subject: Whitstable - the Garden of England [print this page] Whitstable - the Garden of England Whitstable - the Garden of England
London might have the monopoly on swish fine dining, but Ludlow is renowned for its restaurants and gourmet market, while Rick Stein's busy restaurants putPadstowon the map and Bray inOxfordshireis home to the Fat Duck, run byHestonBlumenthal, making it the British home of that modern food trend known as molecular gastronomy'.
But other foodie corners of Britain are oftenoverlooked,none more so than the Garden of England itself, Kent.Whitstableis known as the Pearl of Kent', and is world-famous for its oysters. In fact, they've been fishing for them here since Roman times, and that heritage is celebrated every summer with an oyster festival, which brings all kinds of food producers and hoards of hungry tourists to the town.
Whitstableis a town full of character, with a real touch ofOldeWorldeBritain in its winding streets, craft shops, sea front and charming,multicolouredbeach huts. It's worth a visit at any time of the year, and while most tourists come during the summer,Whitstableis still a bustling place on a chilly winter's weekend morning, when an hour spent along the seafront, looking out to the distant horizon will blow the cobwebs away and help you work up an appetite.
Theharbourarea is of course one of the main highlights, with boats landing their daily catch of fish and seafood straight from the nets. It might seem as if little has changed for centuries, although they now operate a sustainable fishing policy in order to protect stocks.
WhitstableFish Market is located on the South Quay and depending on what's in season, sells all kinds of fresh fish, including haddock, sea bass, sardines and red mullet, plus crab, cockles and winkles and of course some of the world's best oysters. If you've never tried them before, this really is the place to have a go you can do so in the many fish and seafood restaurants and pubs around the town.
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