| ESCAPE THE CITY AND DISCOVER KENT'S GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS
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Now just an hour by train from London, visitors to Faversham will discover a world of gastronomic pleasures, with Michelin-starred restaurants, charming pubs and Britain's oldest brewery.
The introduction of South Eastern's high speed service means visitors can travel in comfort and style to the medieval town of Faversham. Famed for its excellent regional food and drink, along with beautiful countryside and an array of historic and cultural attractions, it's the perfect place to escape the stress and strain of city life.
At the heart of the town is the Shepherd Neame brewery, founded in 1698 and home to Kent's finest ales. A guided tour takes visitors through the brewery telling the story of how beer is made from hop to hand-pump. Each tour ends with a tutored tasting session, where guests can sample a range of Shepherd Neame ales, such as Spitfire and Bishops Finger. Special events take place throughout the year too, such as murder mysteries, beer and food matching evenings and traditional Sunday lunches.
Just down the road is the highly acclaimed Sportsman restaurant at Seasalter, with a Michelin star for the exceptional quality of its cuisine. Local sourcing at its best, three neighbouring farms provide the food, along with fish landed the same day in nearby Whitstable and Hythe.
Overlooking Kent's picturesque marshes, the Three Mariners at Oare bakes its own bread and oatcakes on the premises. Signature dishes include pan fried fillet of wild sea bass with celeriac puree and salsify; and belly pork, slow-roasted for 24 hours with thyme mash or new potatoes in season.
For those seeking an overnight break, traditional ale house the Sun Inn in Faversham town centre makes an ideal base for exploring the area. Nestled in one of the town's oldest streets, and with a wealth of old beams and huge inglenook fireplace, it was once the meeting place for the local gentry.
Nearby, in the charming village of Boughton, is the White Horse, an ancient coaching inn mentioned in The Canterbury Tales.
The town also hosts the Faversham Classic Car & Motorcycle Show in May where hundreds of historic and classic cars are on display in the town centre, alongside Shepherd Neame's vintage delivery vehicles. And this year the Spitfire steam train will take passengers from London to Faversham for the day.
With its history, countryside, character and distinctive fare, Faversham is the perfect place to escape city life.
For more details or to make a booking with Shepherd Neame call the Visitor Centre on 01795 542016 or visit www.shepherdneame.co.uk.
