insideKENT Magazine Issue 24 - March 2014 | Page 58

FOOD+DRINK

The Flying Horse Inn
There’s nothing I like more than finding a relaxing traditional country pub in a
picturesque location with good food. And this is what I found at The Flying Horse
Inn at Boughton Aluph. Situated overlooking the village cricket green in the heart of
the Garden of England, between Ashford and Challock. BY ADAM READY
As you enter the pub, which is centuries old with
beamed ceilings and a welcoming open fireplace,
you feel at home straight away. After a much
needed drink at the bar from a long day in the
office we headed into the restaurant area to
meander over the new and very appetising à la
carte menu.
Landlords Paul and Nicola have now been at the
pub for well over a year and have firmly put their
stamp on the local villagers with a friendly
environment offering great food and drink, with
the kitchen being run by head chef Tobi Caira
who had made his name at the nearby Wife of
Bath in Wye.
The menu had lots of choice on offer with Paul
and Nicola both on-hand to recommend their
favourites and informing me that they buy their
ingredients from local suppliers as much as they
can. Meats from the award-winning Butcher of
Brogdale; fruit and veg from Watts Farms and
Perry Court; Cheesemakers of Canterbury for
(obviously) cheese; and fish from Griggs of Hythe.
They even stock insideKENT’s favourite snack:
Kent Crisps.
Before our starters arrived we were treated to
two very large parmesan and black pepper bread
rolls with some salted butter, which kicked of
the night’s meal. Shortly after, our waitress arrived

with an infused rosemary oil on a goat’s cheese
crouton – compliments of the chef. It looked and
tasted amazing, leaving me intrigued how Tobi
got the oil to crystallise into a large looking rain
drop.
From the choice of starters I went for the
recommended gin marinated king prawns, blow
torched baby gem lettuce with honey and lemon
jelly and a Marie Rose sauce. The little touches
and the torched baby gem add texture and
flavour to the dish. My guest’s honey-braised
pig cheeks, parsnip and pressed pancetta were
absolutely delicious and I was lucky to get in with
a taste myself.
Mains included fantastic choices from hake to
hay roasted chicken breast to open ravioli of
purple sprouting broccoli. The fillet of beef with
chargrilled oyster mushrooms with a beef
consommé was calling, and boy was I glad it
did. The thick-cut fillet was cooked exactly to
perfection and was a real treat, as was my guest’s
pan-fried sea bass, prawn and dill croquette
served with a prawn veloute.
Next up were the desserts which Tobi brought
to the table, and you could see he was proud to
be producing the quality that was on show tonight.
The deconstructed Canterbury tart was divine
and I will be returning to order this one again

58

soon – short crust pastry triangles resting on two
domes of custard filling with jelly cubes and apple
shavings as a finishing touch. My guest’s eye
was caught by the texture of chocolate and when
it arrived he was in for a surprise. Three layers
of chocolate cake and mousse were
accompanied by white chocolate discs, dark
chocolate swirls and you guessed it – chocolate
ice cream!
The final piece of genius was the petit fours – a
slate containing two dark chocolates with a mint
liquid filling, two lollipops on sticks with a dipping
sherbet and to top it off Vanilla cream caramels
wrapped in homemade edible cellophane – all
handmade by Tobi.
A traditional county pub serving a selection of
Kentish ales and superb à la carte cuisine – what
more can you ask for?

The Flying Horse Inn
Boughton Aluph
Ashford, TN25 4HH
01233 620914
www.theflyinghorseinn.co.uk

@BoughtonAluph