The house-made ketchup is the clincher. Two diminutive jars in tomato and mushroom varieties by the side of a classy full English breakfast: slow-roasted tomatoes, tasty bacon and sausage and the best black pudding outside Lancashire. The orangey-red tomato ketchup adds fruity depth with none of the usual sugariness, while the mushroom one brings a pungent earthiness.
Taking something basic and dialling up the quality is one of chef Matt Sworder’s specialisms. He trained under Gordon Ramsay among others before returning to his native Kent to open his first Corner House restaurant (with two bedrooms), in Minster, near Ramsgate, in 2013. His second one, here in popular Canterbury, opened last July, with the bedrooms available from October.
The Minster restaurant was originally a row of 18th-century cottages; the Canterbury one has even older roots, as befits the city known for Geoffrey Chaucer and Thomas à Beckett. Opened as the Rose in the 1570s, the inn, just outside the medieval walls, was renamed the Flying Horse in 1755, and had dwindled to a down-at-heel pub when Matt acquired it in 2015. His refurb has preserved the 16th-century beams, turned the coachyard into a garden dining area and added three bedrooms.
My mate Jane and I are overdue a catch-up, so a jaunt down the M2 to create some Canterbury tales of our own is appealing. While it took medieval pilgrims days to reach Canterbury from London, we drive there in an hour-and-a-half. And there’s the rub: the route south of the city walls is now the A28 ring road. The Corner House looks out over defences begun by the Romans in about 270 AD, but there is now a busy dual carriageway between it and them, and access to the old town is via a 20th-century concrete underpass (with some attractive, informative murals, admittedly).
Once we get inside the Corner House, though, all is calm conviviality. It’s after 4pm on a Saturday, and happy-looking customers are lingering over the remains of their lunches. The bedrooms, two on the first floor and a suite in the attic, are as wonky and low-beamed as you’d expect of 470-year-old spaces, made cosy and restful with paint from you-know-who in chalky greys and greens, chunky oak furniture and curtains that resemble plaid blankets (in a good way). There are pops of colour from red cushions, and stylish accessories including a floor-standing Anglepoise lamp.
Before hitting the sights and shops, we drink tea in armchairs by the fireplace (with fresh milk from the in-room fridge), and ponder what Chaucer’s Wife of Bath would make of the huge, luxurious bathrooms – one even has a window seat.
Dinner starts well with nibbles of “proper” pork scratchings and sharp apple compote. My mussels are tender and taste of the Kentish cider they’re cooked in, but what really impresses is Jane’s salad starter: a lemony tangle of leaves, radish, pea shoots and roasted butternut, balanced with pesto and goat’s cheese.
To match the convivial mood, the menu is big on sharing: for mains we pick Romney Marsh lamb shoulder for two and don’t regret it. It’s dark and deep-flavoured, with a subtle, salty tang (anchovies probably), and goes well with dauphinoise potatoes and winter vegetables. My only quibble is the lack of a sharp foil for the fatty lamb – the sickly red cabbage is more like marmalade.
We share again on desserts. A platter of treats ranges from light (delicate beetroot and rapeseed cake; bitter chocolate sorbet) to indulgent (honeycomb ice-cream; a treacle tart we can’t help polishing off despite being extremely full). And after we stagger upstairs, heavy-duty secondary glazing ensures that traffic and sirens outside don’t disturb our sleep.
With top-notch food and warm hospitality in a tourist honeypot like Canterbury, this second Corner House venture looks sure to be a success. But if it’s not, they could always fall back on ketchup.
• Accommodation was provided by The Corner House (1 Dover Street, Canterbury, 01227 780793, cornerhouserestaurants.co.uk), doubles from £79 B&B, three-course dinner from £27, two-course set lunch £13
Ask a local
Sinead Hanna, marketing manager, Visit Kent
• Eat
On Sun Street, Pork & Co does amazing pulled pork, fried chicken and other comfort food. Deeson’s next door cooks modern British food from its own smallholding. A wee local favourite is The Veg Box Café, for vegetarian soups and hotpots.
• Shop
The King’s Mile has independent shops such as Madame Oiseau for handmade chocolates. The Goods Shed farmers’ market can’t be beaten for veg, meat, fish, and cheese.
• Drink
The Wild Goose in the Goods Shed does great cocktails – try the gosling martini. Shakespeare wine bar, opposite the cathedral, oozes bohemian charm. Beyond Westgate, try the Falstaff Hotel, or real ale at the 17th-century Unicorn Inn.
• Walk
The Crab and Winkle Way walk to Whitstable beach is stunning in summer, or stroll around the sprawling, city cemetery all year round – look out for Joseph Conrad’s grave.
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