Kent Inns

Food & Wine Club Video

2010-02-18T21:18:00.004Z

Kent Inns Food & Wine Club Video
Held at the Ivy House Restaurant in Tonbridge
John Burton Race inspired menu

A short interview with Nick Stebbing-Allen the group wine buyer for and Dan Ward the General Manager and Chef of the Kent Inns of Distinction Group Ivy House in Tonbridge.

Nick tells us about the advantages of buying for a group of establishments and what to expect from the wines on offer. Dan gives us an overview on the type of food served at the Ivy House.

The Kent Inns Food and Wine Club can also be found at:

The Dog Inn, Wingham
Harveys of Ramsgate, Seafood Restaurant and Bar.

You can follow The Ivy House and the rest of the Kent Inns Group on Twitter too: Kent_Inns

Harveys of Ramsgate Event

2010-02-12T07:25:00.001Z

FOOD & WINE CLUB EVENT AT HARVEYS OF RAMSGATE*
WITH EMINENT WINE COMMENTATOR & EXPERT, FRANK WARD
FRIDAY 5TH MARCH, 7 FOR 7.30PM
(*"Best New-comer" in 2009 Taste of Kent Awards)

I am delighted to invite you to the next Food & Wine Club event at Harveys of Ramsgate.

We are honoured to have as our Guest Speaker for the evening Mr Frank Ward. Frank is a food and wine author as well as critic, and, having spent several years living and working in Sweden, is one of the world's leading lights in that nation's gastronomic world.

Mr Ward has worked for over 30 years in the wine trade, collecting and serving collectors of the finest and rarest wines known to humanity. His knowledge and passion for the wines of France is virtually unsurpassed and his anecdotes will amuse and surprise many listeners!

For those of you unfamiliar with our Food & Wine Club events at Harveys, the form of the evening is quite simple in essence.

The dinner takes place in the upstairs Private Dining Room, overlooking the beautiful Royal Harbour, with wonderful views over the water and lights.

The dinner consists of starter, fish dish, meat dish and dessert, each course accompanied with a glass of wine especially chosen to compliment the dish.

As space for these events is very limited, tickets are available only in advance of the evening.

Tickets are £35 per person or £180 for a group of 6

To purchase your tickets, please either contact me by replying to this email, on 07778 640190 or the restaurant direct on 01843 599707.

I very much look forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,

Nick Stebbing-Allen
Harveys of Ramsgate

You can now follow the Kent Inns Group on Twitter: Kent_Inns

Dog Inn - Event

2010-02-12T07:21:00.000Z

FOOD & WINE CLUB EVENT AT THE DOG INN, WINGHAM
WITH EMINENT WINE COMMENTATOR & EXPERT, FRANK WARD
FRIDAY 26TH FEBRUARY, 7 FOR 7.30PM

I am delighted to invite you to the next Food & Wine Club event at The Dog Inn, Wingham.

We are honoured to have as our Guest Speaker for the evening Mr Frank Ward. Frank is a food and wine author as well as critic, and, having spent several years living and working in Sweden, is one of the world's leading lights in that nation's gastronomic world.

Mr Ward has worked for over 30 years in the wine trade, collecting and serving collectors of the finest and rarest wines known to humanity. His knowledge and passion for the wines of France is virtually unsurpassed and his anecdotes will amuse and surprise many listeners!

For those of you unfamiliar with our Food & Wine Club events at The Dog, the form of the evening is quite simple in essence.

The dinner consists of starter, main course (including a vegetarian option) and dessert. Each course is accompanied with a glass of wine especially chosen to compliment the dish.

As space for these events is very limited, tickets are available only in advance of the evening.

Tickets are £35 per person or £180 for a group of 6

To purchase your tickets, please either contact me by replying to this email, on 07778 640190 or The Dog Inn on 01227 720339.

I very much look forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,

Nick Stebbing-Allen
The Dog Inn, Wingham

You can now follow the Kent Inns Group on Twitter: Kent_Inns

Hotel Rescues Wedding Plans

2010-02-05T07:11:00.001Z

“Popular country hotel rescues wedding plans following collapse of Dovers’ Churchill hotel”

Richard and Sherry Martin, veteran wedding hosts and owners of the award-winning Blazing Donkey Country Hotel near Sandwich have stepped in to save the wedding plans for dozens of couples who originally booked Dover’s famous seafront hotel, The “Churchill”.

“The news recently that the Churchill hotel had closed came as a bombshell to many couples who were planning to have their weddings there this year” said Richard Martin.

“As one of East Kent’s most popular wedding venues our phones began to ring with distressed bride’s on the other end of the line so we decided to try and help” he added.

The Martin’s are offering a guarantee that any couple caught up in this sad situation can re-book their wedding at The Blazing Donkey on no less favourable terms. What’s more, with a few minor conditions, they’ll also deduct any booking deposits (already paid to the Churchill hotel by couples), from the final account.

The Martins’ live in Sandwich and own “Kent Inns of Distinction”, whose properties also include The Dog Inn at Wingham, Harveys Fish Market in Ramsgate’s royal harbour and The Ivyhouse Dining Room and Bar in Tonbridge.

For further information on Richard and Sherry’s wedding rescue initiative contact Richard or Sherry directly on 01304 617362 or visit www.kentinns.com.

You can now follow the Kent Inns Group on Twitter: Kent_Inns

KENT INNS SUPPORT OF THE BRITISH RED CROSS HAITI EARTHQUAKE APPEAL.

2010-01-18T10:29:00.005Z

In response to the disaster in Haiti, Kent Inns are putting on special charity events in aid of the British Red Cross at two of their venues in east Kent and will be hosted by TV Celebrity Chef, John Burton Race.

A wonderful 3-course menu will be developed for the event and tickets are available (in advance only) for £30.

To book please contact the venue of your choice below:

Harveys of Ramsgate: Dinner on Saturday 23rd January. link to website...
The Dog Inn Wingham: Lunch on Sunday 24th January. link to website...
You can now follow the Kent Inns Group on Twitter: Kent_Inns

To read more about the work of the British Red Cross in Haiti or to donate please follow this link.
Their Twitter page: britishredcross

VIP Golf Breaks. GO ‘Royal’ in Kent...

2009-12-08T17:50:00.001Z

“Kent Inns of Distinction” is proud to present these amazing short golf breaks.

Golfers can choose to stay and dine at a choice of the multi-award winning Blazing Donkey Country Hotel at Sandwich or The Dog Inn at Wingham.

Dinner can be taken at either of the hotels restaurants or at Harveys Fish Market & Oyster Bar, ‘Kent Inns’ wonderful new seafood restaurant in Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour.

The package includes 2 nights stay with dinner and 3 days of Golf (18 holes).

Only £259 from November 2009 to March 2010

Only £399 from April 2010 to October 2010

To book call 01304 617362 or send us an email.

You can follow us on Twitter too: Kent_Inns

Bin End special offers at Harveys of Ramsgate.

2009-12-08T10:37:00.003Z

As a special offer for the Christmas period only, many of our finest wines are at a special "Bin End" sale price.

Wines such as Dom Perignon, Cristal and the great wines of Bordeaux & Burgundy are at prices you can't even find on the high street!

For further information or to book please visit the Harveys of Ramsgate website.

You can follow us on Twitter too: Kent_Inns

SPECIAL DINNER PREPARED AND HOSTED BY MICHELIN-STARRED CELEBRITY CHEF, JOHN BURTON RACE.

2009-11-19T16:38:00.001Z

SPECIAL DINNER PREPARED AND HOSTED BY MICHELIN-STARRED CELEBRITY CHEF, JOHN BURTON RACE.

Harveys of Ramsgate, Monday 30th November, 7.30pm

We are delighted to announce a special dinner at Harveys of Ramsgate to celebrate the granting of our new license from the Marine Fisheries Agency, which allows us to buy fish directly from the fishermen on the dock here in Ramsgate.

The three course meal will be prepared by our very own Development Chef and Michelin-star holder, John Burton-Race, together with his kitchen brigade here at Harveys, focusing on the freshest and most seasonal ingredients.

Tickets are limited and are at a special "start-the-week" price of £25 per person.

Please note that there will be a TV crew present, currently following Mr Burton Race for a forthcoming Network TV series.

For tickets please call Harveys on 01843 599707 or send us an email.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Follow us on Twitter: KentInns

John Burton-Race

2009-09-30T08:49:00.000+01:00

Top chef to headline Kitchen theatre at Broadstairs festival

TV food chef John Burton-Race is to headline the Theatre Kitchen Food Fayre at the Broadstairs Food Festival which is kicking off next Monday (28 September).

Hot and cold food including local oysters, fresh fish, orchard fruit, vegetables and country produce will be available for the three days together with local beers and Kent wine in the food marquee.

Throughout the week, restaurants, cafés and bars will be offering a variety of options supporting the festival: discounts, feature wines, beers and special menus. The Festival ends with the three day Food Fayre on Victoria Gardens, Broadstairs with over fifty stallholders showcasing the best of local and Kent produce.

Meanwhile in the evening of Friday 2nd October, Michelin-starred John Burton-Race, who is currently appearing on ITV's 'Britain's Best Dish 2009', will host a Food and Wine Matching Evening at Harvey's Fishmarket & Oyster Bar in Ramsgate, where he is group development chef.

The three course menu will feature fish and meat options along with accompanying wines carefully selected by Harvey's sommelier, Nick Stebbing-Allen will cost £40.

And The harbour front restaurant will be offering a new daily changing, 2-course £19 Evening Grazing Menu. Typical dishes will include a trio of oysters, chilled pea soup, smoked mackerel fillet, with spiced apple sauce or lobster soup starters.

Mains are likely to feature poppy seed tempura battered plaice with rustic potato salad, vine tomato and spinach risotto, whole grilled plaice with hot potato salad and spinach or slow roasted pork belly with sweet potato puree and a caramelised apple reduction.

Restaurants Against Hunger

2009-09-24T17:51:00.000+01:00

Kent Inn’s of Distinction to donate £5 for each customers who orders local scallops

Kent Inns of Distinction’s four restaurants are to donate £5 to the ‘Action Against Hunger’ charity each time a customer orders the Hand-Dived Rye Bay Scallops Served with a Cauliflower Cream and Wild Mushrooms from its menu in October. The £15 dish has been created by the Michelin-starred TV chef John Burton-Race, Kent Inns of Distinction’s [KIoD] head of group development.

Harvey’s Fish Market & Oyster Bar in Ramsgate, Ivy House in Tonbridge, Dog Inn at Wingham and Samphire Restaurant at the Blazing Donkey near Sandwich, will all be serving the new season scallops during Restaurants Against Hunger’s month-long campaign, centred around World Food Day on 16th October.

Restaurants Against Hunger (RAH), founded in 1998, is an international movement of restaurant owners, chefs and food writers supporting Action Against Hunger and its goal to end child hunger. Funds are raised in the global fight against hunger and malnutrition by inviting food lovers across the UK to make a difference simply by eating out. Last year 500 restaurants were involved in RAH’s ‘Fight Hunger / Eat Out’ campaign, raising more than £400,000.
“All of us who work in the fine food end of the catering business suffer from pangs of guilt when we are reminded of those who go hungry,” said Richard Martin, owner of KioD, adding, “This is a practical way where we, our suppliers and customers can help make a small contribution to those less well off.”

More information at: www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk

The Dog Inn at Wingham, in the picturesque village near Canterbury is an imposing Grade II * listed 13th Century Inn built in the reign of King John I, and originally forming part of a monastery. The restaurant’s listing in Egon Ronay’s guide as among the UK’s best, saw the realisation of a life-long ambition for food lovers, Richard and Sherry Martin, who invested heavily in the now thriving inn. www.thedoginn.co.uk

With commanding unspoilt views across rolling countryside, The Blazing Donkey nestles between the ancient Cinque Port towns of Sandwich and Deal.

Originally built in 1763 as a farmhouse, guest accommodation is recognised as the best in the locality. The pretty courtyard setting within the grounds provides individual accommodation in attractive converted stables. The hotel’s “Samphire” restaurant has drawn critical acclaim since being opened in February 2008 by TV chef, author and bon viver, Aldo Zilli. A true fine food experience is inspired by the abundance of high quality produce - game from local shoots, locally reared meats and fish from the nearby harbours. www.blazingdonkey.co.uk

The 15th century Ivy House, acquired in March 2009 re opened in Tonbridge in May following a £150,000 refit, having been closed for nearly a year. The smart pub/restaurant, the only one of its kind in the town centre www.ivyhouseoftonbridge.com

About John Burton Race - a top chef and highly successful restaurateur with a larger-than-life personality. He trained at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and became head chef of Le Petit Blanc. He opened his own restaurant L’Ortolan in 1986 and then moved to John Burton Race at the Landmark Hotel in 2000 and was awarded two Michelin stars at both restaurants. John became a television star, through ‘French Leave’, and then ‘Return of the Chef’. Settling in Dartmouth, John opened The New Angel which was awarded a Michelin star and the AA Restaurant of the Year award in its first year. He has also co-starred in BBC2’s ‘Kitchen Criminals’; co-authored the accompanying book ‘First Crack Your Egg’, appeared on ITV1’s ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here’ and BBC 2’s 'Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’. He will be featuring in 40 episodes of ITV1’s ‘Britain’s Best Dish 2009’ from 7th September.

Group website: www.kentinns.com

Harvey’s Fish Market & Oyster Bar
Royal Victoria Pavilion, Harbour Parade, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 8LS T: 01843 599707
www.harveysoframsgate.com

Press Contact: For further information or to arrange a review please call George Shaw. T: 01892 750851 M: 07860 695555 E: geo@avocadomedia.co.uk

Restaurant nets local food award

2009-08-26T14:39:00.002+01:00

A NEW seafood restaurant in Ramsgate is fishing for top honours in a nationwide culinary contest.

Harvey's Fish Market and Oyster Bar, which opened less than two months ago following a £250,000 refit, is one of just 100 places to be nominated in Good Food Channel's search for a Local Food Hero.

The restaurant was shortlisted for owner Richard Martin and Michelin-starred development chef John Burton Race's work in championing locally caught Seafood.

Mr Martin, whose Kent Inns of Distinction firm also owns The Blazing Donkey near Sandwich, The Dog Inn at Wingham and Ivy House in Tonbridge,

said: ''I'm delighted to have received such an honour so quickly. We've proved the doubters wrong. Many people said that Ramsgate couldn't sustain a dedicated fish restaurant producing this level of cooking but we've certainly busy since day one."

The shortlisted restaurants will be narrowed down to just 30 restaurants, each of which will be visited by Market Kitchen presenter Matt Tebbutt or food critic Matthew Fort.

The overall winner of the TV competition will be announced live on Good Food Channel and receive a trophy and a cheque for £5,000. Regional winners will also be invited to appear on the show.

For more information or to make a booking at the Royal Harbour eatery, Telephone 01843 599707 or visit www.harveysoframsgate.com

Kent Restaurant Awards

2009-08-14T10:45:00.007+01:00

Kent Restaurant Awards announced by OrderOnlineNow.co.uk

The Kent-based restaurant booking and takeaway ordering website, www.OrderOnlineNow.co.uk has launched the Kent Restaurant Awards.

The website features over 500 Kent restaurants and is used by up to 1500 dinners a month to make restaurant reservations and order takeaway meals.

Diners will be able to vote for their favourite establishments in up 12 categories: Best Takeaway; Best Bar/Café/Tearoom/Vegetarian; Best Indian; Best Oriental; Best French; Best Italian; Best English; Best International; Best Gastro Pub; Best Hotel Restaurant; Best Seafood and Best Gourmet.

Voters will have the chance to win a free meal for two at each of the category winners. Successful winning restaurateurs stand to win a generous array of prizes from sponsoring catering and restaurant supplies companies, in addition to a coveted Best Kent Restaurant Award.

“Despite being one of the most affluent areas of the country and surrounded by some of the finest farm produce, wild game and seafood, Kent restaurateurs have gained surprisingly few Michelin stars,” said OrderOnlineNow.co.uk MD Andrew Frisby, adding, “ Recently, however, there have been a number of high profile openings and there are a growing number of establishments whose cooking rivals some of the best in the country.

“The Awards are designed to recognise the improving culinary standards and encourage chefs to achieve even greater gastronomic achievements,” said Frisby.

Voting will be open from 12th August via www.KentRestaurantAwards.co.uk.

John Burton-Race

2009-08-09T20:34:00.004+01:00

In May 2009, following the company’s expansion, John Burton-Race, author and Michelin-starred chef joined the company in a development role.

Following his time at Le Manoir aux quat’ saisons, he became head chef at Le Petit Blanc and then in 1986 opened his own restaurant L’Ortolan.

He later moved to John Burton Race at The Landmark Hotel where he was awarded two Michelin stars. In between regular training visits to each of the Kent Inns’ sites, John is based at The New Angel restaurant in Dartmouth today where his passion for amazing food is ever present.

“John’s passion for truly delicious food is why we recruited him” explained Sherry Martin. “His enthusiasm and hands-on approach makes him a valuable member of our team and makes it possible for us to continue improving the food offered at each of our restaurants”.