Jerry Lockspeiser: Do you mind being lied to?

I have never been to The Sportsman pub in Seasalter near Whitstable on the Kent coast. The loss is all mine. Described as “a grotty rundown pub by the sea” it has held a Michelin star since 2008 thanks to the efforts of chef-patron Stephen Harris. I haven’t met Stephen either, but like others who have eaten at Noble Rot’s restaurant in London’s Bloomsbury, I have benefited from his skills in the kitchen. He became executive chef of NR at the outset, overseeing menus that have satisfied customers since day one.