DRIFT Epicure 2022 by Engine House Media

2022 Edition

£10.00

Sea, salt and

SUSTENANCE Celebrating the chefs, makers and destinations that underpin the culinary excellence of Cornwall

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Drift /drift/

noun 1. the act of driving something along 2. the flow or the velocity of the current of a river or ocean stream

verb 1. to become driven or carried along, as by a current of water, wind, or air 2. to move or float smoothly and effortlessly

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On the cover Taken by Elliott White Photography, the pictured dish is a classic example of what to expect on the Cornish menus of Michael Caines. Read more from page 26. michaelcaines.com

CEO

Editor

Ben Pratchett – 01326 574842

Hannah Tapping

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miguel.belert@enginehousemedia.co.uk

Operations Manager

Content & Project Manager Dan Warden

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PROUD TO BE PART OF

Drift is published by: Engine House Media LTD Holbrook, The Moors, Porthleven, Cornwall TR13 9JX www.enginehousemedia.co.uk www.levenmediagroup.co.uk

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ISSN 2632-9891 © All rights reserved. Material may not be re-produced without the permission of Engine House Media Ltd. While Drift will take every care to help readers with reports on properties and features, neither Engine House Media Ltd nor its contributors can accept any liability for reader dissatisfaction arising from editorial features, editorial or advertising featured in these pages. Engine House Media Ltd strongly advises viewing any property prior to purchasing or considerations over any financial decisions. Engine House Media reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material supplied for publication or to edit such material prior to publication. Engine House Media Ltd cannot take responsibility for loss or damage of supplied materials. The opinions expressed or advice given in the publication are the views of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of

Engine House Media Ltd. It is suggested that further advice is taken over any actions resulting from reading any part of this magazine. Engine House Media Ltd is a multi-platform media business with a passion for everything Cornish. Visit www.enginehousemedia. co.uk to find out more. Our mission is to create READ-WATCHEXPERIENCE media opportunities marrying together consumers with the fabulous businesses across Cornwall. Our publishing and marketing teams are specialists in creating print and online communications, devised to achieve a range of marketing objectives. With over 20 years of marketing, brand management and magazine experience we develop effective communications that deliver your message in a credible and creative way. We operate across all media channels, including: print, online and video.

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T E A M

Foreword It’s said that epicureans are those that see pleasure as the purpose of life, and in particular that which is derived from the act of eating delicious food and drinking the finest of beverages. If you are an epicurean at heart then Cornwall, and its veritable hot-bed of food and drink producers, chefs and foodie entrepeneurs, is the place to be. The county has always had a rich agricultural and fishing industry, its microclimate nurturing early crops, its oceans brimming with seafood, but now we are seeing diversity in its food industry with producers, makers, distillers and growers bringing rich and varied ingredients to the Duchy’s finest kitchens. Chef, Jude Kereama (8) refers to this bounty as “God’s own larder” and he’s not wrong. His two restaurants in the harbourside village of Porthleven, combine ingredients with a culinary artistry that has gained national recognition.

While fine dining is certainly taking Cornwall by storm, its pop-ups and street food offerings make excellent food available to all. Saltbox (32) is a unique collection of vendors chosen for their authenticity and individuality, each bringing a unique cuisine to the mix. Such is the level of diversity within Cornwall’s food and drink industry, that the county is now also home to a plethora of brewers and distillers. Curio (14) has gone from a series of kitchen table experiments, distilling with sea vegetables, to a range of premium gin, vodkas and hard seltzers that are sold worldwide. Knightor Winery (92) has also seen a similar meteroic rise in popularity in recent years as discerning palates seek out its minimum intervention approach that results in a wine characterised by its elegant lightness. We invite the gourmands and oenophiles amongst you to join us on a journey of epicurean discovery like no other.

Our contributors

Hannah Tapping

Join our team

Rosie Cattrell

Dan Warden

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We have an exceptional and loyal team here at Leven Media Group but as a fast growth business we’re always interested in talking to outstanding individuals. If you’re a superstar of extraordinary talent then we would love to hear from you.

Call Richard McEvoy on 07771 868880 or email richard.mcevoy@enginehousemedia.co.uk

Visit drift-cornwall.co.uk to read more about our writers

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We invite you to continue your lifestyle voyage online. Find inspiring stories and uncover more luxury content on Instagram @driftcornwall. Join our exclusive e-journal community at drift-cornwall.co.uk to receive recipes, reviews and insider knowledge of some of Cornwall’s most-loved luxury destinations. drift-cornwall.co.uk T HE

PINNACL E

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driftcornwall LIFEST YLE

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C O N T E N T S

At a glance 8

COME IN FOR KAI From New Zealand to Porthleven

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

A B O V E T H E B AY

C O A S TA L C U I S I N E

THE SPICE OF LIFE

S P I R I T I N PA S S I O N

A P E R F E C T PA I R I N G

IN THE KITCHEN

Proof of the importance of innovation

Inspired by sea, land and shore

In conversation with Michael Caines

Getting to the core of Saltbox

From a father’s dream to his sons’ legacy

An award-winning chef and an histocial inn

At the very centre of The Park, Cornwall

DISTILLED IN COPPER A fresh flavour to the Cornish spirit scene

A S TA K E I N T H E G RO U N D An immersion in true foodie Cornwall

FOOD WITH A VIEW Where clifftop cuisine takes centre stage

A DIFFERENT KIND OF BREW In the beating heart of Porthleven

F O R T H E L OV E O F F O O D Inside a unique luxury deli in Falmouth

LIFE OUTDOORS Taking al fresco to new heights

COMING OF AGE Pairing wine with Cornish culinary excellence

EVENTIDE A final word from Hetty Ninnis

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C U I SI N E

Come in

for KAI

WO R D S B Y DA N WA R D E N

A career that started in New Zealand and which has, along the way, included appearances on TV, now makes its home on the harbourside of Porthleven.

Padstow on Cornwall’s hot-list of foodie must-visits, those who have visited will, no doubt, be familiar with the growing selection of cafés, roasteries, bars and restaurants that are making a name for the village. But it hasn’t always been this way, and it’s fair to say that Jude – whose business now encapsulates two restaurants there – was there at the beginning. “My late wife’s family lived in Cornwall, and it was the first place I went on holiday when I moved to the UK from New Zealand,” he remembers. “I fell in love with it instantly, and when we were living in London, we were constantly on the lookout for a restaurant in Cornwall. When we finally found the perfect place in 2004, it just so happened to be in Porthleven, and we never looked back. We felt so lucky to have found such a fantastic, beautiful and friendly village in which to make our home. The Cornish are brilliant people too and are so like Kiwis, in that they are great at taking the mickey out of you to keep you grounded!”

tarting as an apprentice in his hometown in New Zealand, before working as a Sous Chef for the best chef in the country – Simon Gault – Jude Kereama’s career was off to a flying start, but he was never destined to remain on home soil. Determined to take the next step towards furthering his career in the UK, he arrived here more than 25 years ago, with the intention of staying for just two years. But it wasn’t meant to be, as, within the first couple of months, he would meet his future wife, Jane, who also worked in the industry. “We shared an absolute love for hospitality. We lived and worked in London together for eight years, during which time I ran and opened restaurants for a group in the capital, which helped fuel my ambition to finally open my own restaurant with Jane. She was an incredible front of house manager,” he recalls fondly, “and I always thought of her as the ‘hostess with the mostess’. It was a dream come true for us when we opened our first restaurant in 2004.”

As a chef, Jude tells me that the most important thing to him are the ingredients, which is lucky, as restaurateurs here are spoiled for choice with the seasonal fruits of the county’s natural and agricultural

The restaurant in question, was Kota – one of the longest established eateries on Porthleven’s harbourside. But why Porthleven? Second only to

LEFT Jude Kereama

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C U I SI N E

fusing the rich, sweet, aromatic and playful flavour profiles with which travellers to south-east Asia will be well familiar, with incredible local ingredients. But the key difference here is the ‘family’ vibe; an atmosphere in which guests can eat, drink and be merry, all the while soaking up the incredible views over the harbour, towards Porthleven’s iconic clocktower, and the ocean beyond.

pantry. “It is like God’s own larder,” he agrees, “from the number-one butchers in the UK and the freshest seafood and fish, to the top vegetable and herb farms and other artisan producers.” Kota is one of only five restaurants in Cornwall to have been awarded three AA Rosettes. “We opened in 2006 and over the years, it’s developed into a restaurant with tasting menus that highlight the best ingredients of the day. Guests can choose between four courses, or six, and we also now offer a six-course vegan menu,” says Jude. The approach to service here is relaxed, but attentive; there’s attention to detail as well, with flights of wine perfectly complementing each dish. Guests can also expect surprise courses throughout, such as homemade bread, amuse bouche and petit fours, and for anyone who prefers the conventional three-course experience, there is a set three-course menu available every night, too. In recent years, Jude explains: “It has been lovely to introduce our resident artist, Maxine Greer, and to have our own range of pottery made by The Toll House Pottery Ceramics. It makes the whole experience more immersive – celebrating Cornwall not just for its food, but its creative identity, too.”

If you’re unfamiliar with Jude’s two restaurants in Porthleven, then you may recognise him from the BBC’s Great British Menu. First appearing on the show in 2015, Jude explains: “I was always a huge fan of GBM, and to be asked to compete is the pinnacle of any chef ’s career. It was the first time I had been recognised nationally as a chef and for me, it gave me a sense of belonging as one of the best restaurants in the south west of England. It pushes you to new heights to compete on the show, as there is a mountain of pressure for you to get things right as the whole country tunes in to watch. But it is a double-edged sword. It can be great for your restaurant if you do well,” he explains, “but equally as bad if you make mistakes. Luckily for me I have done okay,” says Jude, rather under selling himself. In truth, he is a craftsman – a master who relishes the challenge of bringing the laboured fruits of Cornwall’s growers, farmers and fishermen to the plate before you. A culinary artisan in the truest meaning of the word, with a legacy that continues to grow, Jude, who was born in New Zealand, is nevertheless one of the Great British chefs of our time.

Moving onto Kota Kai, Jude and Jane’s second enterprise, he explains that a lot of the dishes on the menu there are the kind that his mum used to cook for him. “Kai means ‘food’ in Maori, and the idea behind it was to open a family style restaurant. Whenever it was dinner time,” he recalls, “my mum would yell ‘Come on kids, come in for Kai!’” Guests at Kota Kai are free to choose from an extensive menu, with lots of small plates to pick from and large plates to share. The menu is replete with Asian influences,

kotarestaurant.co.uk kotakai.co.uk

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TOP Scallop Dish

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A B OV E Apple of the Day

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The Rockpool SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS: For the Dashi Stock: 2 yuzu fruits, juiced 10cm square of kombu 75gms bonito flakes 2 litres spring water 100ml sake

For the crab ravioli squid-ink pasta dough:

For the ravioli filling:

125gms pasta flour

½ tsp salt

1 large free-range egg 14gms squid ink

75gms lemon sole fillet Pinch of white pepper 150ml double cream

½ tsp salt

50gms picked white crab meat

100ml Japanese white soy sauce (shoyu)

25gms brown crab meat

Shellfish:

For the garnish:

20 mussels, washed and de-bearded

1 tin wasabi caviar

80gms samphire gently steamed

20 cockles purged in water

50gms Cornish dried sea greens

A few leaves of crispy deep-fried kale

4 pan-fried scallops

50gms Cornish dried red dulse seaweed

20 small florets of Romanesque cauliflower, steamed

1 cup of Mylor prawns, deep-fried 4 x 100gm fillets of Hake, roasted

50gms Wakame dried seaweed 4 shitake mushrooms, sliced and warming in the dashi stock

Method Dashi stock machine, folding over and putting it back through while bringing the thickness setting down to number 2. Cut the pasta sheet in two and on one side pipe 4 mounds of fish mousse onto it, leaving room between each mound. Brush the other side of the pasta sheet with water and place on top of the other sheet and seal all around the mousse mounds, pushing out any excess air. Cut out with a round cutter.

Soak the kombu in the spring water overnight and leave at room temperature. Next day heat the water and the kombu to 60oC and hold the temperature for 1 hour and then remove the kombu. Increase the temperature to 80oC, add the bonito flakes and soak. till the bonito sinks to the bottom, this will only take up to 30 seconds. Pass through a muslin and then add the sake and season with the white soy sauce and yuzu juice. If you need additional seasoning, add salt to taste. Leave warm on the side.

Cook the raviolis in a pot of salted simmering water until it floats, refresh in ice water and then wait to reheat when needed.

Crab Ravioli Mix the egg, squid ink, and salt in a Robot Coupe to combine. Add the flour and mix until it resembles a breadcrumb texture. Remove the dough to a floured work top and kneed till smooth, approximately 8 minutes. Cover with cling film and rest in a fridge for at least 30 minutes.

To Serve Have the dashi stock warming but not boiling on the side and add the cockles and mussels. Warm the raviolis in a pan of salted water. Place a sprinkle of each seaweed at the bottom of 4 large bowls then the ravioli on top. Place the mussels and cockles around the bowls and add the hot stock. The hot stock will re-hydrate the seaweeds so do put a little extra. Spoon some shitakes around each plate. Dot each piece of hake with wasabi caviar and then place the Romanesque cauliflower around the bowl. Garnish with all the seafood, samphire and crispy kale leaves.

Chill the Robot Coupe bowl down in a fridge, take out and add the lemon sole and salt and blend quickly until smooth, drizzle in the cream until it’s all incorporated, then pass through a sieve. Season with the pepper and fold in the white and brown crab meat, place in a piping bag and chill. Roll out the pasta dough in apasta

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Pushing the

ENVELOPE WO R D S B Y DA N WA R D E N

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QU E N C H

From a Cornish kitchen to Hong Kong; Curio Spirits is proof of the importance of innovation.

or Rubina and William Tyler-Street, founders of Curio Spirits, it all began back in 2012. “It started with us playing around at home with small bits of distilling kit on the kitchen table. We knew we wanted to make our own spirits, but at this point we were just trying to work out the ‘what’ and the ‘how’.”

The rest, as they say, is history, and so it was that Curio Spirits was born. In the decade since those formative days, the company has been on an incredible journey, “from the kitchen table, to the garden shed, to the wildlands of Mullion, all the way to creating a HQ in Porthleven”. Expanding with constant drive, innovation and experimentation, Rubina, William and their team’s story is replete with inspiration, and at DRIFT we’re delighted to welcome another fantastic business to the harbourside of Porthleven. “For several years we’d been asking Trevor Osborne for a shop space in Porthleven, and in 2021 we finally got lucky, opening a spirit shop, distillery and experience room in the Shipyard. We all really missed seeing our customers and they missed seeing us. It’s a massive change in our operations as we moved from being a B2B business to one that very much faces the end consumer, but it’s so exciting,” says Rubina, “and we’re loving every minute of it!”

Experimenting and making various concoctions, she explains that some were better than others. “We’d invite our friends to parties to sample and have them completing surveys on the drinks! It quickly became apparent that we had a real passion for the provenance and quality of what we were making, and so we decided to ‘go pro’,” Rubina laughs. “There were a lot of conversations, research, investment, and a great deal of soul searching to boot, but out of sheer hard work, determination and experimentation, working with our brand agency and with support and amazing reviews from friends, family and potential customers, we finally realised the future that lay before us.”

INSET Botanicals

LEFT Poured over Samphire

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QU E N C H

Pineapple, which just hit the spot!” But, of course, as is the way of the world, what’s inside the bottle doesn’t matter if the label doesn’t inspire you to pull it from the shelf. Fortunately, with the expertise of branding agency Kingdom and Sparrow, Curio were able to create a fresh, funky design, “something totally different to the rest of the market”, and so Kyabba Rum was born. With the ‘Spirit’ side of Curio working hard for itself, as the pandemic hit, this dynamic couple found themselves – as we all did – with time to reflect and look to the future. “William suddenly had the time to create something he’d been planning since 2019. He’s always ahead of the curve, in fact he’s known for it in the industry,” says Rubina, “so he got to work creating Curio Hard Seltzers, a range of low-alcohol sparkling waters. In true ‘William’ style,” she adds, “he went the extra mile to make them vegan friendly, gluten free, with zero sugars, zero carbs and lowcalorie. He also made them deliciously refreshing.”

Despite such a whirlwind of change and transformation, Rubina says that the same core ethos has remained consistent throughout. That is, a dedication to innovation and creativity. “When we started, for example, we were well ahead of the times, being the first to distil with sea vegetables because we wanted to include the beauty of our Cornish locality.” Also fundamental to Curio is a commitment to provenance and, of course, premiumisation in taste, design and service. “As times have moved on, and obviously with the impact of the pandemic, we’ve been led to incorporate new systems and technologies. But we also know that there’s always room for improvement – it’s never ‘perfect’ – and because giving our customers our best is what’s really important to us, these key principles will always be at the heart of what we do.” Finally, their ongoing commitment to sustainability, which includes the manufacture of bottles from 45% recycled glass, plus the reversion to paper labels. As Rubina says: “We are doing all we can to be responsible, to challenge ourselves and our business to make more improvements.” Starting with premium gins and vodkas, with ingredients sourced from Cornwall including rock samphire and Cornish seaweed, plus those from across the globe like cardamom and Yuzu, consumer research quickly led Rubina and William to diversify into the world of flavoured rum. “William is the alchemist,” says Rubina, “coming up with flavours and mixes such as Spiced Banana and Scorched

A B OV E Kyabba Rum

TOP Curio Wild Coast Gin

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QU E N C H

Clark. We export as far as Canada and Hong Kong, working closely with agents and the DIT.” This, says Rubina, doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time to form the necessary relationships and supply chains, however, she explains that Curio has been fortunate to work with some of the top 100 bartenders in the world! This, in addition to the accolade of being listed on the menu of Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental by none other than the Chef de Patron, is testament not only to the company’s reach, but the quality it distills into every drop.

This level of research, creativity and diversification is at the heart of any business determined to ‘go the distance’. Finding new trends before they emerge, spotting the gap in the market before it opens up; this is what sets the best in business apart from the rest. For Curio, this is evident in many forms, from the aforementioned Kyabba Rums and the Curio Hard Seltzers, to the discovery of the botanicals and taste combinations that no other brands are experimenting with. But it must necessarily go further than that, as Rubina says: “We’ve found that it’s important to follow through with these ideas which, alongside the allnatural ingredients that we include within our products, gives us a streamlined way of working that sets us apart from other brands.” I’m interested to pull on this thread further and ask where Curio positions itself within the food and drink industry. Does it consider itself a Cornish brand for Cornish customers, or has it been able to tap into a wider market? “Curio fits into the premium end of the drinks industry,” says Rubina. “As we’re very much a Cornish company, we produce premium yet accessible drinks, and because our customers see our products as a chance to enjoy and savour a delicious drink, ours is not a ‘down the hatch’ type of product! But yes, we are very much a Cornish brand, because the majority of what’s in the bottle is Cornish. We’re very proud to have invested in our own bottles, too, with Cornwall etched in, so there’s no mistaking where the drink is from.

But drink is just one of two timelessly inseparable companions, which is why Rubina, William and the team have decided it’s high time they began tapping into culinary Cornwall, too. Sharing the name of their popular flavoured rums, Kyabba Kitchen will be launching at this year’s Porthleven Food Festival, from 22nd to 24th April. Bringing foodies a delicious range of fish, meat and vegan tacos, mixed with spicy and tropical flavours from across the world, Rubina says: “Our street kitchen offers Mexican style street food with a classic Kyabba twist, delivering fun food to excite the taste buds.” With 15 regional, national and international awards to their name, Curio set themselves apart through their products and passions, distilling innovation, creativity and Cornish flavour into everything they produce. Now, as they embark on a new, culinary journey, it would seem that the Curio spirit remains determined to continue to push the envelope.

“Having said that, we have branched out further afield, through our own ambassadors and through distributers such as LWC and Mathew

curiospiritscompany.co.uk

LEFT Curio Wild Coast Gin

INSET The team at Curio

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Above

THE BAY WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G

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C U I SI N E

Taking its inspiration from sea, land and shore, the Bay Hotel’s Hevva restaurant offers British modern cuisine with Cornish produce at its heart.

round escape, Coverack is as beautiful in its winter cloak as it is in summer – the South West Coast Path is on the doorstep for wild clifftop walks followed by warming evenings in front of the hotel’s open fire.

troll past The Bay Hotel in Coverack and you would be forgiven for thinking you were on the French riviera. With its elevated position above the bay, the perfectly manicured terraced lawns lead down to a lane which is all that separates you from the sea wall and the turquoise waters of the beach below. The soft chink of glasses and murmur of gentle conversation float on the breeze from couples relaxing on steamer chairs beneath the palms. This is interspersed with the chatter of contented children from the beach at low tide as they forage in the rockpools and build castles in the sand.

The Bay has a lovely circular history, straight out of a romantic novel. It was established in 1928, built by the great-grandad of the now assistant manager. It remained in the ownership of said family until the late 80s, and the current, private owner also has a family connection in that his mother honeymooned at The Bay years before he bought it. The understated elegance of the 14 bedrooms is matched only by their exquisite views across the water, vistas shared by the lounge and the dining room. Here, pre-dinner drinks can be sipped at the bar before enjoying a menu that centres around locally sourced produce.

The location is unique. The village of Coverack remains a local’s stronghold, with a thriving community yearround. Its working harbour and small fleet of fishing boats can be seen landing its catch across the water from the hotel, while on summer days the bay offers calm sanctuary for passing yachts and is a blue-water haven for swimmers, kayakers and stand-up paddle boarders.

Those looking for a little more independence can enjoy a self-catering stay in the hotel’s new Sea Pod, with its own garden, well-equipped kitchen, bathroom and large double-bedroom. The Bay even has its own Wellness Room. Tucked away in the hotel gardens, this delightful day-spa, which of

Nearby Meers beach, just a short walk away, is secluded and peaceful, revealing golden sands at low tide and in the shoulder months – this is a year-

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A B OV E Dishes are inspired by the bountiful local larder

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A B OV E Food with a view

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C U I SI N E

from north Cornwall, means the day’s first caffeine hit is one that is both delicious and sustainable. All of Cornico’s brand coffee is zero waste; fresh coffee beans are delivered to the hotel and then the spent grounds, collected in the packaging they came in, are recycled into coffee fuel. Tea drinkers are treated to brews from Tregothnan, whose Cornish creekside tea plantations make them the only tea producer growing tea in England.

course comes with a sea view, allows troubles and cares to ebb away on the tide. The Bay’s restaurant Hevva, is named for the rousing cry of the huers whose job it was to watch for the tell-tale signs of pilchard shoals. Once spotted by Coverack’s own huer, the shout of “hevva, hevva’” [here they are!] would alert the villagers to the fish’s arrival so that they could launch the boats. Fitting then that the menu here features fish and shellfish in abundance, much of it sourced from Coverack’s local fishing fleet and the very waters beneath the hotel. Lobsters and Cornish king crab, couldn’t be fresher, supplied by Lou who lives just next door – finer and fresher ingredients you won’t find. Local hake, linecaught mackerel and Fal oysters all grace the dinner menu, which is carefully curated for seasonality.

Newly appointed Head Chef, Daniel Bowden is returning to his Cornish roots. After finishing his professional chef diploma in Plymouth he spent some time in Sweden and later worked his way up to Sous Chef for Michael Caines at the Coach House, Kentisbury Grange Hotel in Devon. More recently, Daniel has been Head Chef at Berwick Lodge Hotel in Bristol but wanting to settle back in the Duchy is now delighted to be joining the Bay Hotel. His food offering at Hevva will be fine dining but without the fuss.

No Cornish restaurant should neglect the excellent meat available in the Duchy and Hevva is no exception. Beef comes from nearby Boscarnon Farm, where grass-fed cows feast on the lush pastures above Coverack, grazing whilst breathing in the salty air that blows over them from the sea. Small producers are championed throughout the dishes, with food miles reduced to mere footsteps and everyone benefitting from direct sales. Smoked fish and game come from Celtic Fish and Game, a family run business from St Ives. Fish is sourced from local markets, while additional seasonal game comes from some of Cornwall’s finest estates.

Dishes will be allowed to let the ingredients speak for themselves and all are enjoyed with a level of service matched only by the view! Stay and dine packages offer excellent value when you consider the level of the foodie offering coupled with The Bay’s amazing location. It’s as if you have happened upon a secret world. You won’t find the crowds here that are synonymous with Cornwall’s high-season hot spots. The village has retained an authenticity, something unique in modern times, and offers it up with grace to all those who visit. Coverack’s peninsula location means that only the most discerning and those ‘in the know’ take the trouble to come here. As you leave the grassland of Goonhilly Downs behind you and wind down the steep road into the village, the scene that opens up in front of you is simply breathtaking. Even though you might be on holiday here, it feels like home. It’s a place to relax, take a breath and unwind.

Desserts have a Mediterranean inspiration – a blackberry millefeuille, a lemon verbena panna cotta – but who needs to travel when blue skies, azure seas and gentle breezes can all be felt while enjoying dinner on the terrace at Hevva? Ice-cream, that quintessentially Cornish sweet treat, travels only a couple of miles from parlour to plate. Gwella Dairy luxury Cornish ice-cream was a three-times Taste of the West Gold award winner last year for its artisan ice-cream, made from the rich milk of the farm’s Pedigree Jersey herd. Philip Warren, Cornish butchers since 1880, ensure a Hevva breakfast is hearty, while Cornico coffee, a small-batch roastery

thebayhotel.co.uk

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Coastal

CUISINE WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G

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D I A LO G U E

Bucking the pandemic trend and bringing seasonal menus to the fore in two impressive restaurants by the sea; in conversation with chef proprietor Michael Caines.

has done so much for the town, to see if I would be interested in taking on the venture. I had to say yes! Not only is it in an outstanding location but it also gave us another restaurant within easy reach from The Cove. After discovering Trevor’s plans to further develop Porthleven as a foodie destination I was really excited and felt confident that we could, over time, make it a great success.

ou’re best-known for Lympstone Manor, what inspired you to make the transition across the border into Cornwall? Cornwall is intrinsically linked with Devon as a destination – after all, you have to travel through Devon to get to Cornwall – and our residents at Lympstone regularly travel on to the Duchy after staying with us. We holidayed in Cornwall when I was growing up and I have family in the county, so I love and know the area well. When the opportunity arose to acquire The Cove at Maenporth and expand our business interest into Cornwall, it seemed an obvious and natural next step.

Your Cornish restaurants have a different vibe to Lympstone. What is it that makes them unique? And are there influences from the Manor that can be seen at The Cove and The Harbourside Refuge? The key to both our restaurants in Cornwall is their location; both unique and by the sea. The market that they have to cater for covers both tourist and locals alike and although they both come under the Michael Caines umbrella they are standalone restaurants in their own right, each with individual characteristics. A part of that difference in application and appeal lies in the talent and creativity of each of the two brilliant head chefs, Jack and Michael. It is important that we maintain the same quality of food and service that people have come to expect from our other restaurants at The Cove and The Harbourside Refuge, whilst offering an accessible price point for all.

While many restaurants were closing their doors for good during the pandemic, you opened the Harbourside Refuge in Porthleven. How was this possible and what was the driving force behind the decision? The opportunity to acquire The Harbourside in Porthleven came as a casualty of the pandemic, which affected many restaurants who had to rethink their business. Rick Stein, the previous owner, decided not to re-open after the first lockdown so the restaurant became available on the market. I was approached by Trevor Osborne, owner of the Porthleven Harbour and Dock Company, who

INSET Michael Caines

LEFT Looking out from The Cove

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What was the ethos behind the menus for The Cove and The Harbourside Refuge and how have they been developed? Our ethos is ‘all things local’, championing the best of Cornish and south west produce. As both restaurants are in close proximity to each other, we needed to differentiate between the two whilst offering the usual menu staples for a seaside restaurant – from mussels to classic fish and chips – but to also include great poultry and meats. There are firm signature dishes on our menu that I have developed over the years in my restaurants but also dishes created in collaboration with the head chef and team in both restaurants resulting in menus that evolve seasonally. Each have their own identity and artistic flair with lunch menus also changing weekly, in addition to daily specials, ensuring that there’s always something different to come back for. Can you tell me about the local suppliers you use and why? We have an array of local suppliers from Cornish Crab and Flying Fish, Colin Carter’s Eggs, Philip Warren Butchers and West Country to name just a few. These suppliers are carefully selected to be able to supply us with the best fresh product that Cornwall and the south west has to offer, with a sustainable approach and reduction in food miles. Our menus are designed around the seasonality of products whilst also supporting local businesses and the communities in our locations.

Could you tell me about the Head Chef in each of the Cornish restaurants, their backgrounds and why they were chosen? At The Harbourside we have a fantastic young chef, Jack Wilkinson who joined The Cove as junior Sous Chef and developed into a true leader as our Head Chef in Porthleven. Jack is adept and creative and has continued to build on the reputation at The Harbourside, to become one of the best in the area. Mike Cingari has recently joined us at The Cove, from St Mawes Hotel, having previously worked at Fifteen Cornwall and Rick Stein. Originating from Italy, he has a passion for food, especially pasta, and we are delighted to have him on board. Both chefs are eager to develop their teams over this year and steer The Cove and The Harbourside Refuge to become great destination restaurants – hopefully achieving a few accolades along the way!

I know that you employ many young, local people. Why is this important to you? It is really important to support the local economy and be able to give opportunities to staff within the vicinities of our restaurants. This develops and encourages the sustainability of our businesses for the future. Our businesses are open all year round and we want to promote a local work force who can deliver great service with a good work-life balance, so they can enjoy what the beautiful county of Cornwall can offer.

Both are supported by myself and our new Group Executive Chef Stuart Shaw who has a fantastic pedigree in the industry over a number of years, starting under the stewardship of Raymond Blanc.

A B OV E The Harbourseide Refuge

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A B OV E Dine with a view

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D I A LO G U E

The last two years have been turbulent for the food and drink industry to say the least, how have you navigated the troubled waters? We opened The Cove at the beginning March 2020 and then after trading for two weeks closed due to Covid-19. We re-opened in June, were extremely busy, but like most businesses, found ourselves short staffed and so the team worked extremely hard over the summer season. We bought The Harbourside Refuge in July 2020, opening in August with some of the existing team and set about recruiting new team members to add to the talent. Throughout 2020 and 2021 we had to appraise the business, often only being able to open five days a week due to a lack of staff. It’s been a difficult two years to be honest, with the opening and closing of our two businesses in Cornwall which in turn has affected us maintaining consistency and standards.

housing market. It is important to continue to encourage the next generation into the industry in order to build a sustainable restaurant sector that can develop and influence not just in-county but nationwide. As we export Cornish produce out of the county, we need to continue to attract both talent and customers to our region through innovation and outstanding quality. It is great to see so many talented chefs already here. Rick Stein, Paul Ainsworth, Emily Scott, Nathan Outlaw, Adam Handling and Jude Kereama who have all chosen to base themselves in this wonderful county we can all be very proud of. Cornwall continues to be a an attractive place for some of Britain’s most talented chefs, offering the next generation the opportunity to develop the region to become one of Britain’s best foodie destinations. The future is bright!

What do you see for the future of food in Cornwall? Cornwall has an attractive future, but a challenging one with the current labour crisis and state of the

theharboursiderefuge.co.uk thecovemaenporth.co.uk

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The spice of LIFE

WO R D S B Y DA N WA R D E N

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C U I SI N E

How a hub of converted shipping containers is blazing a trail of excellence in the culinary landscape of north Cornwall.

Particularly with street food, she says, more and more value has been awarded to this style of dining, with mobile businesses drawing inspiration from their own travels. “With this in mind, we wanted to create a static venue that allowed artisan chefs to commit to a space and provide a variety of cuisines under one roof.”

he brainchild of entrepreneurs, April and Geordi Watson, Saltbox in Wadebridge brings together a collection of street food vendors each as unique as the last, providing the kind of ‘pop-up’ experience you might expect to find at Glastonbury, or on jet-setting travels to Spain, Italy, Mexico or Australia. Since opening, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s proven incredibly popular.

Each trader is accepted for their passion and authenticity. Also, their individuality. The woodclad venue itself, located just moments from the Camel Estuary, has been designed over two floors. A sunny terrace to the first offers plenty of seating, with openfronted kitchens providing a window into the world of the chefs preparing your food. The design itself is modular, as April explains: “Our love of modular buildings inspired the use of shipping containers as ‘building blocks’. They are extremely versatile, in fact in countries like Australia, New Zealand and the States they have inspired many to realise their ‘tiny home’ dream, and at a fraction of the cost of traditional building methods.

This is but the latest in a string of ventures under the captaincy of owners April and Geordi, who have already enjoyed resounding success in the interiors business both here and Australia, namely at the helm of the Cornwall Rug Company and, more recently, the Carpet Trader. Food and carpets is a strange pairing, but it’s also indicative of the common theme that each of their projects share, which is the inspiration they draw from the experiences of time spent living and travelling abroad. “Having travelled and lived in different countries around the world, food has become somewhat of a passion,” explains April.

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treat you’ll only ever get from someone who’s been preparing that style of food for years. They know their craft, they’re passionate, and always creative about everything they do.” In short, says April: “They’re artists!”

“The design for the venue had to be relaxed, family friendly and immersive,” she continues. “Now, when you sit on the upper deck, you feel as though you’re somewhere else; it has a very ‘Australian’ feel, which we love!” It’s clearly popular too, and April explains that the crowd the venue draws varies from family groups, to youngsters after a surf or skate, and even celebrity chefs. “Even 80th birthday parties – there really isn’t one specific group that Saltbox appeals to. I think this is the reason it is so successful – it can be enjoyed by all ages and there’s literally something for everyone to enjoy.”

As you approach the doors of Saltbox, you may well recognise one of the names on the door – Craftworks Kitchen. Mick, who co-founded Craftworks with business partner, Danny, explains that from day one, back in 2015: “We wanted to create vibrant flavours which people would love and keep on wanting more.” Starting with burgers, burritos, tacos, salads and dirty fries – which, due to popular demand, are still core to today’s Craftworks menu – what’s kept the business moving forward is the creation of new dishes. On their residence at Saltbox, Mick explains: “From 2015, after buying the old Hubbox site on Truro’s Lemon Quay, we fell in love with containers, so joining Saltbox was the natural progression – more containers stacked on top of each other, creating a small piece of Shoreditch by the coast. Our other locations in Padstow and Newquay have been built from containers, too.

No wonder then, that the Saltbox has quickly become one of the most popular venues in north Cornwall. Its eclectic style, with the ambience of casual dining, gives anyone and everyone the opportunity to relax and enjoy time together. “Plus,” says April, “the cocktails there are fantastic!” So, what about the vendors themselves? “Each business at the Saltbox has a unique cuisine which they have perfected, and they each have a great reputation, which means that whether you choose a wood-fired pizza, traditional chicken street food curry, fish tacos or tapas, you’re in for the kind of

“But Saltbox is so unique to the north coast – there’s nothing like it elsewhere in Cornwall,” he continues. “People love it and, while it’s still flying under the radar for many, it proved to be very popular last summer.” He reflects that casual dining has grown in popularity so much over the past three or four years: “People want to spend quality time with friends and family with good food and drink, which is why I think Saltbox totally stands out from the crowd. The vibe there suits people who just want to meet up and grab food from any outlet.” As you might expect, the early days of a venture like Saltbox inevitably comes with its teething problems. “But in general,” says Mick, “we all work side by side very well. I think the food selection is excellent and gives all of the customers plenty of choice, and I can see it working with other traders too, be it barbers, clothing brands, and of course other food outlets, too.”

A B OV E The Graze Tapas kitchen

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BELOW LEFT Woody’s Pizza, masters of the Neapolitan style

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TOP Just some samples from the Craftworks menu

BELOW RIGHT Spiceseauk, promoting balance in the gut via the principles of Ayurveda

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C U I SI N E

Anthony Waller, who, with his partner Christina, owns and runs The Salt Bar, agrees. “We all seem to get on very well at Saltbox. It’s hard work, there’s no doubt, but everyone brings something unique to the site. We love the ethos here – Christina and I were loyal customers from opening day. It’s a high-quality offering but in a very relaxed and fun atmosphere, so we jumped at the chance to be a part of it!” “It’s fairly unique to Cornwall,” says Anthony. “It offers really high-quality, tasty street food from different businesses, which I think is very attractive to locals and visitors alike. We seem to appeal to all age groups, and the families who visit love the variety. The foodies come because the standard is very high, and The Salt Bar’s range of local beers, spirits and exceptional wine really complements the food.” Others on the site include Spiceseauk – founded by Sea Sodie, the grandchild of a midwife from the Himalayas, who produces a menu designed around the core principles of Ayurvedic cooking. Incorporating the six Ayurvedic ‘tastes’ across a menu designed to promote harmony in the gut, Sea’s approach to food is proof that healthy, balanced cuisine can also be absolutely delicious.

For something a little more ‘communal’, Graze Tapas celebrates a passion for Aussie-tapas fusion, delivering unique, Mediterranean style small plate dishes, with an Australian barbeque twist. Head Chef and founder, Steve Randall, spent many years in Australia, his skills heavily influenced by famous Australian restaurateurs Bill Grainger and Ross Dobson. Adapting the recipes and techniques learned on the far side of the world into his own unique style of tapas, the menu also draws on many visits to the Mediterranean, and with excellent results.

Woody’s Pizza, meanwhile, is made using traditional methods and techniques, with fresh dough made daily and proved overnight, before being topped with the best-quality local and Italian ingredients. Zdenko, who arrived from Croatia in the 90s, has something of a selfconfessed obsession with pizza. Like the masters of the traditional Neapolitan style, he knows that you have to understand the craft of baking and build years of skill and experience to create the perfect crust every time. Over the years, Zdenko has cut his teeth working in other pop-ups, immersed in the street food scene, and now, with a fantastic new menu and a permanent home at Saltbox, he is surpassing the expectations of even the most discerning pizzaiolos.

Put simply, Saltbox is a culinary triumph, providing a tempting, casual alternative to north Cornwall’s traditional restaurant scene. “We are very proud of what we have created,” says April, and rightly so. Based on the founding principles of ‘something for everyone’, with the laid-back, sunsoaked vibes of Australia, Saltbox serves as proof that variety is truly the spice of life. saltboxwadebridge.com

LEFT Cocktails for all at Salt Bar

A B OV E Take a pew at Graze Tapas

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QU E N C H

Spirit in

PASSION WO R D S B Y DA N WA R D E N

How does a father’s dream become his sons’ legacy?

reinvigorated Plymouth Gin, and at the time, he thought that he wanted to do something very similar. And because it’s something that my dad has wanted to do for the last 20 years, I think it sort of rubbed off on me and my younger brother. So when we were at the Ferryboat Inn in Helford Passage, discussing the idea seriously for the first time as we watched the local gig club celebrate their session with a ‘tot’ of rum, our dad’s long-held pipedream suddenly became a serious idea for a business.”

ornwall’s growing food and drink industry has, in recent years, seen the introduction of some truly inspired products, from brands who seek to innovatively celebrate the county’s rural and coastal heritage. A fine example are the rums – and now gins – being brought to the fore by the family team at Mainbrace, but in order to understand the products, we must first consider their history. Richard Haigh, who co-founded Mainbrace along with his father and brother, David and Alex, comes from a financial background. “I studied maths at university,” he explains, “and then went to work for my dad’s company. We’re accountants, but we also deal with brand strategy and various branding items.” This side of the family business, it seems, has been key to the development of the Mainbrace identity. The sleek simplicity of the sixpointed star that is their logo, for example, is subtly reminiscent of a symbol with deep ties to alchemy, referring to the ‘joining’ of the elements – an idea that’s core to Mainbrace’s flagship recipe. Even the design of the bottle, which incorporates an elongated neck and oversized cork at the top, is suggestive of the quaffable liquor contained within.

So how did they go about getting the Mainbrace brand off the ground? “I knew quite a lot about the process of how rums are made,” explains Richard, “but what I didn’t understand is how the final product comes to life. Not only do you need to have a nice liquid that people want to drink, there’s also the whole process of turning that into a saleable product. Even then, getting it to market is a burden that I hadn’t really anticipated.” He cites simple things like labelling, lead times and licensing; the extensive paperwork that needs to be filled out in order to launch not only a new product, but the brand behind it. “I’ve become more knowledgeable of the various different aspects that go into all of this now, and so the speed to market for new products is getting faster and faster. When we produced the Navy Strength Rum, for instance, we cut down the process down to about four months, compared to the eight or nine that it took to get the first iteration of the Golden Rum to market.”

The dream of creating their own spirit has, Richard explains, been in the family for quite some time. “Over the years, dad has met many people with similar stories; he actually knew the person who

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A B OV E The pipedream becomes a serious idea for a business

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A B OV E Bringing people together in body and spirit

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QU E N C H

new gins going on the market in England alone per year, it wasn’t the best time to launch our own. But he really had his heart set on it,” says Richard, who also reflects that it does, like rum, tie very nicely with Navy tradition. In fact, he explains that when the daily rations were handed out, sailors would be offered rum or gin. “You could choose which you wanted, and if we were going to build our brand as ‘Mainbrace’, it was only fitting that we offer both as well.”

Mainbrace’s Premium Golden Rum – its flagship product – is, in fact, a blend of two rums from two distilleries in the Caribbean. One is itself a blend of three rums aged between two to five years from three different stills on the banks of the Demerara river in Guyana. Made specifically with Demerara sugar, this sweet style of rum has been made in the same way since the early 1700s. But the magic, Richard reveals, happens when they are blended with Agricole – a style of rum made on the FrenchCaribbean island of Martinique at La Favourite Distillerie, which Richard explains has a profile closer to that of whiskey. “We knew that these two styles hadn’t been put together in a bottle before,” he explains. “By adding the Agricole, it allowed a bit of cut-through from the sweetness, which gave the rum a bit more versatility in terms of how you can drink it.”

Now hitting the shelves and, surely, due to receive its own share of international awards, Mainbrace’s Cornish Dry Gin draws on the brand’s coastal heritage. The recipe includes three different types of seaweed, whose faint, umami salinity complements the zesty lemons and limes that are also used. “We wanted to instil some of the elements – the thoughts and tastes – that you might get from being in and around the sea,” says Richard. In fact, the coast and the marine environment are at the core of the Mainbrace ethos, and I learn that the business, this year, is proud to be partnering with Clean Ocean Sailing – a local charity that sails to remote and inaccessible places to remove plastic from the shoreline.

Now for a bit of history. You may well be familiar with the phrase ‘splicing the mainbrace’ – an old nautical term from a time when sail-power controlled the seas. It refers to sailors who, having successfully achieved the herculean task of mending the mainbrace rope in the heat of a battle by splicing it together, would be rewarded with an extra ‘tot’ of rum. Fast-forward to the inception of Mainbrace Rum by the Haigh family, and you have a name that not only reflects these traditions in the form of their luxe golden rum, but that literally celebrates the ‘joining’ element of the phrase’s origin. Blending two different styles of rum to make one perfect sip, Richard explains: “We were splicing two rums and then bottling them, a bit like splicing the mainbrace. That’s how we came up with the name.”

The communities that reside on the water’s edge, too, are fundamental to the brand, and Richard reveals that his father is actually a member of the local gig club. “This is the other side of the business – the embodiment of courage, teamwork and friendship. It’s part of the reason why we launched in the first place. As we sat watching the gig club celebrating and enjoying their ration of rum, we thought it was such a lovely moment and a really fantastic feeling. By combining, or splicing, these things together,” he finishes, “we feel that Mainbrace is for everyone who likes to be on or near the sea. It embodies all of those characteristics and keeps them alive, protecting them for the next generation to enjoy.”

With two well-established rums well and truly earning their keep, what’s next? “What dad originally wanted to do was create a gin. Back when I was just leaving school all those years ago, he was telling me every day, ‘We’ve got to do a gin’, but I was too young. We just didn’t have the time or resources to really do it. Even when it came to it this time around, we all agreed that because there was something like 800

mainbracerum.com

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QU E N C H

Perfect Serves

ESPRESSO

RU M T I N I

GI ML E T

50ml Mainbrace Navy Strength Rum

50ml Mainbrace Gin

15ml Butterscotch

50ml Lime syrup

25ml Coffee

Slice of lime

25ml Kahlua

Ice

5ml Caramel Syrup Garnish with an orange twist

VESPER

M A RT I N I

A LWAY S

SUN N Y

50ml Mainbrace Gin

50ml Mainbrace Premium Golden Rum

25ml Vodka

25ml Fresh orange juice

25ml Lilet or Vermouth

Ginger ale

Lemon peel

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A perfect

PAIRING WORDS BY ROSIE CATTRELL

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Blending a love of home cooking with restaurant quality cuisine to create a mouth-watering menu that delivers, every time.

To begin his cheﬃng career with a stylish flourish, Andrew made his way across the English Channel to train at Les Sorbets Culinary school on the island of Noirmoitier in the Vendee, France, the perfect place to hone his skills while working at the Hotel de France in Mortagnesur-Sèvre. After fine-tuning his earnest passion, he soon found his way to London to exercise his talents at a coveted restaurant credited with being the ‘world’s oldest and finest fish brand’, renowned for its seafood and exquisite dining; Wheelers of St James’s.

t’s often the meals we experience in childhood that mean the most to us, cooked for us by loving hands and taken with us into adulthood so that we might share inherited recipes and reminisce with every mouthful on a simpler time, when we were only beginning to learn what taste could really mean. Born in 1974 in Llandeilo, Andrew Dudley found his feet in his grandmother’s kitchen, a Saturday sanctuary for him as a child, where they’d spend the day cooking together on the family farm in Wales. It was here that Andrew discovered a deeply felt love for food and fresh flavours that would forever be linked with the fondest of memories, and to this day he still regards his grandmother as the finest cook he’s ever met, an opinion that truly pays testament to the woman who led him to a passion that put him on the path to success.

Since then, Andrew has accrued a wealth of culinary experience, having worked at the Michelin starred and former Hotel of the Year, Llangoed Hall, owned by Sir Bernard Ashley, not to mention the multitude of accolades that were awarded under his direction as Head Chef for Artisan Leisure, including Welsh Dining Pub of the Year, Welsh Pub of the Year

LEFT Ale and Orange Braised Chicory

INSET Chef Andrew Dudley

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with the AA guide, and Andrew’s own entry to the final of Welsh Chef of the Year. After working as Head Chef for Frolics in Southerndown and maintaining the Michelin Bib Gourmand set down by owner Sandra Saye, who Andrew still regards as the best chef he’s ever worked for, he went on to take over the restaurant for the next four years. With innumerable experiences behind him, Andrew and his family felt the need for change, and it wasn’t long before a new life on Cornish shores presented itself. Cornwall’s wonderfully diverse natural larder makes for an exciting playground for any chef, and after seven years of running Food for Thought and The Boathouse, Fowey, Andrew found his way to The Plume of Feathers in 2019, the latest establishment for him to impress his culinary stamp, and he remains there today.

that you can’t help but breathe in as you enter; ‘eat, drink and sleep in comfort’. Thoughtfully converted barns, stables and hen houses, decked in the natural hues of Farrow & Ball with countrystyle furnishings, welcome you into luxury beds after an evening of fine food amongst friendly faces.

Set in a 16th century dining-pub, rich in history and Cornish heritage, The Plume of Feathers is home to a tantalising world of fresh flavour and unique tastes, framed in low oak beams and palmfringed gardens, coupled with a calming mantra

Described by Andrew as ‘classic pub food with an imaginative twist’, the modern British cuisine on offer is a delightful contrast to the cosy, historic setting of the coaching inn, and I came to wonder what it is exactly that inspires The Plume of Feathers’ menu today. For Andrew, his favourite Cornish ingredients include fresh fish and wild garlic, with a particular love for plaice and a wellcooked fish and chips. However, it’s those classic dishes that take centre stage at Plume, from the beloved fish and chips to a dish of ham and egg, it’s all interwoven with inspiration taken from the land and sea that surrounds us. The vegetable thali, accompanied by a pav bhaji, spiced root vegetables, charred garlic broccoli, spiced carrot and apricot chutney, biryani gravy, lentil crumb, coconut rice and a pav bun, is a masterful experience of Cornish flavour, while

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A B OV E The Coffee Jar

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their Ham and Egg dish features their own roasted glazed ham with an indulgent Scotch egg, pickles, onion relish, and creamy slaw served with cheesy ham and leek croquettes. Andrew’s playful twists on familiar arrangements have also found their way into the dessert menu, with The Coffee Jar consisting of a jar of tiramisu, espresso ice-cream, with cranberry and pistachio biscotti. Their signature dessert, I Love Strawberry, uses one main ingredient in a playful mess of assorted styles and textures, a delightfully sweet paradise for any lover of the summer-time fruit. Making the most of the rich natural larder that Cornwall’s land and sea provides, sourcing ingredients locally is key for the team, and this is truly reflected in their ever-changing menus, echoing the changing seasons and the choice of produce grown, reared and caught right here in the south west. “Our menu is all about bringing the best of Cornwall’s food and flavours to your plate,” explains Andrew. “With a bounty of renowned local suppliers at out fingertips, our menus celebrate Cornwall’s foodie offer from land to sea, as curated by our talented chef team. We’re committed to serving seasonal dishes using quality ingredients, that are great value for money.”

Always on the lookout for fresh ideas and growing trends, Andrew’s finger is truly on the culinary pulse: “Healthy eating and simple dishes are the biggest trends right now. Being able to taste vegetables is key, and there’s been a real move towards vegan and plant-based eating.” And it’s not only the carefully selected flavours that blend so well together in a wonderful harmony, as Andrew so kindly continues: “The key to a great kitchen team is everyone having each other’s backs, enjoying the work and being organised; it’s about loving what you do and being passionate about it. A calm kitchen is the real secret to success.” Whether you find yourself sat in the cosy pub by the crackling open fire, or in the airy light of the calming conservatory, there’s always a delightful choice of fresh flavours to be enjoyed at The Plume of Feathers, and with an extensive accompaniment of beers, ales, spirits and soft drinks from Cornwall and beyond, you’re sure to find the perfect pairing for any palate. theplumemitchell.co.uk

LEFT Ham and Egg

TOP Mitchell Mess

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In the

KITCHEN WORDS BY ROSIE CATTRELL

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Where the warmest of atmospheres welcomes you in, and the most familiar flavours invite you to stay.

all, the beating heart of this award-winning Cornish utopia. The team at The Park have well and truly brought food into focus under the lens of their onsite restaurant, and while The Kitchen by the Beach is already revered locally for its outstanding culinary offering, a new captain has taken to the helm to steer the menu in a fresh and exciting direction for 2022.

or many of us, food holds much more in store than the basic necessity of keeping our bodies strong and upright. The right meal can set the world straight, and may bring with it a sense of nourishment that reaches beyond physical strength. Shared with friends or family around a table in the right environment, food can make the most wonderful accompaniment to the fondest memories made with loved ones, and this vision lies at the very heart of The Park Cornwall.

Mark Fletcher’s career in food began with his own mobile catering business – Relish Street Food. With one outlet in Falmouth and another on Towan beach in Newquay (Relish by the Beach), he explains: “The focus was quality steak burgers and chicken wraps, something to grab and enjoy on your way to the beach. It kept the wolf from the door, and while I loved being self-employed and running my own business, when my second child came along I thought it time to get a job that was a little more stable. That’s where The Kitchen by the Beach comes in.

Fringed by the edges of enchanting coastline that frame north Cornwall, The Park has taken root amongst 27 acres of tranquil gardens in a secret valley less than 300 yards from Mawgan Porth beach, and offers a sheltered sanctuary for hundreds of visitors all year round. From luxury lodges and cosy cottages to cabins and caravans, not to mention the unique glamping experience that is the Yurt Village, the Kitchen by the Beach is at the very centre of it

A B OV E Head Chef, Mark Fletcher

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from Goodh Brewing Co.,” continues Mark. “With the original brewery in Ponsanooth, and now in Indian Queens, they’ve got about 20 different beers; various fruity IPAs and different ales. It something we’re looking forward to offering our guests.”

“I started off as the KP, working my way up. Eventually I became a Chef de Partie, and then onto Sous Chef for the last two years. I’ve learned most of my tricks of the trade from the head chefs and sous chefs I’ve worked with along the way, I wouldn’t be Head Chef now without the help I’ve received from the people around me over the years.” Recently appointed master and commander of The Kitchen by the Beach, Mark’s plans to uphold its already sterling reputation and to expand on the carefully considered menus are well under way.

With Mark now leading the way in the restaurant, I wonder what we might expect to see on the menu over the coming year, on which Mark kindly sheds some light: “We like to try and change our menu as much as possible, and soon we’ll have lamb koftas with heritage tomato salads and pitta breads. We do a mushroom arancini, and we’ll have a smoked haddock arancini coming soon. We’re looking at putting on a pie night in the near future too, with vegan and vegetarian options, and a couple of meatbased pies, which hopefully will build up to a weekly event in the forthcoming months.

Sourcing as many ingredients locally as possible and reflecting the local, seasonal produce in their everchanging menus is a key element at The Kitchen by the Beach, and something that Mark and his team plan to stand by as they move forward. Relying on Cornish companies like Etherington’s for their meat, Fish for Thought and Matthew Stevens for their fish and seafood, and De Bara bakery for things like sour dough, brioche and ciabatta rolls, the restaurant takes advantage of the wealth of good quality produce that lies on their very doorstep. “We’ve even got plans to offer an array of local beers

“We’re famous for our fresh, locally sourced ‘catch of the day’, not to mention our classic fish and chips. We’ve got something that we call The Kitchen Beast Burger, which is quite a spicy beef burger, handpressed with caramelised onion chutney, bacon,

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A B OV E Curl up in the cosy lounge area

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modern aesthetic welcomes you inside, having been fully refurbished in 2018. With a soft play area for the little ones, and even a place for the family dog, everyone is welcome at The Kitchen by the Beach.

jalapeños and cheddar, served with seasoned fries, alongside a veggie option and a falafel, halloumi and tzatziki burger; it changes all the time. We’ve got something for everybody, and we’re really flexible when it comes to dietary requirements or special requests. For example, if someone requests a specific ingredient, we’ll order that in for them.”

As summer approaches, The Park’s outside swimming pool beckons many with its own bar, which is sure to be irresistible on a hot summer’s day, and food from The Kitchen will surely be difficult to say no to. “We’re looking to bring back some really great events this year,” Mark muses as he reflects on his plans as Head Chef. “This is an exciting time for us to show our guests and visitors exactly what’s possible with all this amazing Cornish produce.” With a wonderful ethos of good quality food, cooked well at an affordable price, here is an establishment that puts flavour over frills, and whether guest or visitor, you’re sure to find the warmest of welcomes at The Kitchen by the Beach.

Having built up a great reputation locally for their Sunday roasts, from a delicious home-made nut roast to a really tender beef, gammon, pork belly, or lamb, the delightful offering changes every week. “With all the meat sourced here in Cornwall,” explains Mark, “it makes a huge difference to the quality and the taste, and we’re finding that more and more people are wanting to know where their meal has come from.” With an open kitchen where you can see the chefs in action and a bar primed with cocktails and local beverages, the restaurant’s casual seating and lounge area invites relaxed comfort as you join your friends or family for a meal. The quirky,

theparkcornwall.com

A B OV E Take a seat at the bar

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Distilled

in COPPER WORDS BY ROSIE CATTRELL

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Combining the purity of Cornwall’s unspoilt natural resources with a desire to bring something new to the Cornish spirit scene.

kindly elaborates: “If I’m honest I made a few mistakes, one being venturing into Aquaponics which involved converting our lounge into a smallscale plant, painting the floor red, installing 1,000 litre tanks, various pumps and a complicated filter system. This project hit snags early on due to water treatment, energy consumption and it is fair to say it was a struggle to get the family on board, so we decided to rethink our plans quite quickly.

ith sweet, crisp and natural flavours surrounding us here in the south west, many have come to realise the potential that Cornwall’s abundant larder has to offer, and Brian Farmer and his family have come across something that seems to have so far been overlooked in the Duchy. Blending local ingredients and rich orchard flavours with a long-established tradition, Moorland Distillery has landed firmly on the map of Cornish artisan spirits.

Without having a lot of land, we knew we needed to find a niche product of fairly high value and we were determined to make a truly Cornish product from scratch; a product that could be purchased for that special occasion and that would be attractive to the ever-growing tourist trade.” Brian and his family began to research new businesses that were small scale and that had grown quite rapidly in a short time. One of the industries that caught their eye was the gin market which, when linked to a Cornish brand, demonstrated enormous potential.

Having worked in training and development for 20 years, Brian suddenly found himself without a job and decided to start a small social enterprise, supporting long term unemployed individuals into work. “Although this type of work proved to be very rewarding, it came with many challenges and as we live on a smallholding, we began to look at alternative types of business that we could run from home.” With the family on board, the path to their very own business wasn’t as smooth as they’d hoped, as Brian so

INSET Director, Brian Farmer

LEFT The Moorland Distillery range

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But it seemed that everyone who was producing gin was sourcing their ingredients from outside the county, which was something that the Farmer family didn’t want to do. After spending many hours attending craft fairs, food and drink festivals, and trawling supermarket alcohol shelves to find that missing Cornish beverage, they soon came to realise that a true Cornish apple brandy, produced in the traditional way from fruit wine, was missing from the market. “We had found a potential product and research indicated that most ‘true’ fruit brandies were distilled using a traditional copper pot still and matured in oak barrels,” explains Brian. “So, throwing caution to the wind, we located and imported a 150 litre copper still from Germany.” Enter, the affectionately named, Susie. briefly before being ‘laid to rest’ in oak barrels, sealed with bees wax and left to mature. Our cellar is well ventilated which provides the advantage of barrels being exposed, in some degree, to the infamous ‘Cornish mizzle’. Early trials have shown us that this unique combination of quality natural ingredients, pure spirit, prolonged contact with oak and climate has the potential to produce an outstanding brandy. We stored our first brandy in the summer of 2017 and we launched our ‘one year old’ fresh bottles in the summer of 2018.”

With a vision to produce a truly Cornish product that is made from scratch, in Cornwall, by the Cornish, the Farmer team set out to lay the foundations for Moorland Distillery. Starting with apple juice, which is fermented into apple wine using selected yeasts, a process which is common with all true brandies, the low wines are transferred to the copper still, Susie, and gently heated to extract the apple wine spirit. “Only the very heart of the distilled alcohol is used to produce our Apple Brandy,” Brian continues, “being settled

However, the team would find that there were yet more challenges to overcome. Once they had started to produce their Apple Spirit, and after putting it into oak barrels to mature for five years, they very quickly entered the ‘cashflow crisis’ mode, so production came to a bitter halt. Not wanting to compromise on the quality of the product they’d uncovered, Brian and his family went back to square one, attending more shows and events, trawling the supermarkets, searching for a product that could be produced alongside their brandy, without having to mature. “After a lot of further research, we came up with an idea of a Cornish apple schnapps that could possibly appeal to a younger generation or be a key cocktail ingredient,” he explains. Made from a careful blend of spirit, apple juice and spring water, the

TOP Into the barrels to age

A B OV E Brian in the orchard

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Moorland Distillery Apple Schnapps is produced as an 8% and a 20%. The 8% can be served over ice or with a mixer and incudes honey from their own bees that live in the apple orchard. The 20% can also be served over ice, but is more popular as a base for a cocktail with prosecco, ginger ale or champagne. “Having finally established a range of beverages that met our criteria, we explored the wholesale markets but found that without samples, sales were slow. With this in mind, we took the decision to focus on events, markets and food and drink festivals where samples could be offered. Then Covid-19 hit and all the shows were cancelled for two years!” Despite all this, Brian and his family have kept Moorland Distillery running, and together are finding success. Although running a business as a family is certain to come with its challenges, the team have done their best to identify each other’s strengths and where each of them might add value to the business, as Brian elaborates: “We have an IT expert who keeps the infrastructure up and running, an engineer who solves all our equipment running issues and another son who is brimming with confidence

when facing customers. Alongside this my wife, our ‘mission control’, has an expert eye for detail on our image which includes label design, marketing material, stall design and anything that requires that special input. I mainly focus on production, spending endless hours in the distillery or as some people call it, my ‘man cave’.” While it was not their intention to produce a wide range of products, Moorland Distillery now offer a sweet and indulgent Cherry Brandy and a sloebased Hip Flask alongside their Apple Brandy and Apple Schnapps, with some exciting plans for a new product in 2022. With all the flavours of a Cornish orchard blended into their tantalising product, it comes as no surprise that as many locals are buying the products as are sold into tourism, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones who are looking forward to what’s going to come next for Moorland Distillery. moorlanddistillery.co.uk

LEFT The orchard

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A stake in

the GROUND WO R D S B Y DA N WA R D E N

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SU STA I N

Trevaskis Farm has become something of a mecca for visitors – and locals – hoping to immerse themselves in true foodie Cornwall.

we were traditional farmers – winter vegetables, beef cattle, summer crops. It was only after a pretty dire winter season that my father was left thinking ‘there’s got to be a different way of doing things”.’ This birthed the idea of planting strawberries, with which, at the time, “he didn’t quite know what he was going to do”, but he soon decided to open up the ‘pick your own’ experience that the farm still offers today.

revaskis is a farm on which you can really experience the ‘field to fork’ ethos that more and more businesses are beginning to champion in this culinary county of ours. But it’s more than that. It’s a destination for everyone, from families in search of a no-nonsense evening of epicurean debauchery (if you’ve seen the dessert counter, you’ll know what I mean), to those who’ve decided to ‘opt out’ of the mass-produced shopping experience offered by the giant supermarket names and instead line their cupboards with meat, fish, produce and everything else that’s genuinely grown, reared and made ‘local’.

“That was the birth of retail for us. Then in 1987, my mother decided to start a small restaurant and café to service the retail business. She cried for the first week though,” he remembers, “because I think everybody thought it was a new toilet block! Slowly but surely, however, people tuned into what she was doing, and quite quietly she went about building a monster – where families could enjoy good, wholesome farmhouse cooking. Her idyllic dream of shelling peas on the back doorstep became a distant reality,” laughs Giles, “as she went nose to the grindstone with the footfall that was coming through the door.”

As a business, Trevaskis Farm is thriving, but such success hasn’t come without its challenges. Giles Eustice, who has taken the mantle of business-owner and who, over the years, has worn all of the many and varied hats – from chef, to picker, to shop-clerk - explains: “Our family has farmed – and mined – within the parish for 400 years. My father started the retail aspect of the farm in 1979/1980 but before that,

INSET Giles Eustice

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SU STA I N

It was his mother’s passion for desserts to which Giles, in a big way, attributes the reputation that the Trevaskis Farm restaurant has nurtured over the years. “That’s where our name came from – gluttonous, glorious desserts. Like Rick Stein hangs his hat on fish, we hang ours on our dessert counter, and it’s very much become our calling card.” Knowing the work that Giles, his family and the wider team have put into the farm to transform it into the business it is today, it comes as a surprise to learn that it wasn’t the path he’d originally carved out for himself. “I went into computers and spent about eight, nine years just north of London, running a pretty large computer business and travelling the globe. It was,” he pauses, looking for the right word, “interesting. Different. You know, I did very well in it. It was around the time that I spotted a juncture in my time there – the folks weren’t getting any younger, and the food scene was getting stronger – and it was at that point that I thought people were starting to focus more on where their food came from and tuning in on healthy eating. So in 2004 I came back to pick up the family business and really, took on what was already a very, very good core business with a great reputation and a great local following.”

On his contribution, Giles says modestly: “I’ve just put some wings on it and tuned into what’s happening in the food environment, maybe brought it up to speed a little bit.” He cites the creation of the ‘farm park’ aspect, which welcomes groups, families and even local schools to take educational tours around the farm and gain an insight into the provenance of their food. In 2005, after spending a couple of years working on the farm and assessing the directions in which they could take it, Giles secured planning approval for a restaurant expansion that saw it double in size, and began building in 2006. Later still, in 2008, came the Farm Market, which he explains “totally transformed our traditional farm-gate sales into a viable alternative to the supermarkets, for those looking to opt-out.” Sure enough, the shop was a success, too, and today visitors can stock their cupboards from a full-scale butchery, delicatessen and fishmongers, alongside baskets groaning under the weight of vegetables that, only minutes ago, were still growing in the fields. “It incorporates the very best of what we do locally, but also the best of what’s available from further afield.

A B OV E From soil to shelf in minutes

TOP Meet the residents

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TOP The true meaning of shopping ‘local’

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A B OV E Children’s tours

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SU STA I N

There’s a range of ready meals which we create fresh on the farm, for those with busy lifestyles, and we even have the household essentials available,” says Giles. Keen to rewind back to the crops, fruits and salads found adorning the shop shelves, I ask Giles exactly what, in the shop and, indeed, the restaurant, is grown on the farm. The short answer, is a great deal, and if it isn’t, it’s because the farm is already full to bursting with livestock and crops. Even still, almost everything else is grown or reared locally, in some cases only up the road. On the farm itself, he explains: “We grow over 100 different crops. Money just can’t buy that freshness – being on the shelf when it’s in season, and has literally been growing minutes before. The difference in taste is just phenomenal. It’s the same with soft fruits and everything they get through on the dessert counter. We’re still growing more strawberries than ever, but also all of the other fruits – all of the bush fruits and the top fruits, the currants, the gooseberries, the raspberries.”

Trying to comprehend the logistics that must go into keeping the shop shelves and the restaurant menus in stock is not easy. Just for the desserts, the restaurant goes through 3,000 eggs a week, and that’s not to mention the produce, meat and fish required to feed the thousands of covers that the team welcome through the door every week. One thing that’s easy to understand, however, is the finesse with which the entire Trevaskis experience is brought to life. It’s a destination for afternoon coffee and cake in the sun; for intrepid explorations with curious children interested to know more about the land and the animals it feeds; for indulgent family feasts where even the fussiest members will be catered for. It is also, as Giles says, an opportunity for those tired of the oft-unsustainable supermarket sweep, to opt out and instead champion the growers and producers that Trevaskis Farm Shop fosters under one roof. In short, it is a microcosm of everything that is great about Cornish food; a stake in the ground by a business determined to champion a bright, sustainable, epicurean future for the county we love so much.

In terms of the meat, Giles explains there simply isn’t the room at Trevaskis to house the amount of livestock needed to feed the restaurant and farm shop. For this reason, the business pays a premium to other farms who rear their chosen breeds – ones on which, he tells me, Trevaskis has been able to hang its hat. The first, is South Devon Beef, which is the sole breed that crosses the butcher’s counter. The second is the British Lop Pig. “They used to be called the Cornish White and are now the British Lop. Our herd,” he explains, “goes back in the family for generations; I actually chair the breed’s society and I’m involved quite heavily with preserving its genetics. As with the beef, we have other producers who, while they don’t necessarily produce for us, are involved with keeping and sustaining the genetics of that rare breed, so we like to support them by buying their product. Incidentally, our pork sales are off the charts, simply because it eats sublimely and people have grown to know that.”

trevaskisfarm.co.uk

TOP A love for the produce

LEFT Giles retains a hands-on approach

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Food with

a VIEW WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G

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C U I SI N E

A clifftop haven where the cuisine takes centre stage.

some 20 years ago, the hotel is immersed in south coast charm. It occupies a breathtaking position, offering visitors a secluded escape, and it has built an enviable foodie reputation. The house itself harks back to the seaside splendour of the 1930s, its blue façade a nod to the ocean beyond invoking the feel of a New England beach house. The 14 bedrooms, all but one of which have sea views, have been given the elegant touch by Fiona’s interior designer skills – think understated coastal elegance; seaside chic without the fuss. There is also a rustic cabin with two small bedrooms and a sitting room, perfect for small families or for those wanting a complete retreat. The hotel’s elevated east-facing position affords guests with the gift of glorious dawn sunshine and unrivalled views from rooms, terrace and the highly acclaimed restaurant until dusk.

ornwall’s popularity has seen a meteoric rise in recent years. When foreign travel was banned, people discovered that it was a place on home soil that could offer all of the delights that we seek on a holiday, without leaving the UK. As the county’s coastal towns burgeoned with visitors, there was an outof-the-way place where the pace of life remained calm, the vistas were uninterrupted and those in the know could find peace and tranquillity away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist hotspots. The Roseland peninsula, is not unsurprisingly designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, its lush green rolling landscape dipping down to meet meandering cliff paths, white-sand beaches and the deep blue ocean beyond. At the heart of this peninsula, in the hamlet of Rosevine, you’ll find The Driftwood Hotel. Bought by the current owners, Paul and Fiona Robinson

The food at The Driftwood is inspired by the bountiful larder that surrounds it. Whether it be

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C U I SI N E

pretention each dish is perfectly balanced, with nods to Italian, Spanish and French influences, all underpinned by the Cornish produce at is heart. Cornish native oysters are treated to seaweed hot sauce and yuzu granita; cured Cornish mackerel is served with rhubarb kosho, pickled mooli, spring onion, wasabi cream and iced crab apple; and Tregothnan Estate deer has accompaniments of confit potato, Mora Farm beets, rainbow chard, blackberries and smoked bone marrow.

from land or sea, the provenance of ingredients lies at the heart of every dish. Of course, fish and seafood feature in abundance on the menu and why wouldn’t they with the ocean being so close? Working with Flying Fish Seafoods, fish and shellfish arrives on the plate within 48 hours of being caught. Cornish skate and mackerel from local waters feature alongside Porthilly oysters and St Austell Bay mussels, harvested just around the headland. Cheese comes courtesy of Hanson Fine Foods, whose local selection is driven to the kitchen door for tasting and selection, and honey comes from the hotel’s hives which nestle in the wildflower garden.

The menu changes with the seasons so as to ensure the ingredients are always of premium quality. The large outdoor dining terrace is the perfect place to enjoy a set lunch, an aperitif before dinner, or indeed dinner itself if the evening is balmy; all with an unrivalled view. On cooler evenings the chic dining room is softly lit by flickering candlelight, accompanying the gentle sounds of conversation and clinking of glasses, and with its large ocean-facing windows it’s a room with a view.

While the dining here is fine, there is no pretention. The food is imaginative and contemporary and allowed to speak for itself. Alongside the set menu, there’s a tasting menu which takes diners through a culinary journey from ocean to field, with matching wine flights available. Devoid of

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A B OV E Understated chic meets culinary genius

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The Gulf Stream brings warm winds ensuring warm summers and mild winters. The South West Coast Path runs in both directions underneath the hotel gardens and leads to the quintessential Cornish fishing village of Portscatho to the south and the beaches of Pendower and Carne to the north. The wider Roseland invites endless countryside walks, hidden coves at every turn and even its own car ferry which crosses the River Fal for further exploration. Although, once you’ve arrived at the Driftwood, you would be forgiven for never wanting to leave!

The hospitality is gracious, setting guests at ease; service is attentive yet never overwhelming. While the food is no doubt a draw here, guests also come for the unique location and awayfrom-it-all feel. In the seven-acre gardens, which overlook Gerrans Bay, out to Gull’s Rock and the Lizard peninsula beyond, you’ll always find a private spot to relax in one of the teak Adirondack chairs. Or, guests can wander down a private path to the secret beach below with a picnic – such is its romantic location that there has been many a proposal here. The beach offers safe bathing for cold water dippers, or simply paddle your toes as your feet sink into the soft sand. Rockpools lure little ones on coastal foraging adventures, working up an appetite before returning to the hotel for a special children’s tea. The climate on the Roseland is something of a microcosm.

Bed and breakfast is available from £230 per night, including WiFi, towels, robes, slippers and toiletries, as well as access to the secret beach.

driftwoodhotel.co.uk

A B OV E The location is out of this world

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A different

kind of BREW WORDS BY ROSIE CATTRELL

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QU E N C H

In the beating heart of Porthleven, one entrepreneur who has already been met with a wealth of success finds himself on a path to something new.

featured hundreds of acts, DJs and performances across a multitude of curated venues. Kelvin reflects on a venture that has been enjoyed by thousands of people: “The Masked Ball ended up (unintentionally) putting Porthleven on the map for the younger generation. It was fortunate enough to be recognised as one of the longest standing festivals in the country at one point, and we’ve had some of the world’s best electronic acts play; it’s made me so proud of the place I’ve come to call home, it’s an amazing thing for a little fishing village in Cornwall to be able to pull together.

he quiet fishing community of Porthleven has truly come to life over the past few years, and more people are frequenting the pretty Cornish village than ever. One man who can be credited for helping to put Porthleven ‘on the map’, so to speak, is Kelvin Batt, a local entrepreneur who has certainly had a hand in bringing the place to life with his various creative endeavours over the years. Many know him as the Director of The Masked Ball, an annual event that began in 2006 as a small, ticket-only all-nighter for a few hundred like-minded revellers. More recently, the three-day spring ball that would take place on the cliffs of Porthleven became renowned for its artistic creativity, imaginative site layouts and hedonistic zest for having the best time humanly possible.

“Porthleven means a great deal to me,” he continues. “I’d do anything for this place, it’s shaped a whole generation – in a good way! I, like others – notably my buiness partner Alec Short – have put alot into Porthleven, like the Food Festival. We held the reins on it for five odd years and took it from a relatively small event to nearly 40,000, which has to be said was too many for such a small village, but you can’t control the weather!”

Labelled one of the best festivals in the world for 2019 by Conde Naste Traveller alongside the likes of Coachella and Glastonbury, the event has

LEFT The Mussel Shoal

INSET Kelvin Batt

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A B OV E The Mussel Shoal’s harbour view

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Fast forward to 2022 and preparations for the opening of Shoals Brewery are in full swing. Having set the wheels in motion last year, Kelvin and a small team have taken root in the Shipyard, at the very centre of Porthleven. “Trevor Osborne has played a big part in letting us use the Shipyard,” he explains. “I’d helped him open an indoor market originally over the road but we had issues with the structure so needed another place to put it, he kindly offered to change his plans and use the Shipyard for the original market, which is now flourishing under the management of Hannabeth Johnson. It’s a great turnaround for the space and has turned into a really cool hub for young businesses, including ourselves!”

A little more recently, Kelvin set his sights on establishing The Mussel Shoal, a laid-back al fresco café, restaurant and bar on the quay, serving French bistro-style food like moules-frites, squid and chowder, alongside some delicious drinks to be enjoyed next to the ebbing water of the harbour. While the welcoming vibes of the Shoal have become a favourite among locals after a long working day, the real fun begins on the pontoon, where you’re invited to book for a group of you to eat and be merry whilst afloat on the waters of the harbour, a wonderfully dramatic dining experience on the sea.

Rather unusually, Shoals Brewery have the opportunity to source their very own hops to brew themselves. “We’re actually using the hops from my Grandad’s farm for Shoals Brewery, which we’re growing ourselves with the help of Howard Batt (Batt & Son Hops), then using them for our beer. I’m pretty sure that’s quite unique in the brewing world; we like to say ‘from ground to guzzle’. It’s great as we have a real input into what gets grown and how, thanks to my uncle and cousin. It’s been one hell of a learning curve.” With the team’s ‘Endeavor’ hops having recently won Best Aroma at the Kent Hop Competition in November 2021, I’m sure we can expect great things from the beer produced at Shoals Brewery.

With a love for his home community in his heart, and with a wealth of experience behind him, Kelvin is now turning his attentions to a passion that he’s held close since childhood. After leaving his grandfather’s hop farm in Kent and moving to Cornwall as a child, Kelvin was immediately embraced into the Cornish lifestyle, finding friends at school to go surfing with and who he remains close with today. It was during his school days that Kelvin developed a keen, if controversial for his age, interest in home brewing, as he kindly explains: “It’s crazy looking back, I had five 10-gallon drums with heater belts on all bubbling away in my bedroom. My poor step mum... the smell was atrocious!” Little did he know then that he would later be preparing to establish his very own brewery in the heart of Porthleven.

A B OV E Porthleven Food and Music Festival

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TOP LEFT Brewery artwork

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A B OV E Hop delivery

TO P R I G H T Brewer, Dai Lawton

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QU E N C H

Set to open imminently, and with plans for outdoor seating in addition to a relaxed environment inside where you’ll be able to pull up a seat and grab a chilled pint brewed in the very same building, Shoals Brewery certainly has our attention. Following the success of The Mussel Shoal, you’re sure to see some friendly local characters on the scene, and undoubtedly a mix of fresh-faced visitors looking to take in the tantalising flavours of Porthleven as the sun starts to show its face this summer.

With his right-hand man and best friend, Dai Lawton, at the brewing helm, Kelvin is confident in the end result: “Dai’s been brewing at home for years, and is actually very good, not like myself! He’s the man – he’s even grown a brewer’s beard just for the job.” Along with their partner Dom Kamara, an old surfing friend from Gwithian, Shoals Brewery promises another exciting addition to the collection of fresh local businesses that are populating Porthleven, which Kelvin reflects on: “It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but Cornwall is changing, and I think luckily Porthleven is changing in a better way than a lot of the county due to a big local contingency not being pushed out by a more corporate model of buiness. There’s this amazing balance now, where young, local businesses like Origin, Flexi-Hex and ourselves are free to develop and grow. It’s funny that the owners of these flourishing businesses all went to school together; in fact, we were even in the same year! There must be something in the water…”

At the epicentre of a small Cornish fishing village that has found itself to be the setting of some truly exciting ventures, I’m sure I’m not the only one who’ll be making sure to pay a visit to Shoals Brewery to sample this latest triumph thanks to a face familiar to many here in Porthleven – Kelvin Batt. shoalsbrewery

A B OV E Shoals Brewery

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love

For the of

FOOD WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G

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Things are getting fresh at a unique luxury deli in Falmouth.

way of life some can only dream of, but after being essentially ocean wanderers for three years the girls decided they wanted to go to school, and the couple wanted to build a wholesome base from which to raise their growing young family.

or John and Rebecca Frankiss it was love at first sight. After meeting in the Middle East, where John worked in oil and gas and Rebecca was teaching, a proposal came within three weeks and three months later, the pair were married. It wasn’t just their love for each other that kept the bond strong, it was also their shared love of food. John is English, Rebecca Canadian and after they married, they were unsure as to where to settle. While Rebecca loved her roots, growing up by the ocean in Nova Scotia, the lack of strength of the Canadian dollar against the pound would mean settling there would be a decision for life. Instead, the couple decided on a very different path.

Their search for a land base first led them to Devon and Brixham Harbour. However, a lack of local schools saw them sail back to Falmouth, the port they had first departed from three years prior and a town they had returned to time and again, and that’s where they settled. Where better to do so than in a place that would bring together their cultures and love of the sea in a unique coastal region famed for its plethora of quality produce. The boat was sold and they purchased their first business, Oggies Cornish Kitchen. This fresh take on a traditional Cornish pasty shop feeds shoppers, students and seafarers with bakery treats. You can grab a pasty in a paper bag for onthe-go refuelling or stay awhile in café. While the pasty shop was, and is, extremely successful (and Rebecca confesses that there is nothing she doesn’t

What followed is not a tale that you would normally associate with the opening of a pasty shop and deli in Cornwall, but it proves that they have the shared ambition and passion required to make it work. During a sabbatical from work, John and Rebecca bought a 60ft schooner and proceeded to sail it around the Atlantic. With two young daughters, a son and another on the way it was a

INSET The doorway to a foodie emporium

PREVIOUS Picnic perfection

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burgeoning stock of tasty treats, and every item on sale in the store earns its place. New for this season will be fresh herbs and vegetables from a local grower, that will be on sale along with local eggs, meats and cheeses. Not ones to rest on their laurels, the couple have also just purchased a piece of land where their new herd of pigs are destined for some delicious local charcuterie next year.

know now about the Duchy’s favourite snack), it wasn’t fuelling their gastronomic fire. When the building next door became vacant, with a large outdoor terrace, it was an opportunity too good to miss, and so The Cornish Kitchen was born. It’s a modern-day multistore, mixing groceries, fresh produce, accompaniments, coffee, wine, beer and more, but one that has a point of difference in that it is stocked with Rebecca and John’s keen curatorial taste and eye. Rebecca tells me: “We don’t stock anything that we don’t love to eat and drink ourselves. We sample everything, and if we don’t think it works in terms of quality or provenance, it doesn’t make it to our shelves.”

While much of the deli is taken over for the produce, there are also some cute tables and chairs indoors and of course the large outdoor patio area, where visitors can enjoy dishes created from the deli produce. John is the chef, he cooks nightly for his family as well, while Rebecca is the baker. Homemade bread and bagels can be filled with meats and cheeses from the deli counter, served with pickles, crisp salad and hummus. Daily salads are created with imagination to be enjoyed alongside warm quiches with light crumbly pastry, or there’s a tasting platter for sharing. Morning visits are rewarded with flaky pastries and

The Cornish Kitchen is a place where John and Rebecca hope to bring healthy and tasty inspiration to everyday life, along with a little bit of luxury. The couple are constantly on the search for artisanal, local produce that will complement their already

A B OV E Working with local farmers and growers means that everyone benefits

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TOP Bakes and bread are as fresh as they are flavoursome

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fun feast night. Picnic hampers are also particularly popular, especially for day sails from the nearby marina. Choose from cheeses, aged charcuterie and ready-to-eat gourmet dishes made using the finest and freshest local ingredients and artisan groceries.

Pastel de Nata, washed down with a fragrant hot coffee while the cake counter will send sweet tooths in paroxysms of pleasure. Succulent brownies, buttery flapjacks filled with seeds and dried fruit and delicate, pastel nougat bars with pistachio that have to be tasted to be believed.

With the rise in demand for vegan and glutenfree goods, these are catered for too and there is an emphasis on local brands that is good for sustainability. The ethos is very much to champion and support small growers and producers, but John and Rebecca will be led by demand and can source special products at their customers’ request. The Cornish Kitchen’s growing reputation for selling the highest quality foods is making this a real destination deli.

Already, The Cornish Kitchen is drawing an appreciative neighbourhood crowd that has found itself completely enamoured by the tasty menu of house-baked goodies. The Frankiss’ intention was for it to be an all-year-round destination store and café, catering as much for the local Falmouth community as for its visitors. This year sees them branch out with home delivery of their sharing platters, or indeed a deli selection of your choice, within a tenmile radius – perfect for entertaining without the work. Add in a bottle (or two) of carefully selected wine or prosecco and you have the ingredients for a

the.cornishkitchen The Cornish Kitchen

A B OV E Say cheese!

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LIFE

outdoors WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G

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I N SPI R AT I O N

Unique, design-led gourmet spaces take al fresco entertaining to new heights.

that they are settled in the UK, their own kitchen garden is bursting with fresh produce. Running a successful plumbing and heating business for 12 years, and after the birth of their son Soal, Zowie and Gareth decided that they wanted to combine their love of outdoor cooking and food with their practical expertise in order to bring luxury outdoor entertaining and living spaces to homes in the south west.

ver recent years, outdoor space has become a prized possession. It has offered us freedom in times of uncertainty and a safe haven in which to be able to entertain and be with family and friends. Each environment is different, whether it be a city courtyard or expansive rural garden, something that Zowie and Gareth Rees, owners of outdoor living company Heart, Smoke and Soal, know only too well. I was intrigued to find out what had brought them to the world of outdoor kitchens and dining. “My first job was preparing and cooking barbeques for a large number of guests every week,” explains Zowie. “I loved the smell, taste and atmosphere. As you can imagine after cooking for large numbers over a couple hours, I would have the smell of barbeque and wood smoke literally oozing from every pore, but I loved it!”

Heart, Smoke and Soal (named for their son who is also a budding young chef ) offers a bespoke, design-led process to help clients realise the full potential of their outdoor space. They personally select all of the manufacturers based on quality, style and functionality, testing each piece of equipment to ensure it is fit for purpose. With their own passion for outdoor living and cooking, Zowie and Gareth are excellently placed when it comes to advising on projects. Zowie explains how the process works: “Clients will make contact with us and we follow up with a noobligation chat to talk through initial thoughts and ideas. The first step to designing an outdoor kitchen is to define what you need from your space.

The couple travelled widely, cooking as much as possible outdoors wherever they were in the world, using local produce to try out new recipes. Zowie is a self-confessed foodie, with an impressive collection of over 200 cookery books on her shelves and now

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A B OV E The only limit to your outdoor kitchen design is your immagination

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I learn that the most important part of any outdoor kitchen is the cooking equipment and this comes in the form of a range of products. Luxury grills and outdoor ovens are de rigueur in the world of outdoor entertaining and enable ease of entertaining for large numbers. Zowie and Gareth conducted a lot of research before choosing to work with Firemagic, BeefEater and Wolf. “By having more than one grill manufacturer we are able to tailor our products to all budgets. It also gives customers the choice between freestanding or built-in options, gas or charcoal. We personally test all of the grills and ovens that we sell, ensuring they meet our own exacting standards before making them available to our clients,” adds Gareth.

Small or large, there are designs and products that can ensure you have everything you need to cook, live and entertain outdoors in style. There’s no ‘onesize-fits-all’ when it comes to outdoor living spaces which is why we offer a bespoke service and a range of products that are both elegant and practical.”

But what if you have a smaller outdoor space? “Ceramic charcoal grills are very versatile,” answers Zowie, “they can be used to grill, roast, bake or smoke any food and they don’t take up a lot of room. Similarly, table-top pizza ovens from the likes of Alfa have a similar flexibility while their elegant Italian design means they also look the part. We also appreciate that some of our customers prefer to take a more traditional approach to outdoor cooking and so we were able to source sustainable firebowls from Kadai. Each bowl is unique, can be up to 100 years old and is handpicked from Rajasthan by the Kadai team.”

The couple have invested in an impressive, fullystocked showroom, where clients can view products and design ideas in situ, and the stock-list covers the whole gamut of outdoor living products. Pergola and patio covers come from Renson, chosen for their aluminium construction and wide range of contemporary designs, while for a more traditional approach to all-weather protection, The Lapa Company is recommended by Zowie and Gareth for their handcrafted, thatched and cedar shingle gazebos and garden buildings. “While we can have some glorious weather in the UK,” explains Gareth, “it can also be inclement and so it’s important that if you’re investing in an outdoor living space that it is usable as much as possible. We recommend a home visit that allows us to get a feel for the space and how the area is likely to be used. Having these conversations really is key to understanding our clients’ wants and needs. From here, we head to the drawing board, where we will specify the design and create a visual, choosing products that we feel suit the brief and budget.”

For both Zowie and Gareth it’s vital that the brands they supply align with their own ethos of service, quality, form and function. This is no more apparent than in their relationship with Vlaze who create design-led, British-made vitreous enamel modular furniture, that can be moved freely from indoors to out. Design specifically for the living environment, and at once sustainably made and fully recyclable, the lustrous colours are created by fusing powdered glass to steel at temperatures in excess of 800 °C in the same factory that manufactures much of the iconic signage for London Underground and the Paris Metro.

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A B OV E Keep warm in style with a Glowbus firepit

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real passion for cooking outside, sets us apart. We regularly use the brands we stock ourselves in our own outdoor kitchen. The open days fulfil this side of our passion, with equipment fired up outside so that guests can smell, taste and really live what we are all about!”

Similarly, Glowbus®, who create handmade fire pits, take functional fire to a new level. With each piece in the collection adding a design dimension to the elemental. With a belief in sustainable and ecologically responsible products, Glowbus® only work with the most durable materials, ensuring the products have the ability to create special moments for a lifetime.

They recommend a five-point approach to outdoor kitchen design that takes into account space, budget, supplies (in terms of water, gas and electricity), weather and climate, and ultimately your own cooking style. “With so many options in terms of the aesthetic of a kitchen you can really go all out and make the space unique to you, but it also has to work on a practical level,” says Zowie. “We have recently launched an online shop offering accessories, condiments and lifestyle products and regularly post recipes on our blog which we hope gives culinary inspiration to our customers.”

The fact that there is such a range of products to choose from is testament to the couple’s understanding of how outdoor living and entertaining can be made to work on many levels and how our approach to cooking outdoors has evolved over recent years. “Rather than just a sausage or a burger, people are trying new recipes with influences from the likes of social media, chefs and home cooks. With lockdown over the past years, people have spent more time at home trying new things and so we need to be able to reflect that in our offering,” says Zowie. With this in mind, Heart, Smoke and Soal host regular open days at their showroom, inviting award-winning chefs to join them for live cooking demonstrations on their equipment. Brand representatives are also invited to join in the days, available to answer any questions. “We feel that being huge foodies ourselves, with a

Open day information and showroom appointment booking is available on the Heart, Smoke and Soal website where you can also find more information on the brands available. heartsmokesoal.co.uk

TOP Sub Zero and Wolf offer outdoor homecooking at professional standards

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Coming

of AGE WO R D S B Y DA N WA R D E N

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Welcoming wine into the fold of Cornish culinary excellence.

energetic team work to peel back the oft-associated label of elitism and make the fruits of the vineyard accessible to all. “I would like to think that we are always hardcore, and never pretentious. Practical, not theoretical,” says Adrian.

ncompromising and innovative; these are perhaps the founding principles behind the growing offering available at Knightor Winery. Owner and founder, Adrian, is in the serious business of enjoyment. Having previously run a successful IT company, a career in which he spent a great deal of time bogged down in the industry’s many complexities, he now spends his days promoting the simple pleasure of wine. He aims to remove the stigmatic perception that often dissuades people from ‘getting into’ wine; that in order to fully appreciate it, you must first understand its intricacies.

“There is often a lot of snobbery around wine,” agrees David. “We hope to try and remove some of this at Knightor, which starts when you walk into our shop and tasting room. Forget about the typical, clinical wine shop where people only talk in the hushed tones of a library. Ours is both a shop and a place of work, so it may be that when you pop in, we are busy labelling or boxing up orders. We like to offer a warm welcome and helpful advice, if needed. After all, we know English wine often looks a bit scary, but we would like to think there is at least one or two wines that we can tempt you with.”

Located in St Austell, just a stone’s throw from the Eden Project, and with two vineyards in Cornwall – one in Portscatho, the other in Seaton – Knightor aims to de-mystify the world of wine. Led by Adrian and Head Winemaker, David Brocklehurst, the young,

INSET David Brocklehurst, Knightor’s Head Winemaker

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So, what about the wines themselves? David and Adrian explain that when trying to compare grapes grown on English soil to those from the well-known vineyards of Europe, it’s important to know that the differing climates inevitably produce significantly different results. “Every wine region has its difficulties and issues,” says David. “Some are too warm, too dry, too humid. For us in the UK, you guessed it, it can be a little wet! More specifically, we can experience rain during the times of year when it’s not wanted; when the vines are flowering in June, or on the run up to harvest in September. Yields fluctuate year on year, as does the character of the fruit. No two years are the same, so you cannot make a Chardonnay, for instance, in the same way and expect to get the same result.

different styles.” He explains that they take a very hands-off approach, with minimum intervention. “We let the wine do its thing! This includes leaving the sparkling wines to age until they’re at their bready, biscuity best. We don’t like the idea of adding any strange ingredients into the wine – for us it should be as simple as fermented grape juice, so no finings are added and all are suitable for vegans.”

“As much as possible at Knightor, we are all about the grape and vintage,” David continues, “trying to capture the aromas and flavours we see in the grapes, within the finished wine. We have a few core wines that we make each year, but then we are also given the freedom to experiment and have a bit of fun, making many small batches and trying out

“The results,” says Adrian, “are often beautiful and always ephemeral, like the most unique experiences. Couple the delicate fruit with an innovative approach and you see the range one can have within the elegant lightness that is the hallmark of English wine, which some may have never tasted before. Some may have had it and know how good in can be, while others may have had a less-than-favourable experience and are coming here to give it another try. What I would say, is that the good wines are gaining real ground and are becoming very popular, both among critics and consumers.” David seconds this, saying: “Being a relative newcomer to vine-growing, England doesn’t have the restrictions that many of the old-world vine regions have to grow specific varieties, or make specific styles of wine. We can be more creative, grow whatever varieties we want – provided that they ripen! – and make whatever styles of wine that we like.”

A B OV E The Knightor grape press

TOP Sealing the Vermouth

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Chris Tuff

A B OV E Bringing together the timeles pairing of great food and fine wine

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crab meat with Szechuan pepper mayo and black garlic. Or, what I think will become our signature dish: KWFC. Served with raw slaw and salmon roe, Knightor Winery Fried Chicken is just one of the many plates that make the menu so tempting. There is plenty to choose from for everybody, from meat lovers, to vegetarians and vegans, and of course, those who come to sample what makes Cornwall such a culinary powerhouse – its seafood.”

Whilst fundamental to the Knightor experience, it is by no means what Knightor is all about. What Adrian, David and their team aim to deliver to visitors every year is an experience they could spend the entire day enjoying. From tours of the winery itself in St Austell, to feast nights and Foodie Fridays that see the popping up of incredible street-food vendors in the courtyards, with popular Cornish foodie brands making regular appearances. During the warmer months there’s even live music to be enjoyed, with the opportunity to set out blankets and spend the afternoon enjoying the location and everything the grounds have to offer.

In fact, while it’s a term that he hates to use for his food, he says: “I call it mongrel food – mixing up flavours and styles, and seeing them merge into something that people love.” On wine pairings, he recommends the Trevannion 2019, which he says “goes well with spicy food, with its citrus notes really complementing the chilli.”

So popular have these foodie gatherings become that Knightor recently decided to extend its culinary reach, redeveloping the Portscatho Vineyard into an all-round foodie destination (open April to September). The result, is The Vine, which has made both a home, and a name for itself, on those southerly seaward slopes. Away from the crowds in a private vineyard with sea views, Executive Chef at the Vine, Gavin, explains: “It’s a place where people can chill in large open spaces, drink nice drinks and eat quirky plates of food, where everything is different, from the plates to the furniture. It’s meant to be a space for a good old bit of ‘R&R’, mixed with a gin and tonic or, preferably, a glass of our wine. It’s a place where people can try dishes they might not find elsewhere on the Roseland, or even in Cornwall.”

To be fair though, a lot of Knightor’s wines have those hallmarks that make English wines so special; a lightness and a delicacy of touch that lends them perfectly to seaside dining. Wine that, in Adrian’s words, “lets the fruit express itself through short runs and light-touch, low-intervention wine making”. But the wines, as we’ve discovered, are but one piece in a much-larger puzzle. This is a business that emphasises – champions, even - the creativity of its young and passionate team, who are continually looking to create a community around the Knightor brand, introducing people to wine and removing the snobbery that can be so off-putting to so many. With plans in the future to promote more events, including private talks and tours, all whilst retaining a commitment to a no-nonsense, sustainable approach to the timeless pairing of food and drink, I’m sure you’ll join us in welcoming Knightor to the table of culinary Cornwall.

As a visitor to Knightor, The Vine rounds off the experience. A sharing-style menu delivers larger plates, with smaller dishes in between to fill up the table. “Flatbreads are cooked in our woodfired oven, topped with ingredients like ox heart, fried shrimp and chilli sauce, or spiced Cornish

knightor.com

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C O M M E N T

Eventide

BY HETTY NINNIS

at Canteen at the Orchard together and they also take home a bag of fresh produce to feed themselves and their families.

uilt by the community, for the community, Newquay Orchard is an urban greenspace in the heart of Newquay. It is a place where people can come to grow, learn and relax together. Once just a patch of land, the Orchard has now flourished into a centre for culture, education and collaboration for people of all ages.

If this style of growing and serving food can continue to work sustainably together, as it has done so far, then we believe it is a model that could serve communities throughout the UK. All whilst improving biodiversity, reducing food miles and connecting people with their food. It’s field to fork in the space of just 300 metres.

Over 800 volunteers have made a mark on Newquay Orchard since it began in 2015 and now visitors can find a traditional heritage fruit Orchard, community growing space and the Market Garden Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme providing the onsite community café Canteen at the Orchard and our volunteers with organic produce in a circular economy.

Visitors to Newquay Orchard can taste the produce for themselves at Canteen at the Orchard. The menu changes daily to make use of the fresh produce grown by volunteers with vegetable varieties you might not find in the supermarket. We founded Newquay Orchard with the aim of helping to end social deprivation and support people experiencing food poverty. The CSA has helped connect local people with the produce they eat and highlight what growers do to serve our communities.

We launched the CSA partnership with our volunteers and Canteen at the Orchard in June 2021 and it’s been very successful. It’s rewarding for the volunteers to eat the produce they have grown here at Newquay Orchard. They are gaining valuable skills like learning how to live more sustainably whilst meeting new people and spending time outdoors. This scheme also gives our volunteers a chance to dine with Canteen at the Orchard when they may not have had the chance to otherwise. After each volunteering session volunteers are able to enjoy a free lunch

Hetty Ninnis is the Sustainable Landscapes Manager at Newquay Orchard and has led the development of the CSA and it’s successful relationship with the orchard’s volunteers and Canteen at the Orchard partners, Ben Quinn and Paul Saunders. newquayorchard.co.uk

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