Spotlight

60 amazing afternoon teas to book nowIt's Afternoon Tea Week (8-14 Aug) and we've found the 60 best places across the Muddy counties to get your fix. But you'd better book 'em fast — here today, scone tomorrow.
Superflashy newsflash! The hottest Kent gossipHave you heard the latest? We're talking brand new restaurants, family summer fun and a laugh-out-loud comedy festival, It's all happening on our patch!
Amazing August! 30 things to do locally this monthNew month, new marvellous Muddy guide to the best of Kent. Family festivals, lashings of outdoor theatre, fabulous foodie events, countryside antics and more. Get stuck in.
5 reasons to visit bOing! International Family FestivalHeard of bOing!? The international family festival is bouncing back in Canterbury this August, here's what's on...
Muddy Insider Guide to the West MidlandsThe Commonwealth Games has shone a spotlight on Birmingham but there's far more to the West Midlands than its prime city. Read on for everything you need for a stay in the beating heart of England.

Well, hello!

I'm Ali, editor of Muddy Kent, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable in the area.

Gotta Have It

Clean up your act! Luxe hand soaps we love

Feel like upgrading your hand soap? Foam up and step this way! From luxurious formulas and gorgeous bottles to fresh summer scents, here are 12 of the loveliest to buy now.

Gotta have it

What’s on this month

Fancy doing something fun? Er, always! Read on for our curated picks of the best things happening near you right now

See What's On

Eat

60 amazing afternoon teas to book now

It’s Afternoon Tea Week (8-14 Aug) and we’ve found the 60 best places across the Muddy counties to get your fix. But you’d better book ’em fast — here today, scone tomorrow.
- 50 brill outside dining spots
  
  Stretch out the late summer days with a simple lunch in a beautiful spot. We’ve share the pubs, restaurants, cafes and gardens in Kent where the food is yum and the views are wow!
- Keep it cool! £500 to spend on the best iced drinks
  
  It’s hotting up again, but we know how to help with the commute or family day out – an iced chocolate, mocha or chai latte from one of GAIL’s cafés in London and the South East.

Culture

TV Time! 6 best new things to watch this week

Remotes at the ready! From the latest unmissable BBC drama starring Nicola Walker and Sean Bean, to a gripping Netflix true crime documentary here’s Muddy’s weekly rundown.
- 10 things to do at the Goodwood Revival
  
  Dress up to the nines at the glamourous Goodwood Revival, a three-day celebration of the halcyon days of motor racing and vintage fashion
- Watch these! 6 hot new shows out this week
  
  Get set for a week of great telly from the latest fantasy DC comic adaptation to Disney Pixar’s Lightyear and the latest remake of Father of the Bride.

Little Black Book

Want to support local? Our curated pick of the most creative, unique and brilliant businesses near you.

Kingdom, Penshurst

The Beacon, Tunbridge Wells

The Swan Wine Kitchen, Tenterden

The Night Yard, Canterbury

Betteshanger Park, Deal

Chatham Historic Dockyard, Chatham

Elmley Nature Reserve, Isle of Sheppey

Hornby Visitor Centre, Margate

Papa Bianco, Faversham

The Bull Hotel, Wrotham

The Crescent Turner, Whitstable

Samsara Retreat & Wellness, West Peckham

Travel

Stay: The Rose, Deal

Want to stay in a boutique hotel that’s the real Deal? Grab the other half and make a beeline for this seaside bolthole – with stunning interiors, tasty dishes and oodles of artistic charm – all in the heart of this cool coastal town…
- Insider Guide: Folkestone
  
  This seaside town has an artistic heart, fab foodie scene and loads of sunshine fun – including free al fresco cinema. What more reason do you need to visit this summer?
- Muddy Insider Guide to the West Midlands
  
  The Commonwealth Games has shone a spotlight on Birmingham but there’s far more to the West Midlands than its prime city. Read on for everything you need for a stay in the beating heart of England.

Home

Finding your dream home in Kent

Whether you’re moving down from London or within Kent – there’s never been a better time to use a property finder. We asked one family to tell us the story of their move and how Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders made it all possible.
- Introducing your interiors fairy godmother – moving house just got easier!
  
  Moving house can cause a lot of stress especially when faced with a doer-upper but we have unearthed your fairy godmother when it comes to adding that design magic to your home.
- How to fill your home with summer scents
  
  You don’t need to step into a garden to enjoy summer’s heady fragrances – here are 15 ways to enjoy your favourite flower and herb aromas in your living spaces. Breathe it in!
Wellbeing
- 8 easy ways to protect yourself against sun ageing
  
  Brace yourselves, heatwave incoming! (yes, again). Here’s the lowdown on everything you need to know about staying safe in the sun, with a little help from the experts at Healthily.
- 8 brilliant new summer spa breaks
  
  From mountaintop Euro retreats to ultimate city sancuaries and far-flung wellness escapes, Muddy pulls on a white robe and slippers to discover what’s new for 2022.

Life

Pets’ Corner

Dr Victoria Vidal, head vet at Heronden independent veterinary practice in Tenterden, answers all your pet-related ponderings…
Kids
- 8 family-friendly water activities to do this summer
  
  Extreme heat? We’ve got the answer: have some fun waterside and enjoy a cooling paddle/SUP/boat ride and a picnic or pint (of Pimms?). Here’s the best places for water fun.
- How to spend summer at the Historic Dockyard Chatham
  
  Want to know where to begin to explore the 80 acre site of The Historic Dockyard in Chatham? Don’t worry we’ve got it covered! Step this way for the best things to do this summer…

Instamuddy

Fashion

12 sizzling sustainable swimwear brands

Want your bikini with full eco credibility but also 100% watertight on style? Make a splash with these brilliant swimwear brands. Just add SPF and a cold drink.
- Road trip: From Bicester Village with love
  
  Muddy’s teamed up with luxury open-air shopping destination Bicester Village to explore Oxfordshire’s most gorgeous fashion, eating and shopping destinations. Let’s go!
- 12 sizzling sustainable swimwear brands
  
  Want your bikini with full eco credibility but also 100% watertight on style? Make a splash with these brilliant swimwear brands. Just add SPF and a cold drink.
Beauty
- Freshen up! 40 best ‘tweakment’ salons
  
  Fancy glowing skin, a sculpted jawline or a tighter bum? No need to go under the knife – we’ve scoured the Muddy counties for the best non-invasive treatments in top-rated salons.
- The HOTTEST new nail polish shades for spring
  
  Spring is here – time for pretty new nails! From chic pastels to Harry Styles’ psychedelic new collection, here are the shades to have on rotation this spring.

People

Can these 7 celebs pull off a moustache?

It takes a certain kind of man to pull off a moustache, and Miles Teller’s Rooster in the new Top Gun has got our surprised seal of approval. Time for a game: TO ‘TACHE, OR NOT TO ‘TACHE? Let us know if you agree in the comments!
- My Favourite Places: Lavinia Watts
  
  Want to know where the very coolest of Kent eat and hang out? You’re in the right place! Meet Lavinia Watts, Business Partner at Lenleys, Canterbury’s brilliant, independent department store and her 7 favourite places.
- 20 Kent women you need in your life
  
  Girl power! 20 key contacts every Kent woman should have – to help boost your physical, mental or emotional health – here’s your ultimate Little Black Book.