insideKENT Magazine Issue 22 - January 2014 | Page 56

FOOD+DRINK

the west house

BY DONNA MARTIN

A little birdie told me that The West House in Biddenden is one of Kent’s –
if not the UK’s – best restaurants. With an array of awards and stars under
its belt (including one of the lovely Michelin variety), I just had to see what
this little birdie was talking about.

Tucked away on Biddenden’s quant high street,
The West House may be slightly off the beaten
path for many a Kent foodie, but let me assure
you, your experience will be worth every driving
minute and country lane mile.
Opened by former rock musician Graham Garrett
in 2002, it only took two years before The West
House had earned a Michelin star; and now 11
years later, the restaurant is clearly and
permanently on the national food map.
Having started his career as a drummer and
songwriter, Graham made the decision in his
early 30s to change his path. Not just a move
up the ladder, or even across for that matter, but
to an entirely different creative area: food. And
unlike many career changes, Graham’s jump from
gigs to gourmet has paid off. How many chefs
can say they’ve cooked for Her Majesty, the
Queen of England herself?

If you haven’t heard about The West House, you
may not even notice it when walking by, but this
is just one of the many reasons I love it. The 15thcentury cottage exterior and warm interior make
you feel, well, just plain comfortable. I’m not one
for pretension, so feeling at ease in a fancyschmancy restaurant is just as important to me
as the food.
So what about the food? Ohh, the food. To call
the food ‘simple’ would be verging on criminal,
but I’m not sure how else to describe it. In this
case, simple is good. Very, very good. The menu
changes frequently, offering fresh and seasonal
ingredients – most of which I can pronounce,
which is another very, very good thing.
The course descriptions are under-embellished,
giving you just a glimpse into the gastro-adventure
ahead. So when you read ‘roast loin of lamb,
lamb bacon, courgette, basil’, don’t think for a
split second it’s something you could throw
together at home. Quite the contrary, the
beautifully presented dishes placed in front of

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you leave you wondering how in the world
something so basic could be so good.
It’s always encouraging (albeit slightly frustrating)
when a restaurant is booked up weeks in advance
– this usually means it’s something special. The
West House is one of those restaurants, so if you
fancy a Saturday night meal, make sure you plan
about a month ahead, as it takes about that long
to get a table on the weekend.
Surely I couldn’t wait a whole month, so I chose
a much easier-to-book time at The West House:
a weekday lunch. We were lucky enough to be
greeted by Graham himself, and after a quick
chat, we sat down in front of the large bay window
to peruse the day’s menu.
As I sipped my chef-recommended Bellini and
partook in pleasant conversation with my dining
companion, I eyed the lunch menu, consisting
of 15 choices – five starters, five mains and five