Interview: Joss Bay Surf School

Surfing is a huge trend and only getting bigger apparently...which is all well and good, but BIG in the UK? Yes, according to surfing pioneer Dave Melmoth - the man behind making surfing cool on the Kent coast. There was me thinking Broadstairs was for the shy and retiring. I stand corrected. See what he has to say about surfing and why it suits adventurers of any age.

What interested you in surfing? I started working on the beach at 14 and was exposed to surfing properly for the first time. I realised then and there that I just wanted to work on the beach and be around the ocean; nothing else came close.

Is it hard to get people interested in learning about surfing? Not really, surfing has become quite a cool pastime over the past decade and to be honest the by-product is that it enables you travel to truly beautiful places. Once bitten by the surfing bug it becomes highly addictive, so people generally can't get enough of it once they have started.

How have things changed for the sport over the past ten years? Almost unrecognisably really, Surfing has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world and a multi million pound industry. Everything you look at nowadays has some sort of reference to the beach and surfing. As far as the surf school goes, 15 years ago we did around 200 lessons a year, now were touching 3,000 a year.

How far have you come with the Joss Bay Surf School? Well as above really. When I first bought the business it was just a kayak hire centre. Over the years it was obvious that there was a need for surfboard hire and the occasional lesson. This rapidly grew into the monster we have today. Were deliver around 3,000 surf lessons as well as all our hire services and stand up paddle boarding has created a whole new market. We now also deliver Beach lifeguard courses, First Aid training, Event Safety, Team building and a whole lot more. Two years ago we became the first surf school in the UK to be awarded Club Mark for our commitment to working with the young people in our community.

Tell us about your customer? Young cool types or grannies looking to get kicks? Ha, to be honest it really is a mix nowadays everyone seems into it, anything from kids parties to a 65th birthday present last year. It is pretty eclectic, which is pretty much how we like it.

What makes surfing so unique and special? Surfing is the opportunity to break free from the everyday. Whether for you that's work, relationships, stress or just the longing to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air and feel of the ocean. There's no real competition to speak of, just the longing to get better and then maybe be better than your mates, but just the feeling of popping up and having the ocean propel you along is something that needs to experienced at least once in your life.

How are you getting involved with the local community? We are fully immersed in our local community. We are in schools, work with our local council's sports development team, sit on the steering group for Engage (an umbrella organisation encompassing all local community and private sector organisations), run local free disability surfing workshops and now host the Wheels and Fins Festival ( Kent Largest FREE surf/skate/sports and music festival on Joss Bay)

What do you love most about the sport? I think in the early days it was a challenge, something I had to learn no matter what. Then it evolved into a travel bug searching for beautiful places and warmer waters. Today it is just the joy of being in the ocean and hanging with my mates, nothing better than that really. Don't get me wrong I still love to travel and I've just come back from Sri Lanka where the surf was good and the waves were warmer. (mega happy face at this point!)

How do you think surfing has impacted the local area? Is it bringing more tourists to the area, for example? Yeah we are averaging around 100,000 hits a month on the website during peak season, which kinda tells me people are looking for more active holidays, which is great for our local economy. We are definitely attracting far more visitors than ever before. The knock on is that visitors stay local, eat, drink and visit the local sites. It is really important to us to keep it local and help our fellow tourism business, especially in the financial climate we are in.

What is next for the school and surfing? Well, we have plans for a new facility on the beach to enable us to be open all year round. This will enable us to have proper changing rooms, a surf shop and small refreshment and training area on the beach. As currently out of season we have to use offices around a mile away. It will also look super cool. Surfing wise, the sky is the limit, styles and products are changing all the time and the young guns are just pushing the boundaries to even crazier heights. Stand up paddle boarding has really taken off for the flat days and this will soon be massive in its own right, so as you can see the sport is ever evolving.

What are you favourite hobbies? I know it will sound a bit crazy but I'm a bit of a workaholic. My three companies: Joss Bay Surf School, Better Beaches Ltd (Foreshore Services) and the Wheels and Fins Festival are my hobbies and I love working on them and making a success of it, to be honest its real fullfilling. However I like the mountains and I get away snowboarding every year. Surfing is a given!

Any local pubs, restaurants, haunts you recommend? Well I would have to Say the Wheels and Fins Festival 13th,14th and 15th September 2013 on Joss Bay is one thats not to be missed - www.wheelsandfinsfestival.com . If were talking food I would also say the fish and chips at Eddie Gilbert's in Ramsgate is winner, along with Possilipos Italian Restaurant in Broadstairs. Margate would be GB Pizza co for a coffee and a thin and crispy by the sea. A pint with a view would be either the Lighthouse Bar on Margates harbour arm or the Tatar frigate next to Viking Bay. Ramsgate's drinking hole would most definitely be the Belgian bar for its fine beers, seafood and quirky atmosphere….

Favourite food and tipple? It would be a Chicken jalfrezi all day long, washed down with a pint… (However I'm currently in training mode and its a chicken shashlik (dry curry) and a Bottle of water.

Who do you admire and why? I would have to say Richard Curtis… I am really passionate about poverty and those who suffer needlessly in the hands of the fat few. Ive been on trips to India and worked in the slums as well as projects in Africa. What that man has done for the poor is on an unfathomable level and something we should all aspire to. One man making the difference shows us that we all can if we put our minds to it!

Interview: Scott Goss, The Swan

Who: Scott Goss, Head Chef, The Swan, West Malling

Where did you start your career? When I was 18 years old to worked at Gary Rhodes restaurant in London, it was called 'City Rhodes'

What inspired you to start a career as a chef? I have always loved food since I was a young child, and at school I knew I wanted to be a chef. I was lucky as I didn't live far from Thanet College, which had a great reputation as a catering college. I've kept close links with the college and still support them and the students. Last year for example I worked with the students to produce a complex dinner menu, which we served to paying guests.

What is your favourite produce? Seasonal, fresh, local vegetables are a firm favourite, I'm looking forward to the asparagus season and some delicious wild garlic is also growing at the moment. I also love game season, especially the local pheasant and venison. I love to go on the local shoot and see exactly where our pheasant comes from. At the moment I'm a bush beater, but I'm hoping to be promoted soon!

 Do you find it easy to source locally produced food? Kent has an abundance of great produce, so it's easy to source locally grown and reared ingredients. It's really rewarding when the farmers come in to see and taste dishes that feature their produce, they always look really proud.

What challenges do you face when creating a menu? The biggest challenge is to create a balanced menu. It's all too easy for chefs to get excited by experimental new dishes, but you've always got to focus on what people actually want to eat. That's why we always have classics such as a great steak, mussels and fresh fish on our menus. Our daily specials board is a good opportunity to showcase some different dishes, I remember we offered a squirrel pie once which was a surprising success!

Tell us your inspirations - how do you start creating dishes and menus that work in harmony? Seasonal food is always my starting point. I'm classically trained so whilst I always try and use local British produce, I sometimes prepare the ingredients in a European way. At the moment I am preparing a pigeon breast from Casey Valley Farm, but I'm rolling into a ballotine which is typically French.

What is your favourite dish? When I fancy something light I always go for dozen oysters at the bar, but really I find there's nothing better than a 28 day aged rib of Scottish beef which is big enough to share between two people.

 Favourite tipple? A 1994 Chateauneuf Du Pape with my steak, or a pint of Guinness with my oysters!

A couple of favourite recipes:
Twinkle Ingredients: 25ml Grey Goose vodka (or any other brand you prefer) 25ml Belvoire elderflower cordial 100ml Champagne
This is a great champagne cocktail for summer, quick to make, looks really impressive and tastes delicious. Method: Take a champagne flute, add the vodka and Elderflower cordial. Top up with champagne and then garnish with a twist of lemon.

BBQ Whole Mackerel, Green Sauce & Lemon
Ingredients, 4 portions: 4 Whole mackerel, about 250g-300g (ask your fishmonger to remove guts & gills) Half teaspoon smoked paprika 1 Lemon cut into thick slices 1 Lemon for juicing Olive Oil Sea salt Ground black pepper
For the Green Sauce: 1 Bunch of flat leaf parsley (finely chopped) Half a bunch of mint (finely chopped) 1 Bunch of basil (finely chopped) 1 Medium sized banana shallot (finely chopped) 2 Crushed garlic cloves 2 Tablespoons of baby capers 4 Anchovy fillets (Chopped) 1 Lemon, juiced 100ml Extra virgin olive oil 2 Teaspoons sherry vinegar

How to make: Place all of the Green Sauce ingredients into a bowl and mix, checking the seasoning and adjusting to suit your taste by adding more oil, lemon, or anchovies. Season the mackerel by rubbing with sea salt, pepper, smoked paprika & olive oil. Season inside the belly cavity and then place 2 slices of lemon inside each fish. Place onto a BBQ and cook for 5 minutes, then carefully turn using a fish slice. Cook for a further 5 minutes, covering with the BBQ lid or roasting tray (this helps the heat to penetrate into the fish). Remove from the heat and place onto a tray, squeeze lemon over the mackerel and leave to rest for a further 5 minutes. Serve with the Green Sauce drizzled over the fish, along with some Jersey Royals and a salad

Coldrum Long Barrow

Interested in tombs? Yeah me too. But these aren't any ordinary tourism tombs; these are coldrum stones constructed a ridiculously long time ago. I mean we are talking circa 4000 BCE.
Pretty dusty.
The coldrum stones, know as the Coldrum Long Barrow are the remains of a number of megaliths, known as the Medway Megaliths, situated in the picturesque village of Trottiscliffe.
There are five other surviving long barrows : Addington Long Barrow, Chesnuts long barrow, Kit's Coty House, the Countless Stones and the Coffin Stone.
Visiting these is free and the majority of them are now looked after by The National Trust.
The stones in Trottiscliffe consist of about 50 megaliths and were excavated by archaeologists who found the remains of 20 human skeletons.
Making your way to the stones is a mini adventure in itself and can be included in part of a day exploring the historic route, The Pilgrim's Way. This route stretches from Hampshire to Canterbury and the stones are several hundreds metres away from this track - signposted and with limited parking available (Pinesfield Lane). A walk through fields surrounded by hills and filled with horses will only add to the suspense of coming across the stones.
The views across Kent from the Barrow are pretty spectacular and if you want to get kids interested in the history of the stones, grisly tales about the tomb are bound to keep them entertained while learning about early Neolithic Britain.
On our visit, we walked between the trees adorned with decorations similar to wind chimes and dream catchers, gleaming beautifully in the sunlight. It feels a little spiritual and very calming atop the barrow and it is suggested that Morris Men continue to travel to the stones every May Day to 'sing up the sun' - something worth visiting if you can brave an early start.
It is worth perhaps touring all of the Medway Megaliths and walking the Pilgrim's Way - taking a picnic and/or stopping off at some of the restaurants and pubs along the way. The George at Trottiscliffe is a very old traditional pub lower down in the village. With large portions, delicious food & Kentish ales (in addition to a large garden with play area) this is well with a visit.
Visit the national trust website for further information or simply trust your instinct and go wandering. Much more fun.

Leeds Castle on a cloudy day

Still beautiful with a gloomy background.

A view over West Kent

Shepherd Neame - fancy a beer?

Beer. In the olden days we drank it instead of water. In the 90s geezer birds drank it instead of water. It has often been labelled and stereotyped, but according to several glossy magazines, our old friend beer is making a comeback and apparently women are now the target audience.
How do I know this? Well, I am a woman.
Trendy craft beers and small 'micro' breweries are encouraging bars to serve their latest, organic beers in champagne glasses, complete with a olives like a martini (Ok, I made the olive bit up) but you get the idea. Beer is HAWT.
With that in mind, I dragged my unwilling, uncooperative, non-responsive BF to my local brewery - which also happens to be the oldest brewery in the UK. Dragging his kicking an screaming ass into a brewery was challenging. You know how men can be.
Shepherd Neame is one of the oldest and finest brewers in the UK, making famous brands such as Samuel Adams, Asahi and Oranjeboom, Whitstable Bay and Spitfire and Masterbrew. Now, as I am writing about this fine golden brew, it is important to understand the difference between larger and ale. I must admit, even with a thorough talk from the king of chemistry and chief brew magician at 'Sheps' I still have no idea what the difference is. In the essence of good background, I have researched this and found: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-differences-between-ales-and-lagers.html  It makes for very good reading should you really want to know..
A tour of Sheps is fascinating and surprising - you get to poke around in all the nooks and crannies of one of the oldest brewers in the world- taking in walls that have been eroded by the passing of trade; smelling the hops and weird, fermenting smell. It was a little bit like walking around Willy Wonka's pad. Chemistry sets and juicing tanks, hops, barley, stained glass and lots of men in overalls.
The king of chemistry - Master Brewer, Stewart Main tells us to smell the ales and largers before we drink them. Closing your eyes it really is amazing to be able to take in the flavour before it has even hit your mouth. Stewart's concoctions are mind boggling and amazing. One, for the famous Whitstable Oyster Festival actually had oysters in it and tasted (after I had been convinced to try it) pretty unique and very special. I would drink it again in a heartbeat.
If you and a family member really do like to experiment with drinks and food, I would highly recommend a tour of the Shepherd Neame brewery and take in one of the local pubs while there. We headed to the Sun Inn and had a Samuel Adams and locally caught fish and chips.  This would make the perfect treat for someone who is interested in the golden liquid - ladies take your BF or your pops, you never know (if you're not into beer), you might enjoy it too.
Visit Sheps at www.shepherdneame.co.uk

Snowy snaps from Medway

Theatre on various lawns

I always love an English summer don't you? Last year the rain at the Isle of Wight Festival was so horrendous that this year we vowed to take waterproof macs instead of relying on those godawful cheap ponchos we thought were meant to be waterproof.
I try and remain optimistic - I have several BBQs planned and am hoping to take an English holiday in a campervan later in the year, so you can't say I don't have faith (or my fingers crossed).
The beautiful stately homes of our county are also holding out for summer sunshine and have a wide range of theatrical events booked in from June onwards. The best thing about this, is the picnic and blanket requirement. You can tailor the catering to your needs (champagne and strawberries, obviously) and chill out on the perfectly manicured lawns without the need to spend any wonga.
First up is the classic The Importance of Being Ernest by Wilde at beautiful Smallhythe Place, Tenterden. The Pantaloons Theatre Company's production will take place on Sunday, June 24th at 7pm. Tickets range from £6-£16 and the production will continue in all weather - except what could be perceived as hurricane craziness. Call 0844 249 1895 for further info.
Further into Kent at historic Ightham Mote, you can find summer evening picnics on the North Lawn. They are hosting these for two nights this summer on two Saturday's mid month - June 23rd and July 21st.

They have gone even further and are providing hampers for "27.50 per couple and entry is free.The theatre shows  kick off at the end of June with Henry V on Saturday, 30th June, followed by HMS Pinafore on Saturday 28th July and The Twits wrap things up on Saturday, 25th August.
Finally, majestic Leeds Castle will be hosting The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a men-only touring troupe to perform the historic tale of hubble, bubble toil and trouble; Shakespeare's Macbeth. Again, they encourage you to bring a picnic and relax in the spectacular grounds. Performance at 7pm on 28th, 29th, 30th June.
Tickets - £12-15.
With this feast of summer treats to choose from, why go abroad? Take in some culture in Kent.

I would be rocking this Kissing Horses blanket by Anorak from John Lewis, £36 and if we are going poossh, why not include a beautiful picnic hamper, also from John Lewis for £70. Yah.

HK Review: Brunch, The Swan, West Malling

In search of Eggs Benedict...
According to Wikipedia there are several accounts attempting to verify the origins of the humble Eggs Benedict and I for one, prefer the hangover cure tale, spun by Lemuel Benedict at the Waldorf Hotel, New York in the 20's. It is so much more fun than 'my mum made it in her kitchen when she was bored.'

The usual ingredients are:
Poached eggs (runny)
A toasted English Muffin
Carved ham or grilled bacon (or pig of any description)
Hollandaise sauce (warmed)
Twist of pepper to finish

Now, I have a slight obsession with this meal. It seems to be my choice of food at every special breakfast. For example, when I landed in New Zealand in February after travelling from San Francisco with not only a beautiful cold, but conjunctivitis and a chest infection, I needed something extra spesh to cheer up my weary and snotty soul. My sister and her Kiwi OH swiftly packed up our bits and transported us to the Maranui Cafe, Lyall Bay, Wellington.  
My heart swells when I think of this moment. We were tired, I was disgusting and my sister knew that I craved the deliciousness that is EB. This cafe sits on the edge of the beach and is everything kitch and funky - laid back loveliness in all its glory.

On this occasion I snuck in a cheeky side of mashed avocado (a girls needs her Omega 3) and it complemented my breakfast perfectly. If ever you're in the area, hit Lyall Bay and sneak into Maranui and Queen Sally's Diamond Deli for the BEST home baked treats, awesome coffee and just the life you have been secretly dreaming of (don't lie, no-one comes back from NZ willingly).

Well, seen as the weather has been an absolute faux pas for the past few weeks, me and the boy decided we would hit the local town in search of food and coffee before a blustery afternoon at cricket (sigh).
The Swan, West Malling, has long been a favourite and has now revved it up a gear, offering Valet parking, special offers and now, a new brunch menu.
Well, hearing this news, my fat little belly could not resist.

We booked a table and arrived at 11.30 to see the casual dining part of the restaurant buzzing with couples, a handful of Sex and the City type ladies and some families. So far, so good. Tables resemble the subtle, quirky layout of Riding House, London and although the space is small, it didn't feel cramped or overcrowded. The brunch deal includes a choice of breakfast, coffee/tea and a smoothie/juice - made with fresh ingredients at the bar, just metres from the seating area and all for £10.

We both opted for the EB, an Americano and apple and orange juice.
The Verdict: Eggs were soft, runny and so orange I almost clapped my hands when I cut them open. The Hollandaise was even yummier, although there could have been more to act as the perfect accomplice. All the produce is locally sourced and this is what makes this even more satisfying - you know you're supporting local people. The Swan is also very good at highlighting the local suppliers. The juices blew us away and left us both declaring that the only way to eat fruit in the future is via a blender. Head Chef Scott Goss should be proud of this new menu - it offers something different from the usual fare being offered at other small restaurants (fry-up, scrambled eggs, bla bla) and with a reasonably priced set menu it should attract a different customer to the Swan - perhaps one who may have been put off in the past by price.

Overall, a good EB experience and one we will be repeating soon.

A selection of Jubilee snaps