Secret Restaurants: Salt of the Earth - The Sportsman, Whitstable

Well I've had the most marvelous day today (it is my 31st birthday for those who don't know). It's become a bit of a tradition in the last few years for me to have some kind of birthday surprise - one year it was the chickens, last year was a meal at the Le Manoir and Tim had already primed me this morning that this year was no exception.

Off we set to the mystery location.

So, I donned my glad rags and off we went - me completely oblivious to what Tim had in store for me.

We started heading towards Kent and I wondered if we were going to France for the day - still none the wiser where the hell we were going. Then we turned down this tumble-down road, through a small village past the oast houses down towards the sea wall. On the left was a rather ordinary, shabby looking pub and straight on was a row of beach huts. It felt like he'd taken me to the end of the earth as there was nothing else around and we were really rather exposed to the elements at this point as the rain was thundering down. Once inside the Sportsman, it was a different story - the decor was simple and rustic looking and it was lovely and cozy with the log fire roaring in the corner. Tim informed me that the restaurant was very highly regarded as one of the best eateries in the world, with people coming from all over the world to dine (even the New York Times have reviewed the restaurant).


I have to say I love going to posh restaurants - I'm not loaded, I just don't go out much and when I do I go all out - but the food at the Sportsman was something else. The passsion that the friendly chef and all the staff have for the food is second to none. All the produce, even the salt, which they make themselves, is from within a 3-mile radius of the restaurant. The lamb that they use comes from the farm opposite and the seaweed, herbs and sea buckthorn were picked from the beach that very morning. Everything we had was in season and British.

Delicious cured ham made at the Sportsman using their own sea salt

8-Course tasting menu

We had the 8-course tasting menu at £55 a head. I love to have the tasting menus as you get a small sample of lots of different courses and it's a real experience. It may seen a lot to spend, but it really is a whole day out for £55, which I think is worth every penny.

Pork scratchings - hmm, delicious!

Homemade bread - soda bread (malt flour), sour dough (my favourite) and onion and rosemary focacia (so light and tasty)

My favourites were the pork scratchings (best crackling ever!), smoked widgeon (very like duck), the roast lamb main course (the most devine lamb I have ever had - melted in my mouth), the apple sorbet with space dust was a refreshing pre-dessert and last but certainly not least the cream cheese ice cream dessert with smatterings of ginger biscuit crumbs and flakes of meringue was devine.

Breaded lamb belly sticks with homemade mint sauce (we were instructed to dunk them!).

Above photos of the food are all from google images - I'm afraid I didn't get any of my own photos as the weather was abysmal!

So all in all, we had a lovely day out and will certainly return for the summer tasting menu. I want to get there quick before someone puts this lovely place on the map!

As Tim is in the know about all these small eateries I thought I'd start doing a feature reviewing the places we go to. It will also encourage me to get off my lazy backside at the weekend and go out! The features will be listed here.

TTFN