Following the success of Tanners Restaurant and The Barbican Kitchen in Plymouth, Roux brothers’ protégés Chris and James Tanner have dipped their toes into the world of gastropubs with a new venture in Kent. Situated midway between Tonbridge and Royal Tunbridge Wells, what was the old Hare & Hounds at Bidborough has been transformed into a dashing new venue called The Kentish Hare. The revamped Victorian building houses two bar/lounge areas (one dispensing local ales and tapas-style plates), while the main restaurant occupies a traditional vaulted conservatory with its own terrace. The kitchen has been designed from scratch and the menu features lots of produce from Kent and the surrounding area – from whole grilled lemon sole and West Country crab salad to maple glazed pears with a Kentish Blue cheese sauce.