The Sportsman

Reached via a winding lane across open marshland from Whitstable, and tucked beneath the sea wall, The Sportsman has a rustic and welcoming interior, with wooden floors and stripped pine furniture. There has been an inn on this site since 1642, but the surrounding area was entered in the Domesday Book as belonging to the kitchens of Canterbury Cathedral. A plaque on the wall commemorates the part played by the pub in a little known World War II episode, the Battle of Graveney Marshes: in 1940 a German Junkers 88 crashlanded near the pub, where a platoon of London Irish Rifles was billeted. After surrendering, the Germans were taken to the pub for a pint to await the POW authorities. Today's range of Shepherd Neame ales would certainly have gone down well in 1940. The pub is renowned for its food and the high standard of cooking is recognised with two AA rosettes. Fish and seafood feature strongly - maybe poached rock oysters with pickled cucumber and Avruga caviar followed by seared thornback ray with brown butter, cockles and sherry vinegar. Alternatives might include pork terrine followed by chicken with bread sauce and roasting juices.