Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Michelin star for unassuming pub taking the foodie world by storm
A village pub has scooped its first Michelin star just 10 months after it was taken over by new owners.
The Bridge Arms near Canterbury - which was recently overhauled by the couple behind Michelin-starred gastropub The Fordwich Arms - has gained the restaurant industry’s top accolade.
Husband-and-wife owners Dan and Tasha Smith have welcomed the news as “an incredible achievement”, and paid tribute to the hard work of their staff.
The Grade Ii-listed pub in Bridge was formerly a village inn named The White Horse.
But it was left empty in 2020 when its former boss was convicted of hoarding child sex abuse images.
It was soon taken over by Dan and Tasha, who had already achieved Michelin success with their first restaurant The Fordwich Arms.
They rebranded The White Horse as The Bridge Arms and worked at full speed to transform the pub, refurbishing it and crafting a new menu inspired by the Basque cuisine of the Spanish city of San Sebastián, before officially opening last April.
Dan, who cut his teeth at London’s Michelin-starred Clove Club, said at the time: “We want to disassociate it with the reputation it had. It’s just a new chapter in its life.”
News it has been given its first Michelin star is proof the young couple have succeeded
in reversing the pub’s tarnished reputation.
Dan told the Gazette: “It was completely unexpected. We’ve only been open for 10 months it’s an incredible achievement.
“We’ve got The Fordwich Arms too, which won its star after only 10 months too - and that was also unexpected.
“It’s a testament to the staff ’s hard work.”
When launching the pub, Dan, now 30, and Tasha, now 29, said that rather than replicating their operation at Fordwich and striving for another Michelin star, they would be taking a different route, making The Bridge Arms “much more family oriented”.
Speaking this week, Dan said: “We’re still absolutely family oriented. There’s this
misconception that you can’t be a Michelin-starred restaurant and a family oriented restaurant. But the stars are purely based on the quality of the food.”
The Bridge Arms’ menu is centred around locally-sourced meat and fish, much of which is cooked on local charcoal.
“It’s based on what the day’s boats catch,” said Dan. “So a lot of our menu is decided by our suppliers.”
Dan says there has been little time for him and Tasha to take in the news of their latest win, since they were informed by a Michelin Guide chief last week.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” he said. “But I’m sure we’ll all be able to raise a glass of something sparkling this evening.”
Looking forward, Dan says he and Tasha plan to focus on maintaining the excellent standards and reputation they
have built. He says The Bridge Arms has already seen a surge in bookings since the Michelin news.
“I imagine the phone is going to go off the hook,” he laughed.
The Michelin Guide says Dan and Natasha “appear to have another hit on their hands”.
It says the 16th century pub has “plenty of character”, complete with fireplaces and low beams.
On the food, it says: “The kitchen knows to keep things simple when it’s called for such as the fish cooked on the grill - but there’s plenty of imagination evident in the snacks and other skilfully executed dishes which deliver sophistication and refinement.
“Whatever you choose you’ll find the food immeasurably satisfying,
comforting and nourishing.
“Service comes with a touch of formality but that’s tempered by the friendly and personable manner of the team.”
The win has further cemented the Canterbury area as something of a foodie hotspot.
It makes three Michelin-starred restaurants, alongside The Fordwich Arms and The Sportsman at Seasalter.
Margate restaurant Sargasso has also been honoured in this year’s Michelin awards with a Bib Gourmand.
The Michelin Guide says the seaside eatery beside the harbour wall “comes with some great views”, and offers “an almost daily-changing selection of 12 to 15 well-priced, wide-ranging seasonal dishes”.
It was completely unexpected. We’ve only been open for 10 months - it’s an incredible achievement. It’s a testament to the staff’s hard work...