Posted: 28th April 2016
The Sportsman Is GQ's Pub Of The Year
The Sportsman in Seasalter has been named Best Pub in the GQ Food and Drink Awards 2016.
The Shepherd Neame-owned pub, run by brothers Stephen and Phil Harris, picked up the title at an awards ceremony hosted in London by TV presenter Claudia Winkleman on Tuesday, April 26.
Readers of the men’s lifestyle magazine voted for their favourite chefs, restaurants, sommeliers, bars, hotels and restaurateurs. From the thousands of nominations only a handful made the shortlist, with GQ’s panel of experts naming The Sportsman Best Pub.
The Sportsman, which has held a Michelin star for eight years, serves high quality food in a low-key, cosy pub environment. It has won a host of other accolades, including recently being named UK’s Top Gastropub for the second year in a row, and taking second place in the National Restaurant Awards 2015.
Head chef Stephen Harris makes full advantage of the history and agriculture of the pub’s rural location near the seaside town of Whitstable, churning his own butter, making his own salt, baking his own bread and using only the finest, freshest produce from local farms and fishermen.
The GQ judges stated:
A thousand years ago, the area around Seasalter was considered the breadbasket of England and the larder to Canterbury Cathedral. In 2016, it has been narrowed down to one pub. It has the most exemplary food, yet it remains reasonably priced. The food is simple yet memorable, with local seafood and a daily changing menu.
Phil Harris said:
Stephen and I are thrilled to win this award. We love what we do, and hope that comes across in our food and service, so it is great to receive this kind of recognition. This award is for everyone in our team at The Sportsman. Lots of our staff have been with us for more than 10 years, and they share our passion, working incredibly hard every day to deliver consistently high standards.
For more information, visit the pub's website, or find them on Twitter and Instagram.