Eat My Words: We review Quint’s Retreat next to Faversham Creek
Published: 05:00, 20 July 2023
When we left the house the sun was shining and it felt like the perfect day to stop by a waterfront cafe for a late-morning pick-me-up.
However, by the time we arrived at Quint’s Retreat in Faversham, the wind had picked up and we thought we might end up getting blown into the Creek.
It took us a while to find the outdoor food truck, which is hidden away inside the shipyard far beyond the rest of the shops and bars along Standard Quay.
We followed a narrow footpath under an archway of hedges and weaved our way through the boats in the shipyard until we eventually stumbled on the black and white static truck at the edge of the yard.
We were welcomed to Quint’s Retreat by a four-legged friend, which turned out to be the first of many.
As we moved to the front of the truck to peruse the menu, we were greeted by a further five pups, four of which were tiny chihuahuas.
The dogs were shared by two women who introduced three of them - Bella, Tulullah and Diesel - before apologising for Bella’s eagerness as she hopped up on her back legs and put her little paws on our legs.
The person inside the truck, who was named Jo and ran the cafe as a one-woman operation, then popped her head out and took our order.
The menu is mostly sandwiches and snacks, with hot and cold drinks and a selection of cakes.
We ordered an egg sandwich (£4), a cheese, tomato and onion toastie (£5) a green tea with lemon (£2) and a coffee frappe (£3.50) and stood with our new puppy pals to wait.
The food is all cooked to order by Jo in a surprisingly small space so it’s not exactly speedy.
Still, the general atmosphere of the place is relaxed and it’s all about watching the world go by, so waiting a few extra minutes for the food wasn’t really an issue.
It gave us a chance to admire the theming, which is loosely based around the shark hunter Quint from Steven Spielberg’s Jaws.
There’s plenty of decoration that hints at the 1975 blockbuster, such as an Amity Island sign, tied-up buoys and water skis.
It’s also a picturesque location with uninterrupted views across the water and surrounding farmland.
Once our food was ready, we felt a few spatters of rain in the air and made a run for it back to the car as we didn’t want our sandwiches to get soggy.
When we were safely back under cover, we tucked into our food and were thoroughly impressed.
Although there’s only so much you can say about a couple of sandwiches, the tangy melted cheese inside our tiger bread toastie was delicious and the egg sandwich was probably the best I’ve ever had from a cafe.
I don’t know if it’s because it was a Sunday morning and we’d had a few drinks the night before, but you just can’t beat a good fried egg sandwich on white bread with lots and lots of ketchup.
The eggs were from local producer Duck and Blade and were thick, fresh and of great quality, not to mention cooked to perfection and not too runny.
The green tea and frappe were also a nice accompaniment to the meal, and there were plenty of other flavours we could’ve chosen from.
It might not look like much at first, but this quirky outdoor cafe is delightfully themed, incredibly friendly and the perfect pitstop on a summer stroll along Faversham Creek - if you can find it, that is.
Ratings out of five
Food: It’s simple food but done really well and for a quick bite it really hits the spot ****
Drink: It’s mostly tea, coffee and canned drinks but there are some decent options on offer such as iced coffees and different flavoured teas ***
Decor: It’s a small space but Jo has done lots with it, giving it a nautical theme with a nod towards Jaws without being kitschy or gimmicky, and the setting is beautiful if you’ve got good weather ****
Staff: Jo was friendly, although a little rushed off her feet, but as she does it all by herself you can hardly blame her for being slightly flustered ***
Price: Two sandwiches and two drinks cost £14 which wasn’t bad value considering the food was made with top quality ingredients ***
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Sam Lawrie