Four Kent gastropubs have made it into a list of Britain's best - and three of them are in the top 10.

The Sportsman at Seasalter between Faversham and Whitstable is number four, The Kentish Hare at Tunbridge Wells is number five, The Fordwich Arms near Canterbury is number nine and The Dog at Wingham, also near Canterbury, is 29 in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list for 2023.

The Michelin-starred Sportsman, which describes itself as a "grotty run-down pub by the sea", is no stranger to awards such as this. The Shepherd Neame hostelry, run by brothers Stephen and Philip Harris, is a past winner.

It is also a favourite haunt of celebrities, some arriving by helicopter and landing in the neighbouring farmer's field.

The list was put together by industry experts including food critics and writers, gastropub chefs and other food influencers.

The Sportsman, which has held a Michelin star since 2008, has topped the list in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Last year it came sixth.

Judges praised Head Chef Stephen Harris’ menu for being sourced almost exclusively from the land surrounding the pub with seaweed picked from the beach, salt from the sea and meat from ‘bountiful’ local farms.

They said his slip sole grilled in seaweed butter was a “must-try for any visitor”. Despite his dislike for "signature dishes", judges said this would be his, adding: “It’s the purest expression of what makes The Sportsman fantastic: simplicity, thoughtfulness and, most importantly, it is delicious.”

They said: “The Sportsman is remarkably affordable for an eatery of its standing and now offers one menu, a five-course tasting menu, celebrating small, seasonal dishes that showcase the local environment."

But they added: "Be warned, it remains a tough pub to get a seat because the popularity of its cooking stretches the world over, so plan before visiting.”

Stephen Harris, a former history teacher and punk musician, said: “It is a really strong list. There are so many great places on it so we are really pleased to go back up to fourth place. It is down to the hard work of the people here. We do it because we love it and we love the place."

He added: "I feel we have got better this year. If you have high standards you try not to let them drop. We have been at this pub for 23 years and have built up a regular trade. Yes, we are booked up several months in advance, but it means you can plan. I am very aware that it is a tricky time for a lot of businesses and we are just thankful that we are in a good position.”

Brothers Chris and James Tanner prove the saying two minds are better than one with the success of the Kentish Hare in Tunbridge Wells. It is their first pub in the county although they have spent more than 20 years in the sector with restaurants in Devon.

The Kentish Hare was launched in 2014 and has been a labour of love. James said: “The site was to be knocked down and flats built on it. We are in a lovely semi-rural village near London and two big towns. We saw a market for commuters and for locals.

"The site is beautiful now but it needed some serious TLC. And I mean serious. We thought can we do it? Shall we do it? And we did and I’m so pleased that we did.”

The pub is split into dining and bar space to retain a community feel with a garden at the back.

James said: "I suppose the term to describe our food is modern British? I’m not sure.”

It features the trusted trio of fresh, seasonal and local ingredients. James said: "Of course, we use a lot of ingredients from Kent, the Garden of England, but because of our ties with the West Country, and our great connections with suppliers down west with stunning produce, we cross the ingredients from this area and the west.”

Dishes have included White Lake Farm goats’ curd with heritage beetroots, walnut, clementine and bitter leaves; pork coppa with pearl barley, salt baked celeriac and cavolo nero; and Bramley apple crumble served with clotted cream.

Britain’s smallest town of Fordwich is home to The Fordwich Arms.

Chef-patron Daniel Smith was voted The Observer’s Young Chef of the Year 2016 and has been central to the gastropub’s culinary successes ever since.

Part of that success, also driven by his undeniable skills, is down to his use of local Kentish ingredients which are sourced direct from nearby farms and producers.

The pub first featured in the list in 2019 at 42, 17 in 2020 and 16 in 2021. It jumped into the top 10 for the first time last year where it remains.

Daniel has worked his way around some of the UK’s top restaurants including the Clove Club where he stayed for five years.

The Fordwich Arms is a beautifully renovated building next to the River Stour. Its red brick walls are adorned with bright green ivy.

Guests can choose from à la carte, tasting menus and two vegetarian tasting menus.

Dishes you are likely to see on the à la carte menu include rock oysters for snacks, raw Orkney scallop with apple, kohlrabi and vadouvan spices for starters and roast saddle of Chart Farm Sika venison with chestnut, celeriac and spiced fig for main, with many more dishes to select from.

The full tasting menu, which costs £220 a head for six courses and petit fours, includes duck liver parfait; raw Orkney scallop; and turbot with crisp potato, grape and lobster sauce. There is a four-course tasting menu with wine pairings added at an additional cost.

The Dog at Wingham's head chef Robert Mantegna is at the helm, creating unique dishes with local seasonal ingredients.

For mains, dishes have included pressed polenta with parsley sauced, baby carrots, pickled shallots and feta cheese; wild mushroom risotto with summer black truffle, parmesan and crème fraiche; and pan-fried cod with buttered beans, watercress, lemon verbena and basil beurre blanc.

The pub won the Front of House Team of the Year title in the 2021 Damm Top 50 Gastropubs awards.

Elsewhere in the top 100, The Bridge Arms in Canterbury was ranked 61st and The Rose Inn at Wickhambreaux was 68th.

The south dominated this year’s list, announced on Monday claiming 22 of the 50, although the top slot was taken by The Parkers Arms in Clitheroe in the Lancashire hills.

Number two is last year’s winner The Unruly Pig at Woodbridge. Voted at number three is Freemasons at Wiswell in the Ribble Valley.

This year’s highest climber was The Cadeleigh Arms in Tiverton near the River Exe moving up 31 places to claim number 17 on the list.

There are five new entrants including The Baring in London at number 23 and The White House on the Norfolk coastline at 34.

The Victoria Oxshott in Surrey was highlighted as the one to watch and The Oarsman in Marlow was awarded Newcomer of the Year. Brook House in Fulham won best Front of House Team and Chef of the Year went to Tom De Keyser, head chef of The Hand and Flowers in Marlow.

For the full list, visit here.

List publisher Chris Lowe said: “We are thrilled to see such a strong list of contenders this year, including five new entrants. The top 50 gastropubs provide a space for food and drink lovers to explore the best that the UK has to offer."