Dan Merriman at St Leonard's Kent

Dan Merriman at St Leonard’s Kent

St Leonard’s in West Malling, Kent, is hosting an exclusive dinner with Masterchef: The Professionals 2024 winner, Dan Merriman

Taking place on Friday 3rd October, the evening will start at 7pm, with canapés and Kentish sparkling wine from Gusbourne Wine Estate. Each dish in the eight-course tasting menu will be cooked by St Leonard’s Head Chef Marcus Clayton and Dan Merriman and paired with specially chosen wines.

Guests can expect a luxurious menu with the best local and Autumnal seasonal ingredients including mushrooms, scallops, apples, celeriac and venison. Both chefs will make homage to their grandmothers, with Marcus’ Grandma’s trifle with lemon sponge, raspberry jelly and banana mousse and Dan’s Nana’s crumble with spiced apple compote, pickled blackberry jelly, tonka bean custard and caramelised puff pastry ice cream.

Reservations are live, costing £150 per person, including wine pairings, and can be reserved at stleonardskent.co.uk

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About St Leonard’s

Located in the pretty market town of West Malling, Kent, St Leonard’s is an independent, modern British restaurant offering seasonal dining from co-owners, chef Tom Genty and general manager Terry Brouet.

The elegant and relaxed space, with a dining area, bar and table-top seating, plus two private dining rooms, which are ideal for lavish dinner parties, working lunches, parties and Sunday lunches, showcases seasonal menus that champion bold British and European flavours, made using the excellent local produce on the restaurant’s doorstep, deep in the Garden of England.

About Dan Merriman

Dan Merriman is the current MasterChef: The Professionals champion - a title that has catapulted him into the spotlight as one of the most exciting young chefs in the UK today. At just 30, his win is the culmination of years of relentless hard work, fierce determination, and a deep love of food.

Dan has honed his skills in some of the UK’s most prestigious kitchens, training under culinary legends including Chris Lovell (ex-Head Pastry Chef for John Campbell’s two-Michelin-star restaurant) and Lisa Goodwin-Allen at Northcote Manor. Hi.

The Masterchef judges were united in their praise for Dan’s cooking. Marcus Wareing hailed his food as “fine dining at its very, very best… precise, technical and incredibly creative.”

Since his MasterChef triumph, Dan has launched ‘At Home with Dan’, offering an elevated dining experience delivered directly to people’s doors, alongside an expanding calendar of chef residencies, luxury hotel collaborations, and pop-up events across the UK and abroad.

For more information, images or interview please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room on 07730 039361 or hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

Introducing St Leonard's in West Malling, Kent

St Leonard’s brings contemporary British dining to West Malling, Kent

www.stleonardskent.co.uk|@stleonardskent
St Leonard’s | 47 Swan Street | West Malling| Kent | ME19 6JU

Located in the pretty market town of West Malling, Kent, St Leonard’s is an independent, modern British restaurant offering seasonal dining from co-owners, chef Tom Genty and general manager Terry Brouet.

The elegant and relaxed space, with a dining area, bar and table-top seating plus two private dining rooms, which are ideal for lavish dinner parties, working lunches, parties and Sunday lunches,  showcases seasonal menus that champion bold British and European flavours, made using the excellent local produce on the restaurant’s doorstep, deep in the Garden of England.

“Having worked together in previous restaurants, Terry and I had always wanted to open a place of our own,” says Executive Chef and co-owner Tom Genty. “West Malling is an ideal setting, on the high street of an historic and thriving market town, with fantastic suppliers and producers close by.”

In the kitchen, Tom is joined by Head Chef Marcus Clayton, winner of the Young Chef Academy 2022/23, who brings years of experience working in fine-dining and Michelin-starred restaurants, including the two star, Hide and Fox in Hythe and The Small Holding in Kilndown. Together, the menu offers heartfelt cooking underpinned by the provenance and quality of the ingredients the team work with every day. Locally sourced and seasonally changing dishes span an à la carte, tasting and bar menu, including Wednesday steak nights, weekend brunch and Sunday lunch. Additionally, a love of fermenting, preserving, and reducing waste ensures a sustainable approach.

“We want to showcase what we do across a variety of experiences, while remaining consistent, and true to who we are and what we do,” Tom continues. “We don’t want to dictate what our diners can eat, providing a choice in product and price point, but also ensuring that each dish tells a story that’s quintessentially St Leonard’s.”

A spacious, stylish dining room and beautiful oak topped bar is where general manager Terry  Brouet oversees service and front of house. His carefully chosen wine list features award-winning English growers, as well as European and New World wines from highly regarded wineries, cellared in perfect conditions for up to 25 years. Furthermore, a creative cocktail selection includes highlights such as the signature St Leonard’s, St Lucian Rum Punch, Barrel Aged Negroni, and Chocolate and Hazelnut Martini.

“Our drinks are just as essential to the customer journey as our food,” explains Terry. “As soon as a guest walks through the door, we want them to feel at home, and our beautifully designed interiors provide a sophisticated, comfortable backdrop against which to drink and dine.”

Open days and hours:

Tuesday to Friday: Lunch Midday – 11pm
Saturday: 9am – 11pm
Sunday 9am – 8pm

01732 600128
restaurant@stleonardskent.co.uk

The Counter x Hepple Spirits

Eachcourse will be paired with a drink using Hepple Spirits

The Counter by Robin Read partners with Hepple Spirits for exclusive dinner

www.thecountertw.com | @the_counter_tw | @robin__read
The Counter | 77 Calverley Road | Tunbridge Wells | Kent | TN1 2UY

Chef Robin Read is partnering with Hepple Spirits for an exclusive one-off dinner at The Counter, Tunbridge Wells, on Thursday 25th September.

The seven-course specially paired menu will highlight the botanicals used in Hepple’s artisan Gin and Vodka including douglas fir, bog myrtle, ​lovage and blackcurrant leaves, sourced from the Northumbrian landscape.

Hepple Spirits have been on The Counter’s menu since the restaurant’s launch to local and national acclaim in April 2024 and the continuing partnership is testament to a shared commitment of values seeking quality and sustainability. Hepple’s innovative approach to distillation and commitment to preserving the natural beauty of Northumberland sits well with Robin’s love of classic technique with elegant and unique flavours.

On the night, Robin will be joined by Luke Comer from Hepple Spirits to talk through and offer tastings of the individual botanical distillates. Beginning with First Bites and an aperitif of either a Hepple Gin & Tonic or a Hepple Douglas Fir Martini, the menu showcases key botanicals in the Hepple gin used in dishes and drinks, including Lemon Peel, Fennel Seeds, Douglas Fir, Lovage, Juniper and Blackcurrant Leaf. Diners will enjoy Orkney hand-dived scallop with artichoke, celeriac ragu and douglas fir oil paired with a Hepple Douglas Fir Sour, a refreshing short cocktail made with Hepple Douglas Fir Vodka, dry vermouth, Somerset cider brandy, elderflower cordial and lemon juice; and for dessert a caramelised apple tart with sweet-pickled blackcurrants and blackcurrant leaf ice cream, paired with Curlew Calling, a herbaceous cocktail with notes of sweetness from blackcurrant jam made with Hepple Gin and Lillet Rose, garnished with a sprig of lemon thyme.

Reservations are open from 1st September and cost £135 per person including drinks pairing.

The Counter x Hepple Spirits Menu

First Bites

Douglas Fir Martini

Hepple Gin & Tonic

Bread, Butter & Broth

Lemon Peel & Fennel Seeds

Kohlrabi Rosette, Seaweed, Fennel Seed & Herb Dressing

Classic French 75

Douglas Fir 

Orkney Hand dived Scallop, Artichoke, Celeriac Ragu, Douglas Fir Oil

Douglas Fir Sour

Lovage

North Sea Cod, Toasted Pearl Barley & Lovage Orzotto

Pouilly Fume, Domaine les Ormousseaux

Juniper

Eridge Estate Venison Loin, Juniper Braised Beets, Foraged Cep & Kale

Barbera d’Alba ‘Trevigne’, Viette

Blackcurrant Leaf

Caramelised Apple Tart, Sweet Pickled Blackcurrants, Blackcurrant Leaf Ice Cream

Curlew Calling

The Sweet Treat Tower

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About The Counter

The Counter is the debut restaurant of Chef Robin Read in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, which launched in April 2024 with menus created from a love of classical cookery and a curious mind for new techniques. Together with his wife Greta Boccia, The Counter is in a 200-year-old Georgian building in the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells, which includes the main restaurant, private dining room, small wine bar and courtyard garden, with raised beds and pots growing herbs, salads, and brassicas. Offering a choice of tasting menus, Robin’s vision of a modern-day restaurant is that of a responsible and sustainable one with seasonal cooking, few food miles and using every part of an ingredient. He seeks out and nurtures a strong network of small, independent farmers, growers, and producers from farm to sea.

The wine programme is headed up by Greta Boccia and is a curated edit of English and European wines alongside several English spirits, such as Hepple gin and vodka and Vault vermouth and botanical spirits, on the list.

www.thecountertw.com | @the_counter_tw | @robin__read
The Counter | 77 Calverley Road | Tunbridge Wells | Kent | TN1 2UY
No 69 Harden’s Top 100 Restaurants
No 97 Square Meal’s Top 100 Restaurants
Michelin Guide 2025

Open days and hours:

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: Lunch 12:00 – 14:30, Dinner 18:00 – 23:00
Saturday: 12:00 - 23:00 

About Hepple Spirits
Hepple Spirits distillery sits at the foot of the wild moors on the Hepple estate in Northumberland, making gin differently from all other distilleries using cutting edge technology that combines the use of copper pot and vacuum distillation with supercritical extraction.  This equipment allows Hepple to capture the full breadth and depth of flavour of botanicals, specifically focusing on their own green juniper. 

Hepple’s ethos is to restore nature to its original and powerful best. Wetlands have been created to aid and encourage wildlife. Fences have been removed to allow ponies and native cattle to roam free. Rare birds call Hepple home and rear their young, while juniper trees have been planted in their hundreds next to their ancient relatives. hepplespirits.com

June at The Counter by Robin Read

Robin Read at The Counter, Tunbridge Wells

June at The Counter

www.thecountertw.com | @the_counter_tw | @robin__read
The Counter | 77 Calverley Road | Tunbridge Wells | Kent | TN1 2UY

No 69 Harden’s Top 100 Restaurants
No 97 Square Meal’s Top 100 Restaurants
Michelin Guide 2025

“The Counter is delicious and charming… treating the inner Veruca Salt in all of us with pure imagination.”
Grace Dent reviewing The Counter for The Guardian

“This new venture… is the best news for Tunbridge Wells. It has the makings of a destination – a relaxing neighbourhood restaurant with a big-city attitude” Good Food Guide

The new menu for June at The Counter is a kaleidoscope of colours, textures and flavours all with the promise of the long summer days ahead. Reading like a best in show of the ingredients that we source from the British Isles we have Jersey Royals, Garlic Scapes, Orkney hand-dived scallops, Cornish John Dory, Scottish beef fillet, Lancashire cheese and back down to Kent for new season cherries, plus fig leaves, nasturtiums and herbs from our own little kitchen garden. It’s a delicious month and menu at The Counter.

June’s ten-course menu

First Bites
Bread, Butter & Broth
Jersey royals, Parsley sauce, Garlic Scapes
Orkney hand-dived Scallops, Artichoke Barigoule
Cornish Lobster, Our Garden Nasturtium, Kohlrabi & Mint
Cornish John Dory, Pea & Guanciale
Scottish Beef Fillet, Kentish Beef Tea & Tarragon
Cornish Saddle of Lamb, Courgette, Feta & Oregano
Lancashire Bomb Crumpet, Tare glaze & Chives (optional £12 supplement)
Fig Leaf & Blackberry Ripple Ice Cream 
Rhubarb & Cherry Pavlova
The Sweet Treat Tower

Kappo nights
Kappo nights are back and reservations for The Counter’s next Japanese inspired small plates dinner, on Wednesday 16th July, are now open. If you’ve not been before these evenings are a little different to our usual dining experiences at The Counter. ‘Kappo’ nights, as they’ve quickly been nicknamed, are served with the same passion, craft and expertise and are the chefs’ chance for a little midweek experimentation and fun with small plates such as ‘seaweed and potato rosti, wasabi & shiso leaf’, ‘soy & ginger roast pork belly’, ‘Cornish squid ragu’ or ‘chalk stream trout belly, tare glaze, sansho pepper’. Follow @under_thecounter_tw for more information and menu teasers. Book soon if you fancy it, these kappo night tables don’t hang around long.

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Open days and hours:

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: Lunch 12:00 – 14:30, Dinner 18:00 – 23:00
Saturday: 12:00 - 23:00 

Shwen Shwen by Maria Bradford: A New Culinary Destination Opening in Sevenoaks

Maria Bradford (credit Dave Saunders)

Shwen Shwen by Maria Bradford: A New Culinary Destination Opening in Sevenoaks

The highly anticipated independent, female-owned restaurant, Shwen Shwen by Maria Bradford opens its doors on 6th June 2025. 

The debut restaurant from award-winning chef and author Maria Bradford brings the bold and vibrant flavours of Sierra Leone to the historic market town of Sevenoaks, Kent. Maria, known for her cookbook Sweet Salone: Recipes from the Heart of Sierra Leone and her role as a judge for the prestigious Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards, is redefining fine dining with her distinctive take on Afro-fusion cuisine.

Blending authentic Sierra Leonean tradition with contemporary influences, Shwen Shwen offers a truly unique dining experience. The name, derived from the Krio language, means ‘fancy’ - but for Maria, it represents much more than just her food. It embodies a way of life, and an invitation to share in something special.

Tucked away down a charming, cobbled alleyway, Shwen Shwen opens into Maria’s re-branded Cotton Tree Yard – an exclusive outdoor terrace - before welcoming guests into an evocative space designed to feel both elegant and intimate. Inside, rich hues of burnt terracotta and smoky aubergine create a warm, cocooning atmosphere, enhanced by tactile surfaces, bespoke hand-painted fabrics, and wallpaper inspired by vintage West African and Sierra Leonean textiles. Every detail has been carefully chosen to create an inviting atmosphere that encourages guests to relax and feel at home.

A Culinary Journey to Sierra Leone

Maria’s passion for food began in her childhood home in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where she learned to cook alongside her mother and grandmother. Drawing inspiration from the streets of Freetown, rural villages, and the Sierra Leone River, her menu reflects the diverse and rich culinary traditions of her homeland.

Using signature ingredients such as moringa, fonio, tamarind, sesame, egusi, baobab and hibiscus, Maria creates bold, layered flavours that transport diners with every bite.

The launch menu, designed for discovery and sharing, features:

• Lamb Belly, Palm Oil, African Five Spice

• Mackerel, Mango, Cassava Flat Bread

• King Prawns, Salone Fire, Lemongrass Gel

• Beef Short-rib, Groundnut, Coconut

• Hibiscus, Caramelised White Chocolate, Fig Leaf, Pepper

• Moringa Mille-Feuille, Benne Cake, Sheep’s Yoghurt Ice-Cream

• Cheese Board featuring Tamarind Jelly & Jellied Hibiscus Flower

Shwen Shwen is more than a restaurant, it is a celebration of heritage, culture, and storytelling through food.

“Shwen Shwen is the realisation of a long-held dream. I want my food to take guests on a journey to experience the vibrant culinary landscape of Sierra Leone. Though my restaurant is in Sevenoaks, every dish is a love letter to my homeland.” – Maria Bradford

Notes to Editors

Shwen Shwen by Maria Bradford
1-2 Well Court
Bank Street
Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1UN
Website & Reservations: www.shwenshwen.com
Instagram: @shwenshwenbymaria

About Maria Bradford

Maria Bradford is an award-winning chef, author, and influencer. Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, she developed her love for cooking at the age of nine, learning from her mother and grandmother. After moving to Kent as a teenager, Maria trained at Leith’s School of Food and Wine before launching her own catering business, Maria Bradford Kitchen, in 2017, now known as Shwen Shwen.

Maria’s work has been widely recognised for its innovative approach to Sierra Leonean cuisine, and she has become a key advocate for West African culinary heritage. Shwen Shwen by Maria is her debut restaurant, opening in June 2025.

Three AA Rosettes and Michelin Green Star for The Small Holding, Kent

Will and Matt Devlin

The Small Holding, Kent has been awarded three Rosettes by the AA Guide and retained its Michelin Green Star for the fifth year in a row

The Small Holding in Kent has been awarded three Rosettes by the AA Guide today, 18th February. Given only to outstanding restaurants that achieve standards that demand recognition well beyond their local area, the award is announced alongside The Small Holding retaining its Michelin Green Star for sustainability in gastronomy for the fifth year in a row.

Only 10% of the restaurants and hotels within the AA Restaurant Guide have three Rosettes and above. To achieve this the cooking must be underpinned by the selection and sympathetic treatment of the highest quality ingredients, while timing, seasoning and the judgment of flavour combinations is consistently excellent. The award is also supported by intuitive service and a well-chosen wine list.

The Small Holding was one of the first restaurants in the country to receive a Michelin Green star in 2021. Now with only 35 restaurants in the country who have achieved the award, the star recognises restaurants with a focus on environmental practices and is only awarded to those which hold a Plate, Bib or Star distinction. Many, like Will and Matt Devlin at The Small Holding work directly with growers, farmers and fishermen, forage in hedgerows and woodlands and grow their vegetables and rear animals. Other recipients of the Green Star include Black Swan, York; Coombeshead Farm, Launceston; L’Enclume, Cumbria; Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham and Silo, London.

Will Devlin, chef owner of The Small Holding, commented, “What an incredible feeling! Achieving three Rosettes and retaining our Green Star in the same week is a huge boost for our team and a recognition of everything we strive for daily at The Small Holding in our never-ending quest and drive for sustainability. These awards are for everyone on our team, in the kitchen, on the floor and on the farm who all work so hard and really deserve this, I’m so proud.”

www.smallholdingrestaurant.com
@the_small_holding_

Ranters Lane | Kilndown | Kent | TN17 2SG

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex.

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The Small Holding is open Wednesday to Sunday with an eight-course Full Acre menu costing £95 per person and a five-course Half Acre menu costing £75 per person, with the option of a wine flight. A three-course set Garden Menu is available on Thursday, Friday and Sunday lunch time, priced £55 per person.

For more information, images, interview or to visit The Small Holding, please contact Hannah Blake hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk | 07730 039361

Grow the Seasons at The Small Holding

Grow the Seasons at The Small Holding, Kilndown, Kent

Grow the Seasons

Learn to ‘Grow the Seasons’ in 2025 with new dates announced for chef and farmer Will Devlin’s horticultural courses at his Michelin green-starred restaurant and farm in Kilndown, Kent, The Small Holding.

Led by Head Gardener Alex Cairns, Grow the Seasons is for people of all skills and ages who are interested in gardening, growing and how our food goes from plot to plate, as well as giving a behind-the-scenes experience of the day-to-day running of a Michelin green-starred restaurant.

Each full-day course starts with coffee and pastries on The Small Holding’s one-acre farm, and is a balanced mix of hands-on practical and theory learning, as guests discover and share in the team’s knowledge on seasonal vegetable and fruit growing, ‘No Dig’ principles, soil health and composting, and how to take sustainable practices home to their own gardens, plots and allotments.

Each quarterly course is in tune with the growing season, including ‘Fresh Start’ on 12th and 26th February looking at no-dig beds and planning for the growing year ahead; ‘Planting Out’ on 14th and 28th May looking at sowing, planting, support structures, companion and succession planting; ‘Summer Abundance’ on 9th and 23rd July is about to successionally sow and plant to ensure continual harvest and also how best to manage pest control, while ‘Harvest Time’ on 10th and 24th September is about reaping the rewards of a successful growing season and looking at the best and easiest ways to harvest crops and what to sow in the Autumn for for Winter and Spring harvests. Each full-day course costs £195 per person and includes coffee and pastries, lunch at The Small Holding, learning sheets and a practical gift bag to take home.

Shorter courses include ‘Farm Mornings’ which are a focussed two-hour deep dive into a specific seasonal aspect of gardening, such as ‘no dig’ or ‘orchard pruning’.

Find out more and book for February, May, August and November 2025

www.growtheseasons.com

Anthony Raffo joins The Small Holding as Sous Chef

Anthony Raffo in the kitchen at The Small Holding (credit Ashleigh Britten)

Anthony Raffo has joined The Small Holding in Kilndown, Kent, as Sous Chef. Having worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years, after spending time in France and the Channel Islands and working in some of the best Michelin starred restaurants in London, including Pied a Terre and Texture, Anthony is perhaps best known as the creative force behind Anglo in Farringdon. Under Anthony, Anglo achieved 3 AA rosettes, ranked 21 in the Harden’s Guide, had a Michelin plate and was one of the first in the country to be awarded Two Green Circles in the 360 Guide.

Anthony joins a strong team at The Small Holding, which has a Michelin green star and Three Green Circles in the 360 Guide, working with Head Chef James Chatfield and Chef and Founder of The Small Holding and Acre, Will Devlin.

Will Devlin comments, “Anthony has a real passion for British seasonal produce ​and to create interesting and unique dishes using ancient and modern techniques, which reinforces the work we do on the farm at the restaurant​, and introducing new and varied fermentation and preserving techniques to the team and our guests.”

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex. 

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

The Small Holding is open Wednesday to Sunday with an eight-course Full Acre menu costing £95 per person and a five-course Half Acre menu costing £75 per person, with the option of a wine flight. A three-course set menu (from the full acre menu) is available on Thursday and Friday lunch time, priced £55 per person. The drinks list also includes housemade soft drinks, kombucha and non-nlcoholic wine, beer and spirits.

December at The Small Holding, Kent

A snowy Decmber day at The Small Holing, Kent

December at The Small Holding

Green Michelin Star 2021/22/23
360 Guide Three Green Circles 2024
Number 69, Harden’s Top 100 Restaurants
Number 89, Square Meal’s Top 100 Restaurants
Good Food Guide 2024 and shortlisted for best Farm to Table restaurant

December

The December menu at The Small Holding, Kent finds partnership in the soft, earthy and comforting flavours of root vegetables, brassicas, mushrooms, cream and fat tempered by the tartness of ferments, vinegars and pickles. Now is the time for the larder to shine, stacked high with Kilner jars, to brighten these cold, thin days providing a burst of invigorating colour, taste and texture for the plate and palette.

The Small Holding

As winter tightens his grip, The Small Holding’s December menu moves from ‘just picked on the farm’ to the preserves of the pantry, where the most important ingredient is ‘time’. Barbecued Orkney scallops are dressed with yuzu vinaigrette, preserved wild garlic and smoked scallop roes; beef sirloin is paired with black garlic purée, nasturtium flower vinegar gel and dried calendula and finished with a beef sauce made with smoked bone marrow, while one of the two desserts this month is Douglas Fir, Plum, Yoghurt Whey where plums are fermented with plum brandy and served with toasted buckwheat and a foraged Douglas Fir sorbet.

Book a Table at The Small Holding

The December Full Acre menu at The Small Holding

Snacks, Sourdough and Hinxden Butter

Brassicas, cheese, tomato
Jerusalem artichoke, walnut, gherkin

Scallop, squash, wild garlic
Bass, celeriac, mushroom

Turkey, bread, sprouts
Beef, potato, cabbage

Douglas Fir, plum, yoghurt whey
Chocolate, chestnut, chicory root

Cheese (optional)
Sweet Treats

The Small Holding is open Wednesday to Sunday with an eight-course Full Acre menu costing £95 per person and a five-course Half Acre menu costing £75 per person, with the option of a wine flight. A three-course set menu (from the full acre menu) is available on Thursday and Friday lunch time, priced £55 per person. The drinks list also includes housemade soft drinks, kombucha and non-alcoholic wine, beer and spirits.

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex. 

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

“Growing our own produce on the farm brings an understanding and honesty back to the kitchen, and vital freshness. Making the most of our harvests when the ingredients are at their prime - whilst also preserving and conserving them to use throughout the year, keeps us concentrated on the natural cycle of the land and helps us to create full flavoured and imaginative dishes.” Will Devlin 

For more information and images for The Small Holding, Will Devlin and Acre, please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room 07730 039361 | hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

November at The Small Holding

Brasscias coming in from the farm at The Small Holding, Kentthe

November at The Small Holding

In some ways November offers a little respite before the busy festive season at The Small Holding, Kent begins in earnest. The wet, warm weather with bursts of sunlight filtering down through the woodland canopy, is a winning combination for the winter chanterelles and trompette wild mushrooms the kitchen team forages for the new month’s menus. While on the one-acre kitchen garden, where the days grow shorter and the air chills, the farm’s team thoughts turn to repair and restore, adding layers of nutrient rich mulch and organic matter all over the farm’s no dig beds. This black gold will feed the soil and rebuild its health and biodiversity after the impact of a full-on growing season. The farm team will be covering all this and more in the ‘Winter Planning’ Grow the Seasons course on 13th November, led by Head Gardener Alex with a few spaces left available. Soil health is crucial to a successful growing year, so this hands-on course is essential to understanding more about biodiversity and the microorganisms which feed the ground.

In the fields and woods, game season is in full swing with local shoots every weekend, keeping the restaurant larder stocked with wild duck, pheasant, and partridge. Wild game birds are one of the only truly sustainable meats and having had only a wild and natural diet, it’s a true taste of the season and the land. On the November Full Acre menu there are two game dishes starting with a Game Faggot glazed with preserved berries and served with a game broth finished with fermented elderberry balsamic, madeira and herb infused rapeseed oil, before a larger plate of Partridge, Parsnip and Mushroom, an earthy and deeply satisfying taste of Autumn.

Book a Table at The Small Holding

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex. 

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

“Growing our own produce on the farm brings an understanding and honesty back to the kitchen, and vital freshness. Making the most of our harvests when the ingredients are at their prime - whilst also preserving and conserving them to use throughout the year, keeps us concentrated on the natural cycle of the land and helps us to create full flavoured and imaginative dishes.” Will Devlin 

For more information and images for The Small Holding, Will Devlin and Acre, please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room 07730 039361 | hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

November at The Counter

Venision from Eridge Estate with wild mushroom relish at The Counter, Tunbridge Wells

November at The Counter

November at The Counter is a beautiful month with a menu packed with new season offerings such as Jerusalem artichokes, quince, squash and wild mushrooms.  On chef patron Robin Read’s menus is the first of the Sussex venison from Eridge Park, one of the most sustainable, wild and delicious meats we can eat, partnered with thyme and green peppercorn sauce. It’s the time of the year to use extra butter, although, when is it not, and to be cooking with - and drinking - richer, more complex wines such as one of co-owner Greta Boccia-Read’s favourites, Vietti Barbera d’Alba Tre Vigne, from the Piedmont region of Italy, its notes of black fruit, tobacco and vanilla pairing beautifully alongside a dish of aged Sussex fillet of beef. And for an extra treat this month, guests are offered a bowl of house made casarecce, a short, twisted pasta shape, literally translating to ‘homemade’ with a generous shaving of British truffles from Wiltshire.

Diners have a choice of three-, five-, eight-course menus, costing £40, £60, £96 respectively, which are shorter versions of the ten-course menu. Three or six-glass wine pairing is £36 or £70, while the eight-glass pairing is £96 per guest and a three-glass non-alcoholic pairing is £32. The ten-course tasting menu is reserved exclusively for guests sitting at the pass overlooking the kitchen and gives diners an interactive experience watching Robin and his team of chefs cook and plate up at the pass; the menu is more experimental, taste-testing dishes that are in development for the next month’s menu.

British craftsmanship

British craftsmanship is something that will always be championed at The Counter. Much like the farmers and suppliers Robin buys from, he will always seek out a personal relationship with the people to work with; it feels better, it tastes better, and there is comfort knowing that a small business is supporting another small business. This month sees the introduction of new steak knives at The Counter, hand forged and made in collaboration with three independent blacksmiths, Two Sticks in Forest Row, AB Forge in Shoreham and Blenheim Forge in Peckham. These weighty, beautiful and tactile pieces are a joy to eat with. The new leather-bound wine menus, crafted by Billy Tannery based in the midlands, and one of the last remaining micro tanneries in the UK are now offered proudly to every table.

Open days and hours:
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: Lunch 12:00 – 14:30, Dinner 18:00 – 23:00
Saturday: 12:00 - 23:00 

Christmas at Water Lane

Christmas at Water Lane

Bloom and Burn x Water Lane
5th, 6th, 7th and 8th December
10.30am-12.30pm
£85 per person

Enjoy these festive morning sessions creating your own Christmas wreath. Using dried flowers, seedheads and other fresh and foraged materials harvested from around Water Lane, you'll create a stunning, naturalistic wreath under the careful guidance of Graeme Corbett, floral stylist at Bloom and Burn, perfectly complemented with a luxury velvet ribbon. Graeme will guide you through the process and help you create your own unique design from the cornucopia of materials made available to you. Tickets include a festive drink and mince pie.

Water Lane Christmas Fair
Make a date for Water Lane’s Christmas Fair on Friday 29th November (evening only) Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December, from 10am to 4.30pm. All around the site, and in the glasshouses, will be stalls from craftspeople, makers, creators and artisan food producers. There will be festive food and hot mulled drinks, to keep the chill off, available throughout the day, and the Water Lane Christmas Pantry will be fully stocked in the shop, alongside gifts and potted indoor bulbs.

Festive dining
From 28th November - 22nd December, private events and parties from eight to fifty guests will be offered Water Lane’s new festive menus, to be shared by the table, available for lunch and Friday and Saturday night supper. Plates might include Radicchio, Graceburn, clementine and roast shallots; Sonny’s Smokehouse smoked salmon, horseradish and seeded loaf; Mushroom pithivier and creamed cavolo nero; Porchetta, stuffed with chestnuts and cranberries or Turbot, brown butter sprouts and lemon mayonnaise. Christmas dining at Water Lane.

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About Water Lane

Water Lane is a walled garden on what was once the Tongswood Estate in Hawkhurst, in the High Weald of Kent. A long-term restoration project, led by custodians Nick Selby and Ian James, there is a restaurant, a large and productive garden growing vegetables, fruits, herbs and cut flowers, a small shop of useful and beautiful pieces for the home and garden, select garden plants for sale and event spaces for workshops and private celebrations.

For more information about Water Lane, interview with Nick Selby and Ian James, high resolution images or to visit the walled garden, please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room on hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk | 07730 039361

September at The Small Holding

Alex, senior gardener at The Small Holding on the farm

September at The Small Holding, Kent

Green Michelin Star 2021/22/23
360 Guide Three Green Circles 2024

September is one of our favourite months at acre and it’s all about the harvest. At The Small Holding, it’s a whole-team effort preserving the summer gluts, and preparing both the farm, and the larder, for the leaner months ahead and creating new layers of flavour for winter. The last of the late summer tomatoes, sweetcorn and sweet red peppers are enjoying the sunshine and the Uchiki Kuri squash are pushing on to full ripeness and flavour for this month’s menu. It is also the start of the autumnal plums, apples and mushrooms.

The Small Holding

The September menus bridge this golden hour in the season; dishes become richer and more deeply flavoured as the season starts to turn. The first squashes from the farm are ready and see their way to chef James Chatfield’s menu paired with smoked sheep’s cheese, pumpkin seed, charred kale and herb pesto, while everybody’s favourite sweetcorn is cooked down into a smooth cream and served with meltingly soft braised pork cheek and barbecued chicken of the woods mushroom. For one of the two desserts on the September menu, there is a woodruff baba cake soaked in plum brandy with plum sorbet, woodruff ice cream and smoked pumpkin seed praline. 

Book a Table at The Small Holding

The September Full Acre menu at The Small Holding

Snacks, Sourdough and Hinxden Butter

Tomato and chilli
Squash, sheep's cheese, kale

Trout, cucumber, radish
Cod, crab, agretti

Pork, sweetcorn, mushroom
Hogget, aubergine, pepper

Apple, lemon verbena, yoghurt
Plum and woodruff

Cheese (optional)
Sweet Treats

The Small Holding is open Wednesday to Sunday with an eight-course Full Acre menu costing £95 per person and a five-course Half Acre menu costing £75 per person, with the option of a wine flight. A three-course set menu (from the full acre menu) is available on Thursday and Friday lunch time, priced £55 per person. The drinks list also includes housemade soft drinks, kombucha and non-alcoholic wine, beer and spirits.

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex. 

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

“Growing our own produce on the farm brings an understanding and honesty back to the kitchen, and vital freshness. Making the most of our harvests when the ingredients are at their prime - whilst also preserving and conserving them to use throughout the year, keeps us concentrated on the natural cycle of the land and helps us to create full flavoured and imaginative dishes.” Will Devlin 

September at The Counter by Robin Read

Shiso, Trout and Roe at The Counter by Robin Read, Tunbridge Wells

September at The Counter

www.thecountertw.com | @the_counter_tw | @robin__read
The Counter | 77 Calverley Road | Tunbridge Wells | Kent | TN1 2UY

“The Counter is delicious and charming… treating the inner Veruca Salt in all of us with pure imagination.”  The Guardian

“This new venture… is the best news for Tunbridge Wells. It has the makings of a destination – a relaxing neighbourhood restaurant with a big-city attitude” Good Food Guide

The September menu at The Counter by Robin Read bridges the seasons with the first of the Autumnal squash, celeriac, greengages, apples and blackberries partnered with the luxury of caviar, truffles, wild turbot and aged Sussex sirloin. A treat of a menu, as much as a celebration of the seasons, the ten-course tasting menu experience, served exclusively to guests sitting at the kitchen counter by the pass is elevated further with extra snacks, and premium wine pairings. Guests dining in September will enjoy dishes such as Shiso, Trout and Smoked Pike Roe; Wild Turbot, Leek and Potato Agnoletti, Chive Emulsion, Caviar Veloute; Allsop & Walker Ewes Tart, Beet, Nectarine, Bitter Orange Gel & Thyme; Greengage Sorbet, Yuzu Sake and Apple Mille Feuille, Blackberry Gel and Vanilla Cream.

There is also a choice of three-, five-, eight-course menus, costing £40, £60, £96 respectively, which are shorter versions of the ten-course menu. Three or six-glass wine pairing is £36 or £70, while the eight-glass pairing is £96 per guest and a three-glass non-alcoholic pairing is £32. The ten-course tasting menu is reserved exclusively for guests sitting at the pass overlooking the kitchen and gives diners an interactive experience watching Robin and his team of chefs cook and plate up at the pass; the menu is more experimental, taste-testing dishes that are in development for the next month’s menu.

Open days and hours:

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: Lunch 12:00 – 14:30, Dinner 18:00 – 23:00
Saturday: 12:00 - 23:00 

About Robin Read

After years of planning, whilst building up a strong customer base through pop ups and private dining, The Counter is the fruition of the long-held dream of Robin Read to have his own restaurant. Born from a long family history of serving the best produce over a counter, Robin’s maternal grandfather was a Master Butcher in Rugeley, Staffordshire, while on his paternal side, his great-grandfather was a Greengrocer in Lewisham, South London. Together with his wife Greta Boccia, they have taken on a 200-year-old Georgian building in the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells, which includes the main restaurant with table and counter dining, private dining room, small wine bar and courtyard garden, with raised beds and pots growing herbs, salads, and brassicas.

Prior to opening his own restaurant, Robin was Executive Chef of the Firmdale Hotel Group for 16 years, overseeing six new Firmdale openings, including four hotels, a bakery and training academy, all with great success. He worked with head chefs in eight sites (UK & internationally) with over 200 kitchen staff, to maintain the highest of standards.

Robin began his cooking career at the age of 16 with work experience at the Roux Brothers’ London patisserie, where he trained in 1990. His love and passion for the industry continued to grow, working and training with some of the best chefs this country has produced. He spent two years at Chez Nico under Nico Ladenis as sous chef, which held three Michelin stars, before working with Marco Pierre White at Mirabelle, becoming Head Chef, and retaining their one Michelin star. Robin also spent time in the kitchens at Le Gavroche, The Square and Restaurant Paul Heathcote.

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August at The Counter by Robin Read

August at The Counter by Robin Read, Tunbridge Wells

“The Counter is delicious and charming… treating the inner Veruca Salt in all of us with pure imagination.” Grace Dent reviewing The Counter for The Guardian

“This new venture… is the best news for Tunbridge Wells. It has the e

Three months after opening his debut restaurant, The Counter in Tunbridge Wells, Kent and already receiving critical acclaim, chef patron Robin Read isn’t sitting still. The new monthly menu in August sees the ten-course counter experience elevated further with extra snacks, extended wine pairings, makings of a destination – a relaxing neighbourhood restaurant with a big-city attitude” Good Food Guidwith the addition of a premium wine pairing and a three-part beef dish using the exceptional Sussex aged beef from Fullers in Eridge, using the prime cuts as well as trim for a rich ragu.

Guests dining in August will enjoy dishes such as Dorset crab tart, trout roe, kohlrabi and watercress; roast sweetcorn and Beal’s nduja, spring onions, chives and parsley; poached Sussex fillet with beetroot & beef tea, beef fat and Wiltshire truffles and Fig Leaf Parfait, Myatt’s White Peach, Gingerbread crumb and fig leaf oil.

The new August menu offers a choice of three-, five-, eight- and ten-course tasting menus, costing £40, £60, £95, and £125 respectively. Three or six-glass wine pairing is £36 or £70, while the eight-glass pairing is £96 per guest; a three-glass non-alcoholic pairing is £32. The ten-course tasting menu is reserved exclusively for guests sitting at the pass overlooking the kitchen and gives diners an interactive experience watching Robin and his team of chefs cook and plate up at the pass; the menu is more experimental, taste-testing dishes that are in development for the next month’s menu.

August’s ten-course menu at The Counter

Ricotta Rosti
tare, herb salad 

Dorset Crab Tart
trout roe, kohlrabi and watercress 

Malted Sourdough served with vegetable broth
Chiddingstone Dairy butter

 Sherry Roast Aubergine
slow roast tomatoes, chilled tomato & pepper dressing, basil 

Roast Sweetcorn & Beal’s Nduja
spring onions, chives and parsley 

Isle of Orkney Scallop
herb puree, confit potato and brown butter 

Baked North Sea Cod
seaweed butter sauce, beans & lovage 

Chefs Treat 

Poached Sussex Fillet
beetroot & beef tea, beef fat, Wiltshire truffles

Aged Sussex Sirloin
beetroot rosette, creamed greens, red wine sauce

The Idle Hour
pastry cracker, pickled plums, bronze fennel
Optional £12 supplement

Strawberry Sorbet
strawberry & lemon verbena

Fig Leaf Parfait
Myatt’s white peach, gingerbread crumb, fig leaf oil

The Sweet Treat Tower

£125 per person

3, 6 or 8-glass wine pairing £36, £72 or £96

About Robin Read
After years of planning, whilst building up a strong customer base through pop ups and private dining, The Counter is the fruition of the long-held dream of Robin Read to have his own restaurant. Born from a long family history of serving the best produce over a counter, Robin’s maternal grandfather was a Master Butcher in Rugeley, Staffordshire, while on his paternal side, his great-grandfather was a Greengrocer in Lewisham, South London. Together with his wife Greta Boccia, they have taken on a 200-year-old Georgian building in the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells, which includes the main restaurant with table and counter dining, private dining room, small wine bar and courtyard garden, with raised beds and pots growing herbs, salads, and brassicas.

Prior to opening his own restaurant, Robin was Executive Chef of the Firmdale Hotel Group for 16 years, overseeing six new Firmdale openings, including four hotels, a bakery and training academy, all with great success. He worked with head chefs in eight sites (UK & internationally) with over 200 kitchen staff, to maintain the highest of standards. Robin began his cooking career at the age of 16 with work experience at the Roux Brothers’ London patisserie, where he trained in 1990. His love and passion for the industry continued to grow, working and training with some of the best chefs this country has produced. He spent two years at Chez Nico under Nico Ladenis as sous chef, which held three Michelin stars, before working with Marco Pierre White at Mirabelle, becoming Head Chef, and retaining their one Michelin star. Robin also spent time in the kitchens at Le Gavroche, The Square and Restaurant Paul Heathcote.

Open days and hours:
Wednesday: Dinner 18:00 – 23:00
Thursday & Friday: Lunch 12:00 – 14:30, Dinner 18:00 – 23:00
Saturday: 12:00 - 23:00

Harvest Festival Autumn Fair at Water Lane

Harvest Festival Autumn Fair at Water Lane
Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September
10-4.30pm
£5 entry per adult on the door, children 16 and under, go free

Water Lane, the Victorian walled garden just outside Hawkhurst, Kent will bring together craftspeople, makers, artists, textiles for a weekend of food, flowers and friends for the Water Lane Autumn Fair. Now in its third year, co-owners Nick Selby and Ian James have curated a wonderful mix of stallholders including Hawk & Dove (vintage clothing), Hunter Jones (lifestyle), Raffman & Huckster (lifestyle), Sally Hampson (blankets and throws) and Crafty Basketry, plus new stallholders including Olivier Morris (dressing gowns and slippers), Nicola Gillis (pottery), Old Hope (block prints), Twisted Horseshoe (knives), Wolf from the Door (pottery, textiles, wood), Mussi (knitwear), Centre Half (tie dye), Georgia de Pauley (silk scarves and vintage aquascutum) and Doe (leather ware). Entry is £5 per person on the door and children, 16 and under, go free.

“We’re thrilled to be introducing so many wonderful and talented makers and creatives to Water Lane.” says co-owner Nick Selby

Sellers’ stalls will be set up under the stretch awning, terrace and in the Pelargonium House, and food stalls from Water Lane’s Produce Market regulars, including LAM, Cold Blow Coffee, Blackwoods Cheese, Zak's Kombucha, Halstead Bakery, Basil's Fungi Farm and Colt Bagels will be on the upper terrace, plus natural wines from biodynamic Kent vineyard Ham Street.

Head Chef Jed Wrobel will be serving breakfast on the terrace, plus lunch, coffee and cake, and lunch reservations can be made for both days in the Carnation House restaurant. From Water Lane’s own cutting garden there will be bunches of freshly cut flowers for sale, including all the late summer favourites, dahlias and chrysanthemums, in colours of berry, plum, mustard and marmalade.

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About Water Lane

Water Lane is a walled garden on what was once the Tongswood Estate in Hawkhurst, in the High Weald of Kent. A long-term restoration project, led by custodians Nick Selby and Ian James, there is a restaurant, a large and productive garden growing vegetables, fruits, herbs and cut flowers, a small shop of useful and beautiful pieces for the home and garden, select garden plants for sale and event spaces for workshops and private celebrations.

New dinner service at Water Lane

Dinner is served at Water Lane on Friday and Saturday evenings (credit Becca Fawn)

Dinner is served at Water Lane

Water Lane, the walled garden, restaurant and events space near Hawkhurst in Kent will be serving dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, starting from 2nd August. Come for a dusk walk and see Water Lane in the golden hour before supper in the Carnation House. Reservations are open now. Dishes from the a la carte menu include flatbread and sorrel gremolata, beetroot borani and paprika crisps, gazpacho, courgette straws and aioli while you wait, before starters of crab, chilli and cucumber salad, sardines in saor, or crispy polenta, burrata, confit garlic and tapenade before main courses of grilled aubergine, houmous and crispy carrots, lamb cutlets, tabbouleh and chermoula or butterflied mackerel, courgettes and broad beans. Puddings are summer in full swing with gooseberry fool, cherry and almond galette and Water Lane soft serve.

Tables can be reserved between 5.30pm to 8.30pm.

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About Water Lane

Water Lane is an idyllic walled garden with a restaurant, vinery and Victorian glasshouses on the Kent and Sussex borders. A long-term project over many years to come, the site is being sympathetically transformed into a productive walled garden, by custodians Nick Selby and Ian James, with the help of Garden and Landscape designer, Jo Thompson, with vegetable beds, cut flowers, restored vinery, outside spaces and a pavilion for dining and events. The Grade II Victorian glasshouses date back to the 1800s, including a Melon House, Cucumber House, Pelargonium House and Peach Case and a Vinery, on what was once the Tongswood Estate. There is a monthly food market on Saturdays, workshops and events and seasonal fairs in Spring, Autumn, and at Christmas.

For more information, please contact Hannah Blake on hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk or 07730 039361

www.waterlane.net
Water Lane
Walled Garden, Water Lane
Hawkhurst 
Kent, TN18 5DH

July at The Counter by Robin Read

July at The Counter by Robin Read, Tunbridge Wells

“This new venture… is the best news for Tunbridge Wells. It has the makings of a destination – a relaxing neighbourhood restaurant with a big-city attitude” Good Food Guide

July at The Counter, the debut restaurant of ex-Firmdale Hotels Executive Chef Robin Read in Tunbridge Wells, sees a beautiful new seasonal tasting menu full of summer produce from Kent and Sussex, including tomatoes, courgettes, peas, artichokes, cucumber, mint, basil and strawberries. Cooking is classic and clean with elevated technique to let the natural flavours shine. Robin seeks out independent suppliers and family businesses to work with including Kentish fruit and vegetables from T H Brown & Son and Myatts of Mockbeggar, fish from Chapmans in Sevenoaks, meat from Fullers Butchers in Eridge and charcuterie from Beal’s.

The new July menu offers a choice of three-, five-, eight- and ten-course tasting menus, costing £40, £60, £95, and £125 respectively. Three or five-glass wine pairing is £36 or £60 per guest, or a three-glass non-alcoholic pairing is £32. The ten-course tasting menu is reserved exclusively for guests sitting at the pass overlooking the kitchen and gives diners an interactive experience watching Robin and his team of chefs cook and plate up at the pass; the menu is more experimental, taste-testing dishes that are in development for the next month’s menu.

July’s eight-course menu at The Counter

Ricotta Rosti Tare, herb salad

Malted sourdough served with ‘waste’ vegetable broth
Chiddingstone Dairy butter

Summer salad Baby leaves & shoots, truffled balsamic, crispy onions and ‘Old Winchester’ wafer

Tomato & Artichokes
Oregano, white wine & olive oil

Steamed wild line caught sea bass
Courgette & basil purée, Hoffman & Rathbone velouté

Roast Sussex chicken
Roast thigh, pea, mint and pancetta

Tunworth
Pain Perdu, beetroot ketchup & watercress
(optional £12 supplement)

Cucumber sorbet

Strawberries & Cream
Compressed strawberries, crème diplomate, frangipane

The Sweet Treat Tower

About Robin Read

After years of planning, whilst building up a strong customer base through pop ups and private dining, The Counter is the fruition of the long-held dream of Robin Read to have his own restaurant. Born from a long family history of serving the best produce over a counter, Robin’s maternal grandfather was a Master Butcher in Rugeley, Staffordshire, while on his paternal side, his great-grandfather was a Greengrocer in Lewisham, South London. Together with his wife Greta Boccia, they have taken on a 200-year-old Georgian building in the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells, which includes the main restaurant with table and counter dining, private dining room, small wine bar and courtyard garden, with raised beds and pots growing herbs, salads, and brassicas.

Prior to opening his own restaurant, Robin was Executive Chef of the Firmdale Hotel Group for 16 years, overseeing six new Firmdale openings, including four hotels, a bakery and training academy, all with great success. He worked with head chefs in eight sites (UK & internationally) with over 200 kitchen staff, to maintain the highest of standards. Robin began his cooking career at the age of 16 with work experience at the Roux Brothers’ London patisserie, where he trained in 1990. His love and passion of the industry continued to grow, working and training with some of the best chefs this country has produced. He spent two years at Chez Nico under Nico Ladenis as sous chef, which held three Michelin stars, before working with Marco Pierre White at Mirabelle, becoming Head Chef, and retaining their one Michelin star. Robin also spent time in the kitchens at Le Gavroche, The Square and Restaurant Paul Heathcote.

Open days and hours:
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: Lunch 12:00 – 14:30, Dinner 18:00 – 23:00
Saturday: 12:00 - 23:00

For more information about The Counter by Robin Read please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room on 07730 039361 or hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

Farm Table at The Small Holding

Picking peas at The Small Holding (credit Saltwick Media)

Farm Table at The Small Holding

New for the Summer at The Small Holding, Kent is Farm Table, a series of intimate, alfresco suppers hosted amongst the wild flower meadow and vegetable beds on the one-ace farm. Exclusively for eight guests with just one sitting each month for July, August and September, this magical dining experience will start as the sun starts to set with a glass of Sussex sparkling from Artelium Wine Estate and a walk around the farm, watching the bees and butterflies and seeing what produce is in perfect condition to harvest. Much of the six-course menu will be harvested straight from the farm, where chef Will Devlin will cook elements of the menu over fire in front of guests. Showcasing a rainbow of summer vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers, expect to see freshly harvested farm crudités, tomatoes straight from the vine and still warm from the sun, barbecued kales, greens and peas and garnet-coloured berries picked from the bush served with garden herbs and warm chocolate sauce.

Reservations for July, August and September are open now and cost £120 per person.

Green Michelin Star 2021/22/23
360 Guide Three Green Circles 2024
Number 69, Harden’s Top 100 Restaurants
Number 89, Square Meal’s Top 100 Restaurants
Good Food Guide 2024 and shortlisted for best Farm to Table restaurant

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex. 

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

“Growing our own produce on the farm brings an understanding and honesty back to the kitchen, and vital freshness. Making the most of our harvests when the ingredients are at their prime - whilst also preserving and conserving them to use throughout the year, keeps us concentrated on the natural cycle of the land and helps us to create full flavoured and imaginative dishes.” Will Devlin

For more information and images for The Small Holding, Will Delvin and Acre please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room on 07730 039361 or hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

June at The Small Holding

Nasturiums on the farm at The Small Holding (credit Claire Winfield)

June at The Small Holding

Green Michelin Star 2021/22/23
60 Guide Three Green Circles 2024
Number 69, Harden’s Top 100 Restaurants
Number 89, Square Meal’s Top 100 Restaurants
Good Food Guide 2024 and shortlisted for best Farm to Table restaurant

June is a busy and exciting month at acre. Just like the poly tunnel at The Small Holding, which is fit to bursting with seedlings ready to be planted out now or still putting on growth to sow later in the season for a steady succession of produce to harvest, there are exciting new menus to share, the launch of a new three-course lunch menu at The Small Holding on Thursday and Friday lunch (£55pp), events to book including the June supper club at Birchwood, Father’s Day and wellness and holistic therapies from Birchwood Studio, and the launch of acre’s beer collaboration with Lakedown Brewing Co. 

The Small Holding

June is such a glorious month. Every shade of green is available in the fields, forests, and hedgerows and on the farm as the teams harvest new season broad beans, peas, gooseberries, lettuces, herbs and edible flowers, and forage for creamy-white umbels of elderflower. Guests arriving for lunch, or the early dinner sitting, are enjoying a drink on the terrace when the sun is low and golden. There is a stunning new tasting menu this month starting with snacks including a crab tart with herbs and allium flowers and a smoked venison heart croustade; Jersey Royals with elderflower, dill and lardo; barbecued scallop with peas and gooseberries; duck with beetroot, fig leaf and parsley velouté and cherry blossom vinegar, and a beautiful blackcurrant leaf and chocolate dessert where ice cream, sponge, honey, mousse and tuille are infused with the floral herbaceous flavour of the blackcurrant leaves. An unusual and stunning dessert to finish a meal at The Small Holding this June.

The June Full Acre menu at The Small Holding

Snacks, Sourdough and Hinxden Butter

Tomato, radish, broad bean
Jersey Royal, elderflower, lardo

Scallop, peas, gooseberry
John Dory, lettuce, nasturtium

Chicken, onion, Lord of the Hundreds
Duck, beetroot, fig leaf

Strawberry, garden herbs meringue
Blackcurrant leaf, dark chocolate, honey

The Small Holding is open Wednesday to Sunday with an eight-course Full Acre menu costing £95 per person and a five-course Half Acre menu costing £75 per person, with the option of a wine flight. A three-course set menu (from the full acre menu) is available on Thursday and Friday lunch time, priced £55 per person. The drinks list also includes housemade soft drinks, kombucha and non-alcoholic wine, beer and spirits.

Book a table at The Small Holding

Full Loop with Lakedown Brewing Co
For Matt & Will Devlin, brewing their own beer had always been on the agenda so the opportunity was welcome to work with Jamie Daltrey and his team at Lakedown Brewing Co, who share the same holistic and sustainable approach to food and drink production. The result is Full Loop,a full-flavoured and approachable pale ale that is a perfect partner for food, without overwhelming or fighting with the food. Available by the can, Full Loop is perfect to enjoy on the terraces at Birchwood and The Small Holding.

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex.

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

“Growing our own produce on the farm brings an understanding and honesty back to the kitchen, and vital freshness. Making the most of our harvests when the ingredients are at their prime - whilst also preserving and conserving them to use throughout the year, keeps us concentrated on the natural cycle of the land and helps us to create full flavoured and imaginative dishes.” Will Devlin 

For more information and images for The Small Holding, Will Devlin and Acre,
please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room on 07730 039361 | hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk