The essential guide to food and gyms in Medway

 

Kieran Watkin's dishes the dirt of the best places to eat both on and off campus, as well as where to burn it all off! (written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire)

Not all university students have to live off tins of baked beans and pot noodles. Some may attempt to cook, some may wish to order a takeaway, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you could always sample the local cuisine of Medway. Here to help you with a few picks of the best fine-dining establishments is the Medwire’s very own guide to eating in Medway:

On campus:
The university campus has various cafes and restaurants for students. On the Kent campus, the newly refurbished No.1 Bistro in the Rochester building offers everything from maple pancakes at breakfast to lasagne in the afternoon.
On the Greenwich campus, there is Costa Coffee and a range of hot food in the Pembroke building, with food available in the Canterbury Christ Church buildings.
The Pilkington building offers the best choice for hungry students with a varied menu each day. The campus bar, Coopers, also offer pub grub. Watch out for their special curry nights too! The Drill Hall Library and the campus shop, Essentials, offer various snacks and drinks too.

Chatham:
Just a five-minute walk from campus is Chatham Dockside, where a host of fast food outlets and restaurants are all conveniently located next to the waterfront. For a quick snack, Burger King or Subway should do the trick. For cheap meals, Dean’s Diner and Pizza Hut will leave you and your wallet looking healthy. Student favourites The Real China (all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet) and Nandos are both available here. Fancy something a bit upmarket? Dine on Italian cuisine at Zippers or be treated to a bit of Mexican spice at Chimichanga.
Dockside is also great for coffee too, from the fantastic range of Panini’s at Caffe Fratelli to the Australian-inspired flat white at Boomers café. You can also grab a bite to eat and wash it down with a nice cold pint at the Ship and Trades pub, just off Dockside towards St Mary’s Island.

Gillingham:
When you come to Medway, you will realise that takeaways are aplenty. And I mean aplenty! You just have to walk through Gillingham High Street to see for yourself. There’s everything from kebabs to southern fried chicken, Thai to Indian; there is something for everyone.
Our favourites however? For oodles of noodles, head to Tai Won Mein where for just a fiver for head, you’ll be full for days. Dixy’s Chicken in Gillingham will almost certainly cure a hangover after a heavy night at Bliss, just off the High Street. And if you love American food, head to the Hollywood Bowl opposite Medway Park for one of Gillingham’s best-kept secrets.

Rochester:
In the cathedral town of Rochester, hundreds of café’s and tearooms with freshly made sandwiches are surely enough to tickle your taste buds. Pubs are aplenty here too, so it’s the perfect place for a Sunday lunch.
Our pick? Head to the yummy Serendipity cupcake bar for Rochester’s finest cup cakes.

And after you’ve eaten to your hearts content? Well ensure you don’t have a heart attack by signing up to Medway’s finest selection of gyms and recreational facilities
- Medway Park, Gillingham (Tel: 01634 336655)
- Roko health club, Gillingham (Tel: 01634 382333)
- Waterfront health and leisure club, Gillingham (Tel: 01634 280033)
- Virgin Active, Rochester (Tel: 01634 292900)

The New Zealand Diaries: No.14 - A town fit for a Queen

Throughout my time in New Zealand, I visited many different, wonderful places across the South Island. The Catlins, Dunedin, Omokau to name just a few, but perhaps the one that will stick in memory the most is my time in Queenstown.

Queenstown is a tourist haven. In the winter, it's the home of skiing and snowboarding, whereas in the summer, it becomes a paradise for thrillseekers with bungee jumping, white-water rafting and the luge, to name just a few activities. Set amongst mountains and a crystal clear lake, it really is a metropolis for all things fun.

Arriving for a three day weekend, we checked in to a traditional New Zealand lodge-style motel and made our way downtown to Fergburger, the world-famous restaurant, which you can read more about in a previous diary entry.

Strolling along the cosmopolitan high street with the sun blaring on my back, it's easy to see why toursits flock to this part of New Zealand. With a new airport conveniently located nearby, it's certainly popular and full of tourists taking pictures and enjoying the sights. The lake surrounding the town is glorious, and with the majestic mountains and clear views of the town, pictures are aplenty!

The town itself is full of gift shops and uber cool restaurants, with plenty of bars and cafes to tickle your taste buds. Queenstown even boasts its very own Louis Vuitton, which just adds to the glamour of the town. The marina attracts many tourists, and is often a hot spot for entertainers and market sellers, offering a continental feel to the area.

But, alas, the shopping and fine dining experience is not what just draws the crowds to Queenstown. No, it's the thillseeking adventure and daredevil activities that are popular. I spent my first day in Queenstown climbing the cable car or gondola as it's known there up to the foot of the mountain.

At the top, the views are phenomenal. You can see the whole of Queenstown and the surrounding landscape from here, and they were certainly some of the best views I have ever seen. The top of the mountain boasts various activities, as well as a large restaurant and shop. From bungee jumping to mountain biking, the impressive array of things offers something for everyone.

Being a thrill seeker and a believer that you really only do live once, I accepted my Dad's invitation to race down the luge. The luge is like a go-kart track but with weird sledges instead of actual carts. You go along a track with many tunnels, twists and turns along the way. It's immense fun, and certainly competitive when you're racing against your father! All I'll say is I was robbed of a win by my father, and I still have the scars to prove it.

So Queenstown was turning out to be quite an adventure, and as my next post will tell you, it only gets better, as I tackle my most challenging decision yet; to bungee or not to bungee!? (I'll reveal all later this week!)

Follow me on Twitter: @kieranwatkins

Read more from The New Zealand Diaries:
No.13 - A bit of a flutter
No.12 - A day at the Museum

No.11 - Who needs Victoria Falls?

No.10 - There he blows!

No.9 - Baaaaaaarmy!

No.8 - If you go down to Owaka today...you're sure of a big surprise!

No.7 - Golden Nuggets!

No.6 - Christmas down under

No.5 - The steepest street in the world

No.4 - Food, glorious food
No.3 - Brighton Beach, but not as you know it!
No.2 - The Good Life
No.1 - Don't Fly Qantas

Mc Donalds to create 80 jobs in Kent

Fast food restaurant McDonalds has announced plans to create 80 positions in Kent.

The company, which runs over 1,200 outlets in Britain and Ireland, is set to create 2,500 new posts throughout the UK.

30% of the jobs are expected to go to first time workers, with over 50% of positions being created for workers under the age of 25, although it is unknown which areas in Kent will benefit.

Press Officer for Mc Donalds, Kate McGown, said: “We can’t give a projection at this stage. Due to planning regulations, it is unknown where new restaurants will be. We are constantly on the search for new areas and opportunities.”

Stuart Todd, from Job Centre Plus, said: “Increases in any new jobs is a good thing, providing confidence for the wider UK economy.”

The news comes after McDonalds applied to Medway Council for planning permission to extend the Medway Valley Park branch of Mc Donalds, in Gillingham.

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

*article was written as part of my reporting & writing portfolio at the University of Kent