As the second largest county in the Southeast of England, Kent is a popular vacation destination for tourists across the globe. While it’s known for its beautiful countryside and architecture, Kent’s traditional food often gets forgotten about. Despite this, some of Kent’s food has transformed cuisine as we know it on a global scale. If you ever find yourself in the county, be sure to hop into one of the Maidstone taxis in Kent and make your way to one of Kent’s many dining establishments. From Canterbury to Folkestone, the towns and cities are abundant in various delicious dishes to indulge in.
Kentish Rarebit
We’ve all heard of Welsh Rarebit, but Kent has its own version made with apples, which is a fruit with a rich history in the county. In fact, fruit pickers in Kent’s orchards often snacked on Kentish Rarebit. Essentially the Kentish Rarebit is made by layering sliced apple and cheese on bread before placing it under the grill. It may sound like an unusual combination, but the sweet and savory flavors create a contrast that’s delicious.
Folkestone Pudding Pie
Folkestone Pudding Pie is also known as Kent Lent Pie and Kentish Pudding Pie and comprises a rice pudding filling within a piecrust base. Among the rice pudding sits lemon zest, spices, currants, and sultanas. These are predominantly used for flavor; however, they’re sometimes sprinkled across the top for decorative purposes.
Whitstable Oysters
The Atlantic is known for its incredible oysters, but did you know that the oyster beds in Whitstable are almost as tasty? The origins of the Whitstable Oyster Company go all the way back to the 1400s; however, these oysters were initially discovered by the Romans, who deemed shellfish a delicacy and even shipped them back to Rome. Today, the annual Whitstable Oyster Festival is hosted in the town in order to celebrate the heritage.
Canterbury Tart
Essentially, a Canterbury Tart is an apple tart with lemon and grated apple filling, topped with sliced apples for decoration. It’s a very tasty Kentish delicacy; however, the origin of its name remains a mystery. It’s believed that the recipe was first written down by Geoffrey Chaucer, the author of the Canterbury Tales, which could be responsible for the pudding’s title.
Sandwich
Perhaps the most famous food item to come from Kent is the humble sandwich! This concoction was named after the fourth Earl of Sandwich, Lord John Montague, who was rumored to have been quite the gambler. Since he didn’t want to take a break from his card games, he instructed waiters to bring him meat between two slices of bread. His friends would then go on to order “the same as Sandwich”; as a result, the sandwich was born.
Strawberries
Kent is widely regarded as the best region to grow strawberries, thanks to the county’s temperate climate and fertile soil. In fact, the Hugh Lowe Farms in Mereworth are the trusted suppliers at the Wimbledon Championships and have been for 30 years. Each year around 1.92 million strawberries are picked and consumed during the tournament.
Ales
Kent is famous for its hop growing heritage and is home to the oldest Brewery in England, The Shepherd Neame Brewery, which has remained in its place since 1698. They produce all manner of ales with Kentish origins, including:
- Bear Island – this ale is named after the island that once sat in the brewery grounds. The island was the site of many unusual cargo arrivals, one of them being a bear and its keeper.
- Beckett’s Shrine
- Bishop’s Finger
- Whitstable Bay Collection