray, brown butter, cockles and sherry vinegar dressing for Nathan and brill fillet braised in vin jaune and smoked pork for me. Our bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe blanc 2009 Domaine du Vieux Cazaret turned out to be a bit heavy with the more subtle starters, but came into its own with the main courses. Nathan's slipsole was surprisingly meaty and flavoursome which contrasted nicely with the saline, rich and nutty sauce (the seaweed had, apparently, been dried before being crumbled into the sauce). My oysters were creamy and briny, having only been lightly cooked. The cucumber and caviar added freshness and further complexity. Gorgeous.

The main courses were better still. Nathan's thornback ray with cockles had so many interesting elements and was expertly cooked, but, despite not looking as interesting or multifaceted, my brill was a stunning dish. The sauce was decadently rich and complex, with the balancing tang of the vin jaune, and the smoked pork belly provided a crispy meaty texture and gutsy flavour in contrast to the tender fish. It really worked. The Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, warming, with ripe nutty fruit, was a satisfying wintery choice for these dishes.

Nathan finished off with coffee and whisky trifle and I had the light, pillowy warm chocolate mousse, salted caramel and milk sorbet, both with Taylor's 20 year old tawny. Aged tawny port is a versatile choice for chocolatey desserts and here, with the salted caramel, it couldn't be happier. And neither could we – particularly when the bill arrived for just over £100. Highly recommended – but you need to book well in advance.

The Sportsman
Faversham Road
Seasalter
Whitstable
Kent
Tel 01227 273370

Passport control: an unexpected 'staycation'

I don't like the word 'staycation', but this is what we ended up having over the Easter weekend. We had planned a blissful sounding little break in Normandy in a cottage just inland from Dieppe. We'd been very busy, so needed a change of scene and a breath of fresh air. Anyway, this wasn't to be. Just as we were getting organised late on Thursday afternoon, in preparation for our 7.30 ferry on Good Friday morning, we realised our 5-year-old daughter's passport had expired a fortnight earlier.

So, after a lot of disappointment (tears, I'm afraid) and several deep breaths, I hit the Alastair Sawday website with a vengeance, determined to find a hotel vacancy near the coast a couple of hours or so from London. Consequently, our Easter ended up having a much more British flavour, driving down to the Kent coast and making the most of the Good Friday sunshine in Broadstairs and Ramsgate, before checking into the Bell Hotel in Sandwich for a tasty dinner and relaxing overnight stay.

After a hearty breakfast on Easter Saturday we strolled around historic Sandwich and picked up a few local goodies in the Sandwich Sausage Shop (a very good butchers – despite the name which our daughter found hilarious, along with the Sandwich Library and Sandwich Chocolate Shop). We then headed to Deal for a windswept walk along the front and an epic fish and chip lunch. As the weather was now so much more wintery, we were happy to be heading back to London.

The latter half of the weekend was spent with my parents in Hertfordshire and included visiting Lionel Rothschild's extraordinary collection of stuffed animals in Tring, part of the Natural History Museum (and with free entry). Tring is an attractive country town with bags of character on the edge of the Chilterns. There are some lovely walks and sights nearby, including the Ridgeway Path and Ivinghoe Beacon.

This unexpected 'staycation' had a few memorable benefits: we really enjoyed our time in Kent and were particularly taken by Broadstairs – where Dickens spent his holidays – and Ramsgate with its enormous marina and elegant Regency architecture. We'll definitely be returning soon to visit the new Turner Contemporary in Margate. The area's perfect for easy day trips from London on the train.

What's more our Sandwich souvenirs: delicious brown shrimps, salt marsh lamb and bottle of Pinot Blanc from Stopham Estate (as they say on the label: 'Made with precision and passion in Sussex') partially helped make up for the bootful of wine, Bonne Maman jam and other French treats we'd set or sights on. Parents of young children, please be warned: those first passports run out quickly and you don't want to miss the boat as well.

Château Tooting 2011: an unexpectedly good taste of London

I have a personal preference for lean, fresh, moderately alcoholic wines. These tend to come from quite cool wine regions – the Loire Valley, Germany, Austria, Northern Italy and, indeed, England, whose fizz now ranks favourably with Champagne. Consequently, when my friends at the Urban Wine Company get in touch, I take note.

Last week, on a beautiful early Spring evening, I opened my sample bottle of the latest release from this London-based grape collective. It had been a glorious day in the city, so it seemed an appropriate thing to do. I was immediately taken by the delicate petal pink colour and by the clean, fresh nose, tinged with aromatic soft red fruit. Whereas previous examples have had a tartness, the 2011 is more gentle and rounded and surprisingly refined. I sensed more residual sugar which helped balance the almost raspingly high acidity. It tasted as though the winemaker is now getting into their stride and working well with the unusual and unpredictable selection of grapes that find their way into this unique wine.

To be frank, I'd sooner drink this than many of the deeply coloured, big, sickly rosés on the market. The 2011's style and flavour characterised England: restrained and cool, yet quietly charming. It even reminded me of strawberries and cream. If you're looking for something patriotic for the Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics, here you are.