The pub prides itself on using locally sourced produce – the fish and seafood is sourced from the Thames estuary while the meat and poultry come from nearby farms. The brothers also grow their own ingredients themselves in a small kitchen garden and polytunnel. Stephen now runs the pub with his partner Emma, who is in charge of the front of house.
Stephen Harris
Biography
Self-taught chef Stephen Harris started cooking professionally in 1996. While moving around different kitchens and working his way up the career ladder, Stephen was able to learn the fundamentals of cooking and hone his skills in the hopes of setting up his own standalone restaurant in the future.
In preparation for his own restaurant, Stephen would develop his dish creations in the comfort of his own home. In 1999 his dream came true when he and his brother, phil took over The Sportsman pub in Seasalter. Under Stephen’s guidance the restaurant has won acclaim from peers and industry professionals alike.
Awards and accolades
Despite himself referring to the Sportsman as a ‘grotty run down pub by the sea’, Stephen has turned the restaurant around winning multiple awards along the way including a coveted star in the Michelin Guide. An accomplishment Stephen and the team has held since 2008.
Michelin star aside, The Sportsman has also been named National Restaurant of the Year 2017 at Restaurant Magazine's Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards for a second year running and is also listed at no. 42 on the Good Food Guide’s Top 50 Restaurants list 2018, the only restaurant in Kent to be included. The pub also topped the Top 50 Gastro Pubs list in 2015 and 2016 dropping to second place in 2017.
Stephen Harris
Other interests
In 2017 the Michelin starred chef released his first book, 'The Sportsman'. As well as a collection of images and recipes the boom also takes the reader on a journey through the Kentish terroir including the Seasalter marshes, along the Kent coast and into the Teynham Orchards. The book also features diary entries, old invoices and menus as Stephen reveals his history with the seaside pub as well as his journey as a chef.
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