Local history

Ramsgate has had its share of both World Wars. In WWI it had the dubious honour of suffering the first air raids from Zeppelins, when much damage was suffered. It would also have acted as an 'out port' to the new 'secret port' of nearby Richborough, constructed from scratch to serve as a supply base for the army at the front in France. In WWII Ramsgate acted as a main port for the rescue of troops from Dunkirk. As the conflict continued the harbour played a significant naval role in the protection of Channel shipping and rescue. Today the harbour is given over to small fishing vessels and yachting marinas in both the inner and outer harbours whilst a new port, constructed outside and to the west of the old Royal harbour, handles ferries operating daily sailings to Ostend in Belgium.
Kent is known as the 'Garden of England', the county is an important supplier of fruit, and hops to flavour beer (originally introduced by the Romans). Its mild climate and rich soil make it ideal for horticulture and since at least Tudor times apples, pears, plums, cherries and soft fruits have been grown there. Cobnuts, elongated filberts and hazelnuts all grow well in Kent
Deal is mentioned as a village in the Domesday book but archaeological evidence suggests its history stretches back much further. Julius Caesar is said to have landed on the Deal-Walmer coast in 55 and 54BC. Deal gradually grew from a small fishing village and by the end of the 13th century was an important port. Sandown (of which only a few stones remain), Deal and Walmer castles were all built along the Deal coast in 1539-1542 by Henry VIII because of the threat of invasion by France and Spain. Their rounded walls were designed to resist cannon fire. When viewed from above they resemble the Tudor rose. Both Deal and Walmer castles are open to the public.

Featured producers

Walmestone Growers
Walmestone
Preston
Canterbury
Kent
CT3 1ES
Tel: 01227 721020

Howletts Zoo
Bekesbourne
Canterbury
Kent
Tel: 01303 264647

Dick and James pay a visit to Walmerstone Growers owned by the two neighboring zoos, Port Lympne and Howlett’s Zoo. They grow lots of vegetables, salads and herbs for the animals at the zoo.

Enzo's bakery/ The Good's Shed
Station Road West
Canterbury
CT2 8AN
susanna@thegoodsshed.net or susanna@thegoodsshed.co.uk
Tel: 01227 459 153

Enzo’s Bakery produces a large selection of typically Italian and English products as well as savory pies, arancini, rolle, pasta and other types of food. As well as using local producers, the bakery uses ingredients of Italian provenance too, offering a fantastic mixture of the Italian and English culinary traditions.

The Goods Shed opened in 2002 as a daily farmers market and food hall with onsite restaurant using the local market produce. The market currently has a bottle shop, larder stall, Patriana charcuterie, Cheesemakers of Canterbury, butchers, fishmongers as well as the restaurant.

Perton's gourmet foods
98 Canterbury Road
Herne Bay
Kent
CT6 5SE
Richard Perton Tel: 01227 807880/07785954424
richard@pertons.co.uk

Richard Perton has been working in the food industry for 30 years. He began life as a food flavourist and also ran a fruit and veg wholesale business before setting up his own Perton’s Gourmet Foods which includes his fruity hedgerow vinegar and Apple Verjus. He also produces a range of fruit and herb jellies and some oils, jams, chutneys, organic apple juice, and confectionery. The raw ingredients come from farms, or from foragers and hedgerows in the area - he even forages some of the ingredients himself.

Duckpit valley meat
Springfield Farm
Duckpit Road
Canterbury
Kent
CT4 5QB
Ian Lockwood
Tel: 01227 700 062

Ian Lockwood is now a third generation farmer on Springfield Farm. Ian began rearing turkeys on the farm 8 years ago as a diversification project to make use of the lambing barns outside of lambing time. The demand has grown since then and he now rears over 200 free range turkeys each year. His animals are reared free-range and he is involved in agri-environment schemes such as Entry level and Higher Level Environment schemes which strive to enhance and maintain the natural habitat while maintaining food production.

Braised stuffed turkey thighs

Eddie Gilberts fish and chip shop and fishmongers
32 King Street
Ramsgate
Kent
CT11 8NT
Tel: 01843 852123

Eddie Gilberts is a quality fishmonger, a gourmet fish and chip shop and a fine restaurant with a Michelin trained chef in the heart of bustling beautiful Ramsgate. Conceived by Jonny Dunhill some years ago, the philosophy is simple - to sell the finest quality food sourced as locally as possible. They buy fish direct from the local fishing boats every day and use local potatoes and vegetable growers and source their meats from Kent. They also use an award winning local brewer for beer and feature Kent wines in the restaurant.

Mackerel bake
Haddock soup
Calamari with tarragon mayonnoise

Also in this episode

Pesto gnocchi
Lamb and vegetable risotto

Other notable producers

Beech Tree Farm
Gibsons
Chandler Dunn
Cherry Farm
Madame Oiseau fine chocolates