Garden of Plenty - Kent brewer Shepherd Neame teams up with local producers

Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has teamed up with local producers to present prime produce from the Garden of England at its pubs. Max Gosney reports:

As the UK's gateway to France, via the Channel tunnel, it seems fitting that Kent should also premier a Gallic-style food partnership between producers and pubs.

Faversham brewer Shepherd Neame has selected five of the region's top small food companies to supply ingredients to its 368 managed pubs in the south-east.

The Local Food from Local People initiative aims to champion fine Kent produce as is the norm in France, where regional fare is proudly regarded and widely available in local eateries.

Name: St Nicholas Court Farm

Location: Isle of Thanet, Kent

From the Garden of England: Potatoes

The expansive fields and fertile soil of the Isle of Thanet provide perfect potato-growing conditions. St Nicholas Court Farm has been harvesting potatoes in Thanet since Colonel Arthur Tapp returned from service in World War I to plant the first crop. The rich, moist soil makes ideal growing conditions for the Desiree potato. Other varities include King Edward and Maris Piper.

On the menu: The farm's potatoes are used in the potato and herb mash, which is served with the noisettes of Romney Marsh lamb, priced £10.95, at the White Horse, Boughton, Kent.

Name: Bank Farm

Location: Aldington near Ashford, Kent

From the garden of England: Eggs

Bank Farm supplies free-range eggs to Michelin-starred restaurants, including the Ivy, Le Gavroche, Locanda Locatelli and the Square. Bank Farm's proprietor, Douglas Wanstall, aims to provide chefs with high-quality and environmentally friendly eggs.Douglas has also planted thousands of trees and hedgerows across the farm estate, which has helped boost the local population of barn owls. In 2001 the green-thinking farm received the Wildlife Conservation prize at the Kent Environment Awards.

Name: Griggs of Hythe

Location: Fisherman's Beach, Hythe, Kent

From the Garden of England: Dover sole,cod, sea bass, skate Griggs of Hythe has been catching fresh fish from waters around the Kent coastline for more than a century. The seafood wholesaler supplies locally caught Dover sole, sea bass, turbot and cod to top restaurants in the region and has built a reputation for fresh, premium,seasonal produce says Griggs' business chief, Andy Cook.

"I reckon you'd be hard pushed to beat our local skate in winter," he says. "In summer and autumn, the quality and taste of Dover sole speaks for itself. And in the spring, I recommend locally-landed wild bass - it's sensational."

Andy, a former restaurateur, is joined by Mick Griggs, the last of the family line, at the helm of the company. Mick is based at the firm's shop in a shed on Fisherman's Beach in Hythe, where he fillets and prepares fish delivered direct from boats moored within a stone's throw of the beach.

On the menu: Griggs' Whitstable oysters are used in a beef and oyster pie, priced at £8.95, at the White Horse, Boughton, Kent.

Name: Rook & Sons

Location: Dover, Kent

From the Garden of England: Beef, lamb

Animal passports are the unlikely concept that ensures top-quality meats from Kent butcher Rook & Sons. In 1995, owner Chris Rook introduced a system involving a detailed record of the whereabouts of each animal to ensure authentic "Kent only" meats."We really know the farmers who rear our beef and lamb," says Chris. "The popular breed we like to use for our beef is Limousin Cross and for lamb, Romney Cross. But the most important factor is the farmers who rear them."

Rook & Sons offer cuts of meat supplied from a band of 33 Kentish farmers. The company was founded in 1965 and has become an established butcher thanks to close relations with local agriculture.

On the menu: Rook's Romney Marsh lamb is offered as noisettes in red wine for £10.95,at the White Horse, Boughton, Kent, while the company's pork is offered as an escalope served on a bed of caramelised local apple and cider, finished with cream, at £11.50 at the Woolpack, Chilham, Kent.

Name: Opies

Location: Sittingbourne, Kent

From the Garden of England: Chutneys and sauces

Preserves producer Opies has been blending chutneys from Kentish fruit since 1929. Cornishman Bennett Opie founded the company in an attempt to avoid a career down the Redruth tin mines. He hit upon the idea of selling home-cured cherries and set up premises in Sittingbourne,a town surrounded by cherry orchards. Opies' flavoured chutney range includes Kentish Bramley apple with Biddenden cider and pear with Kentish wine varieties. The pear chutney also employs a local brew in the form of white wine from the New Wave Wines vineyards in Tenterden and Lamberhurst.

Using ingredients from the best local producers ensures premium preserves,says Opies' managing director William Opie. "We're painstaking about selecting the finest ingredients before any product comes to market."

On the menu: Opies' pear chutney is served with home-made duck and orange paté, priced at £4.75, at the Chesterfield Barn, near Whitstable, Kent.