insideKENT Magazine Issue 45 - December 2015 | Page 84
FOOD+DRINK
WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE AT
The Queen’s Inn HAWKHURST
Having welcomed visitors since opening in 1561, it’s fair to surmise that the proprietors of the Queen’s
Inn would know a thing or two about keeping their clientele of weary travellers, minstrels, smugglers,
royalty and the odd thirsty local or two happy. Whilst the times may have changed, the premise has
not, as Sharon, Sally Anne and their team offer the warmest of welcomes, a comfortable resting place
and an unwavering passion for the dining experience on offer. BY SAMANTHA G
Arriving for a late Sunday lunch my guests and
I could certainly tick the weary traveller and thirsty
patron boxes, and we were happily ushered into
the warm and cosy lounge area where we were
presented with the day’s mouthwatering menu
and our swiftly prepared drinks.
Soon after we were shown through to our large
table at the rear of the airy pub dining room.
With its beamed ceilings, exposed brickwork,
combination of plush velvet and rustic wooden
chairs and bathed in natural light that poured in
from the bright sash windows, the newly
renovated Queen’s Inn offers both rustic pub
and contemporary restaurant dining options –
all of which combine to create a comfortable and
relaxing dining experience.
With a firm stance to never compromise their
locally sourced quality ingredients (from the likes
of Moon’s Green, Wealden Smokery, Park Farm
Butchers, Maws Fine Foods and Bodiam Ice
Cream to name a few), food preparation, taste
or satisfaction, the team at the Queen’s Inn have
strived to produce a varied and interesting menu
to showcase their passion and their talents. In
doing so, they have made for plenty of
indecisiveness in knowing what to choose from
the abundance of mouth-watering options.
Our (eventually) chosen starters of the antipasti
board, warm halloumi salad and lamb kofte
arrived – heaving on their presentation bowls
and boards and filling our table. The evidently
popular sharing boards were a feast of marinated
and roasted vegetables, plump olives, rich sun
dried tomatoes, houmous, mozzarella and cured
meats which were promptly devoured by all within
reaching distance. The grilled halloumi was offset
wonderfully by the edamame bean, blueberry
and avocado accompaniment, whilst the lamb
kofte was delicately spiced and cooked to
perfection.
Of course being Sunday lunchtime, and having
sneaked a peek at the towering plates being
proffered around the dining room, my guests
and I needed no persuasion to choose the
Sunday lunch option for our main courses (which
are also available in smaller sizes for our younger
dining companions). We made light work of the
hearty cuts of tender pink meat (beef for me,
lamb for my guests), large crisp, fluffy roast
potatoes, huge Yorkshires and a rich warming
gravy, as well as lots of sharing vegetable sides.
With a relaxed dining ethos and enough time
between courses to digest the vast amounts of
tasty dishes we’d consumed thus far, we were
of course happy to find that last bit of room for
pudding. We were in for a treat as a slab of bread
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and butter pudding, a warm and crunchy apple
crumble and my own personal favourite – the
chocolate orange fondant – appeared in front of
us and swiftly disappeared as we practically
licked the plates clean.
With genuinely warm customer service, the ability
to cope with the sometimes chaotic headiness
of family dining and the quick understanding of
dietary needs (we had dairy allergies, pregnancy
and fussy eaters on our table alone) without
hesitation and of course plate upon plate of
hearty, delicious, beautifully presented and
produced dishes, I can wholeheartedly
recommend dining at The Queen’s Inn and am
pleased I’ve joined its unique history as one of
its newest patrons.
The Queen’s Inn
Rye Road
Hawkhurst
Kent
TN18 4EY
01580 754 233
[email protected]
www.thequeensinnhawkhurst.co.uk
@Queenshawkhurst
/Queens.inn.hawkhurst/