EAT - KENT

At the northeastern edge of the county, the Isle of Thanet is attracting a wave of creative chefs whose fresh ideas have transformed the peninsula into one of the UK’s most dynamic dining destinations.

- Ben Olsen

It’s just turned midday and, with the sun winning its battle against a lingering sea mist, day-trippers start to stream from Margate station, past the Dreamland amusement park and towards the beach. I sidestep the crowds and bag a table at Dory’s — a sophisticated spot with sea views and a just-updated chalkboard of seafood dishes. While weighing up the wine list, I watch as staff hurry past delivering plates of Whitstable oysters to neighbouring tables.

It’s not the obvious image of a county known as ‘the Garden of England’. For anyone who’s passed Kent’s orchards, vineyards and farmland to reach Margate, the county’s rural reputation is obvious, but the Isle of Thanet has an identity all its own. Once separated from the mainland by a now siltedup channel, this peninsula on the county’s north-eastern tip is defined by its cluster of Georgian seaside resorts — Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate — which, until recently, had seen better days. Previously a fashionable destination for Londoners seeking a salty-aired retreat, the European package holiday boom of the 1960s signalled a change in fortunes. But, following decades of decline, a recent influx of optimism and fresh ideas means Thanet is starting to thrive again.