SHEPHERD NEAME'S THE SPORTSMAN RETAINS ITS PRIZED MICHELIN STAR FOR ANOTHER YEAR

The Sportsman at Seasalter has retained its Michelin star for another year, it has been announced.

The Shepherd Neame-owned pub, run by brothers Stephen and Phil Harris, has held its sought-after star since 2008.

The pub’s inclusion in this year’s Michelin Great Britain & Ireland Guide, which recommends restaurants and pubs for the quality of their food and for those offering particularly good value, was announced on Tuesday (March 28).

The Guide praised its cooking as being “assured and satisfying, with seamless flavour combinations and an understated level of complexity.”

Renowned for its use of locally-sourced produce, as well as growing many of its own ingredients, the Guide said: “The Thames Estuary provides wonderfully fresh fish and oysters, and the adjacent marshes, woods and soils provide meat, game and vegetables. 

“The daily changing 5 course menu is displayed on blackboards next to the bar and, while the place has a comfortingly traditional feel, the dishes mix old favourites with newer ideas.” 

Head Chef Stephen Harris said of the news: “It is about the standards you have - they are just in you. 

“We have now had a Michelin star for 16 years, it’s been a long time! It is great to have it, and it is nice to be recognized. If you are going to work in this business it is nice to be doing it at that level. Not everyone can of course, and when we started out, we had eight years finding our way.

“It is also about making sure that my staff have those standards and can work at that level; organizing the structure so that they can, such as staggering bookings, which then enables them to keep at that standard.”

The news comes a few weeks after the pub took fourth place in the Estrella Damm Top 10 Best Gastropubs, after being named sixth last year, where judges noted: “Many foodies the world over have made a holy pilgrimage to the Sportsman in Seasalter to sample the delights served within its walls.”

You can find The Sportsman at Faversham Road, Seasalter, CT5 4BP, telephone 01227 273370. It is often booked up several months in advance. To find out more visit thesportsmanseasalter.co.uk.