George & Dragon

The notion that it would be possible to set up in England a similar restaurant to the one in which Julian and Sarah Leefe-Griffiths were sharing an enjoyable lunch in a small village near Urbino gave rise to The George and Dragon. The underlying theme assumed that the great majority of the ingredients would come from the locality.

The result has been spectacularly impressive with a network of local producers and foragers who supply Julian and Sarah with an impressive range of fruit, flesh, fowl and veg, the amalgamation of which delights the palates of an ever increasing clientele in the region of Tunbridge Wells.

Starters could include steamed samphire with clam butter, a selection of salamis and local cheeses with pickles and toast, or Parma ham with fresh white peaches and cracked pepper. Few dishes could be more Kentish than grilled Marsh lamb with summer vegetables and aioli, though a fillet of line caught sea bream with basil and vermouth is not too far behind.

A pudding of locally foraged fruit with burnt cream vies for attention with wild cherry posset with cherry salsina and strawberry ice cream, but the crown must go to A Grand Selection of Desserts and Lovely Things.

An international wine list sadly does not include any English wines, but there are plenty of others to make up for that, with French house wine from £12.