With a new year dawning, it has perhaps never been quite so important to support local businesses in the light of all the pressures they find themselves under; so where better to visit in 2023 than an institution which has long acted as the glue which keeps a community together...the local pub?

We take a look at some established favourites, newcomers and some you simply may have missed but which are the perfect places to keep up with friends and family - even if you are taking it easy after the excesses of the festive season.

Wantsum Brewery Taproom - St Nicholas-at-Wade, near Birchington

No sooner have you crossed over the River Wantsum - the stretch of water which once made Thanet an island, you come to St Nicholas-at-Wade, a pretty village which has two pleasant pubs facing one another in its centre - the Bell Inn and the Sun Inn. But weave your way to its outskirts and you'll find an often overlooked gem.

The Wantsum Brewery has developed quite a reputation with its beers available in various pubs across Kent. And its taproom is a back-to-basics set up with plenty of internal seating just off its main brewing area.

Perfect for walkers - dogs are welcomed - there's also seating outside for when the sun makes a return.

Four Candles - Broadstairs

Micropubs were once a bit of a novelty - now they're everywhere. So why not one of the first which goes one better and describes itself as a 'brewpub'.

What does that mean? Well in the cellar of The Four Candles (named after the Two Ronnies' sketch) it brews its own beers - each is unique and once it's gone it's gone. As with all micropubs, it's small, but it's perfectly formed and despite being hidden a little in Broadstairs' back streets - albeit just a 10 minute stroll from the mainline railway station - it has developed something of a reputation as a destination for being friendly and offering a back-to-basics pub experience.

The Foundry - Canterbury

Talking of brewpubs - here's another one. The Foundry is set in a Victorian foundry in the city centre which makes for a rather unusual, and interesting, setting while you sup one of the brews created by Canterbury Brewers & Distillers which has its operation on the site.

So you can sup a local craft beer and even enjoy a seasonal menu while you admire the brickwork. What's not to like?

Ye Olde Thirsty Pig - Maidstone

If you think Ye Olde Thirsty Pig looks a bit higgledy-piggledy from the outside, the inside won't disappoint. But then given it is apparently the third oldest building in the town, you perhaps shouldn't expect things like an even floor.

Boasting a range of local beers on tap and other more mainstream names too, it's not in the most picturesque setting in the County Town but if you've not been there before, then 2023 could be the time to pay it a visit.

The Boathouse - Yalding

Kent has plenty of very pretty pubs - some nestling in the countryside, others sat on its coastline. But The Boathouse has something else which makes it one of the county's most picturesque.

Perched on a bend of the River Medway, it was given a major revamp in 2018 when taken over by Shepherd Neame (it was formerly The Anchor).

Today, with covered seating outside, it provides a very pleasant spot - especially when the weather is fine - to sit and watch the kayaks and paddleboarders pootle past while enjoying something cold and wet (which, ironically, is probably what those on the water are feeling too).

The Old Neptune - Whitstable

Some pubs don't really need a lot of selling - and if you are a white weather-boarded venue actually perched on Whitstable's shingle shores, with a pub garden which sits on the beach itself, then you have a very popular destination. Little wonder, then, the Old Neptune - or the Neppy as it's known locally - bills itself as 'The Pub on the Beach'.

Whether you want a warm and cosy respite from the chill and the wind in the winter, or soak up the sun during the summer months, it is perhaps the popular town's most celebrated pub. It serves food and has regular live music over the weekends. Here's what Secret Drinker thought of it when he paid a visit.

The Made Inn - Ashford

If we're being absolutely honest, Ashford town centre has struggled a bit to have a pub which offers something a little different to the crowd. Which is where the Made Inn comes in.

Offering a vast range of craft beers and a selection of grub, it lurks in New Rents and has developed something of a reputation for its offering. It is also very much a 'community' pub and pushes itself heavily as such.

Plus, according to Tripadvisor, it is the best bar in the town.

Chequers Inn - Aylesford

When a fire broke out in the early hours of May 23, it was feared the Chequers Inn's 500 year history may be coming to an end. But the pretty Grade II-listed pub on the High Street in Aylesford has undergone significant renovation since the blaze and is due to open its doors once again imminently.

Its return will be welcomed by punters, who will, sunshine permitting, relish return to sitting with a view across the river in its rear garden.

Three Sheets to the Wind - Rochester

A relative newcomer - it only opened in April 2021 - Three Sheets to the Wind promotes itself as an Anglo-Austrian micropub - and there aren't many (if any) of those in the country, let alone county.

So should you want to sample the best of Kent's ciders and ales, alongside some beers from Austria and Germany, then you have struck gold.

The family-run pub also managed to stake a claim in the 2022 CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

The Little Gem - Aylesford

The best things come in small packages, apparently, so little wonder Aylesford's returning hero, the building of which dates back to the 1100s is turning heads.

It may be small, but the Little Gem, which stood empty for a decade, is, since 2021, back in business and doing a roaring trade - despite being one of the smallest pubs the county has to offer.

But don't just take our word for it - the Secret Drinker was suitably impressed too - and he's not easy to please.

The Five Bells - Eastry, near Sandwich

Talking of Secret Drinker, he was also suitably impressed with The Five Bells in Eastry, near Sandwich, exclaiming he had enjoyed the warmest welcome of any pub. High praise indeed.

The quaint, family-managed pub is very much of the old school with modern touches and an outside seating area. Plus it's got bar billiards. Which once you've got your head around the rules, is a classic pub game hanging on by its fingernails in terms of venues which feature it. Oh, and it too is in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

The Potting Shed - Langley, near Maidstone

Now this is a bit of an all-rounder which has fans for all three of its key offerings. There are rooms in which to stay overnight, there is a restaurant and there is a bar. And, when the weather is nice you could ponder which to use next in its garden area.

Billed as a 'Scandinavian-style' venue, you can even book up a private 'shack' for up to eight people in which you can wine or dine in relative peace and quiet.

Darnley Arms - Cobham, near Gravesend

Once you've navigated through the narrow streets of the pretty village centre, the Darnley Arms delivers a classic family-run pub with food to boot.

Just take care getting there - it made headlines after passing vehicles made a habit of knocking bits of it off.

It's also one of the oldest in the country, dating back more than 800 years, not to mention also being in the CAMRA guide.

Margate Leisure Centre - Margate

If you're ever bored of the same old pool table and fruit machines, then one venue could offer what you've been missing. The Margate Leisure Centre offers axe-throwing, a number of indoor petanque lanes and, for good measure, table football (which is, it should be said, free-to-play). If you only want to drink, well there's a host of beers - most of which hail from the town's excellent Northdown Brewery.

Should that work up an appetite, there's a pizza stall too.

10.50 from Victoria - Strood, Medway

You can't argue with the fine choice of name of the 10.50 from Victoria.

Located in the old railway arches, it's cosy in the winter and its courtyard works well when the sun returns. There are even sheds for drinkers to enjoy themselves in outside when space inside limits.

The micropub's flurry of awards from the local CAMRA branch over recent years underlines the strengths of its range of beers and ciders.

Smugglers' Alehouse - New Romney

Micropubs are not only everywhere now, but they are frequently putting the more traditional pub to shame with their range of beers and ciders and homely feel.

The Smugglers' Alehouse in New Romney is one such place. Showcasing a revolving selection of local ales, it's central High Street location has made it a hit despite its modest dimensions.

Elephant & Hind - Dover

There's been a pub on the site of the Elephant & Hind in Dover's Market Squaresince 1792 - so perhaps it's little wonder this is a popular destination.

In its current incarnation, it is a gastro-pub and, according to Tripadvisor, is Dover's top bar with a string of five-star reviews. Check it out for yourself and you can make your own mind up.

Kipps' Alehouse - Folkestone

And finally we end on another micropub. It was inevitable Folkestone, with its artsy-credentials, would embrace the trend and Kipps' Alehouse fits the bill nicely. Sat just off the cobbles of the Old High Street, leading down to the harbour, it's range of beers, ciders and wines has won it plaudits and customers