We called in for lunch at The Marquis at Alkham in the pretty little village of the same name, home allegedly to England’s smallest cricket pitch. The view from the dining room window was pretty in winter but no doubt even lovelier in summer. It was hard to believe that somewhere so rural could be quite so close to Canterbury, Dover, the Channel Tunnel and the M20!
It is described as a fine-dining restaurant with rooms; five of them by all accounts. But that day it was the restaurant we were interested us.
It was once the village pub the Marquis of Granby but in 2008 it was transformed with contemporary, comfortable furnishings into The Marquis at Alkham with award-winning Head Chef Charlie Lakin in charge of the kitchen. The dining room is spacious, light, airy and elegant; the welcome warm and the service both impeccable and charming.
Chef Lakin has created an excellent ‘10 mile’ lunch menu created from products within a 10 mile radius. It is a limited ‘either/or’ choice menu, and incredibly good value at £9.95 for two courses and £12.50 for three. Parsnip soup was the soup that day, one of my least favourites, but it was delicious and served with good bread too.
We both opted for the beautifully cooked fish main course and casting aside any thoughts of diet or budget asked for a portion of Dexter beef dripping chips £2.95. Oh those chips – perfectly cooked golden brown with a crisp exterior, soft fluffy interior and absolutely delicious – the best I have ever eaten.
Having eaten our way through a portion of chips we had to wave a sigh of goodbye to a steamed pudding but good coffee and petit fours rounded off the meal perfectly. www.themarquisatalkham.co.uk
For information on the Foundry Brew Pub and Goods Shed restaurants, see our Produced in Kent article.