Summer so far and the Olympic Torch is on its way!

Summer has been busy and has seen me travelling all across the South East - over to Brighton, to Hastings, Canterbury, Whitstable, Battle and many more. As well as these tours and my regular Tunbridge Wells tours I have also had some really interesting private tours to keep me busy - including school tours and family history research. It's been very satisfying creating a walk which includes the original home of someone's ancestors and taking people to where their family is buried; especially when some people have travelled from half way around the world to do this. It can be very moving.

As you may have already seen from my website that I'm starting Canterbury Historic Pub Tours and details of the upcoming dates etc can be found under Events/Tours. Walk in the footsteps of Pilgrims, Saints and Kings in beautiful Canterbury. You can always combine your stay with a Historic Pub Tour in the evening plus a day time historic tour around the city with me. Plenty of free time too to enjoy those cafes, the river side and the shopping!

Next week I'm looking forward to a busy week including my first Canterbury Pub Tour on Friday 20th July at 7pm (£10pp. Contact me to book your place). Plus the Olympic Torch starts its tour through Kent in Tunbridge Wells on Tuesday. I shall be there on the historic Pantiles cheering the flame on its way, before offering visitors their own walk around the area at midday. The following weekend is the start of the 30th modern Olympiad in London and in celebration of this and in retrospect of the two previous London games, I will be helping create a Vintage Olympic spirit as part of The Pantiles Vintage Weekend (www.pantilestraders.co.uk).

Local cheese, oysters and cider vinegar - it can only be Kent Crisps!

I have been meaning for a while now to write a piece about a fabulous company who have only been running since March this year - Kent Crisps (or chips as some of you readers may know what we British call "crisps"!). The reason why? Well, I wanted to do a beer and crisp tasting experiment and last month I managed to achieve this at a local beer festival.

A little background first about Kent Crisps - they are based at Quex Park in Birchington, on the East Coast of Kent, and the grounds are not only home to the crisp makers, but a Victorian house and The Powell-Cotton Museum which can be visited.

Why am I singing the praises of Kent crisps? Well, not only are they a friendly team and a local company; but they have ingenious flavours that use local produce as ingredients. No artificial flavourings, colourings or preservatives and 100% GM Free is an added bonus of these crunchy delights.

Made from Kent potatoes, they have sourced flavours to reflect the region - so you have the classic Sea Salt crisps - the flavour dances on your tongue when you break through the crusty nuggets of salt; then there is Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt crisps - with a moreish taste that is created by the use of Biddenden cider vinegar; next are the Oyster and Vinegar flavour - a favourite with many of Kent Crisps' lovers, and subtle in flavour; and finally my favourite, and winner of a Gold Award at The Great Taste Awards 2011, the Ashmore Cheese and Onion, with a lovely strong kick. Something for everyone.

The oysters are sourced as locally as possible, the cheese comes from a Canterbury producer who uses traditional 19th Century presses and let their cheeses mature for 5 months at least; and the orchards at Biddenden, the oldest trading vineyard in Kent (since 1969), supply the cider vinegar - a mix of culinary and dessert apples.

Now, the crisps are lovely just on their own, but even better washed down with a pint of local beer, as well as perfect an accompaniment to a traditional Ploughman's - a slab of cheese, a slice of pork pie, pickles and a crisp tasty apple. If you wonder what beer would go with these crisps, then hopefully I will be able to give you a general guide, as well as recommend a few examples.

Sea Salt Crisps: These would work well with a malty beer or perhaps one that is a bit fruity - perhaps something like Royal Tunbridge Wells Brewery's "Royal". A best bitter that has a lovely malty undertone to it.

Sea Salt and Biddenden Cider Vinegar: A malty beer would lose its flavour against the vinegar so a Golden Beer would be better with these crisps, for example Westerham's "Summer Perle Golden Ale".

Oyster and Vinegar Crisps: These crisps need some hoppiness in the beer to cut through the vinegar and the seafood flavour. A Pale Ale, Bitter, or hoppy IPA may be just the ticket, and I can't think of a better way to combine local oysters with Shepherd Neame's "Whitstable Bay, Organic Ale".

Ashmore Cheese and Onion Crisps: For something as strong as a mature cheese, a porter or stout would hold up against the flavour. Tonbridge Brewery do a fine pint of "Ebony Moon" that would match nicely.

Of course there are many many local breweries and beers that would go fantastically with these crisps, I have just merely offered a few recommendations. Do have a look at: www.camrawestkent.org.uk/breweries-in-kent/ for details of breweries here in the county.

For more information about Kent Crisps, and also find a store supplying them near you, their website is: www.kentcrisps.com

I hope to have time to do more foodie blogs in amongst my tour and historical ones, so do let me know if there is a particular South Eastern food that you think I should be trying.