The food scene in Kent is a blossoming array of exciting restaurants, flavours, producers and innovation.

Long on my dining out wishlist has been Updown Farmhouse and I was extremely excited to be invited to their latest themed night – where the venue teams up with a guest chef to put their own unique twist on the Kentish ingredients available.

The garden restaurant – recently added to the Michelin Guide just 18 months after opening – in the grounds of the converted and recently restored farmhouse in Betteshanger near Deal is a hive of activity with its open kitchen offering a glimpse into the inner sanctum of this foodie haven in the countryside.

So when the menu for the partnership between Updown owners Ruth Leigh and Oli Brown announced the restaurant would be taken over with an Indian theme, I was all-in.

Chef Harneet Baweja brought his inspirations from his Gunpowder and Empire Empire restaurants in London to the Garden of England for a true feast of the sub-continent.

Arriving at a packed restaurant buzzing with chatter gathered on long, communal tables, my first impressions were this wouldn’t quite be the evening my partner and I expected to spend together.

Sitting on a long table, next to strangers, it felt more like a wedding reception than a restaurant.

But when we sat down and the food started arriving, everything made sense.

First up on the set menu was a flatbread with achari (meaning pickled) artichoke with peppers and leeks theca served on top, as well as grilled aubergine and crispy kale salad.

The kale and aubergine was an absolutely stunning piece of cooking with so much flavour, sweetness, crunch and richness and contrast with the pickled and citrus-flavoured artichoke.

I’m going out on a limb here and saying that it is probably the best Indian dish I’ve tasted – full of flavour, zing and pleasure.

As chef Harneet alluded to, perhaps the amount of butter (or rather ghee) used in the cooking is his secret, but this is the flavoursome food and indulgence one wants on a Friday night after the working week.

Then out comes a beautifully roasted lamb from the open flames of the wood-fired grill in a spice rub that is both enticing, moreish and tingling on the tastebuds and lips.

And with the side dishes coming out on massive platters, everyone is chatting about their meals, sharing food around and enjoying themselves and making conversation with each other.

It’s a really fun atmosphere and boosted by the amazing food on offer here.

And although to sample the flavours of Gunpowder again would mean a trip to the capital, the beautiful setting under the vines of the garden restaurant, the excitement around us and food coming out (all under Oli's supervision it must be said) is really exciting me to come back.

That will either be for another guest chef night or to sample Updown’s own fare on one of its regularly changing menus.

This was a great introduction to the Updown Farmhouse offering and I found it a brilliant concept that the owners are working with some amazing talent and bringing them to our doorstep rather than having to travel to these acclaimed chefs’ restaurants miles away.

We’re becoming really spoiled for incredible food and drink and dining out options in Kent and nights like these are just adding to that sense of occasion.

Although the list grows by the month, some like Updown will always remain firm fixtures to return to time after time…

The next in Updown’s series of guest chef collaborations will see Chantelle Nicholson of Michelin Green Star restaurant Apricity – in London’s Mayfair – take over with a four-course menu celebrating her approach to hyper-local sustainable produce on Friday, March 15. Tickets are available on the Updown website.