Regarded as one of the UK’s last real major agricultural shows and one which apparently began life as a ploughing match between local farmers in Truro over 200 years ago, The Royal Cornwall Show is a major event on the Cornish social and gastronomic calendar.
Suffering the rural quirks – rows of sheep bottoms, howling bantams and a rash of Barbers, I was rewarded with an introduction to 1980s singer Paul Young (who has just published a cookbook) eating curry in a golf buggy (me jogging alongside him) and a handshake with the Duchess of Cornwall complete with sudden small talk about the mead she had just tasted while thrust up against a smiling policeman who had wrapped a rope around me, in front of the corpse of a rabbit whose feet had just been hacked off, ready to be turned into pan-fried loins. Suffice to say that one resorted to Skinners cider to blur the more comically incongruous edges of the day.
Royal Cornwall food highlights:
Cornish Duck Liver Parfait (topped with port and orange jelly) – socially acceptable foie gras from free range ducks (and no force feeding) using a secret recipe courtesy of Michelin starred Cornish chef Chris Eden at The Driftwood Hotel. Mousse-like and delicate yet with all the clout of a hammer to the taste buds, it is the champagne of pâtés. The duck pâté with cognac was pretty impressive too.
Cornish Blue Pâté with Pear and Walnut or Fig- what’s wrong with a truckle of plain old Cornish Blue I hear you muse? Nothing, and I could not be more content than when demolishing a truckle of Philip’s award-winning cheese and have deliberately avoided the pâtés. However, the sweet, fruity spreads are a softer, creamier version of what is one of the world’s best cheeses and serve a different, more continental purpose.
How to skin a rabbit in Four Easy Steps by Tom Scade of Tides Restaurant for his char-grilled rabbit loin demo with peas, croquet, pancetta and hyssop:
New boys on the brewery block Harbour Brewery’s floral and complex 3.7% Light Ale – perfect summer drinking on the terrace overlooking Cornish blue seas. Watch out for their new brews, one of which is a collaboration with maestro Cornish coffee brewers: Origins.
Lynher Dairies Wild Garlic Yarg – I’m a seasoned nettle Yarg eater and have never been convinced by the garlic infusion of the leaves but am a true convert now. Tangy hedgerow garlic enhances this firm white.
Baker Tom’s for slabs of eat-on-the-spot focaccia, bakewell tart to make you weak behind the knees and pastries, particularly the pain au chocolats – hmm hmm; eat as a chaser to pasty and tea for a continental Cornish workout (only for the strong and greedy). His new bakery and café in Pool is a must.
Grumpies – two grumpy old men from Launceston so busy selling hot pies that I couldn’t get a look in for a chat. Blue cheese, mushroom and walnut will win over any meat eater. Watch out for their Old Tarts coming soon on the pastry scene.
Day Two brings Great British Menu contender Nathan Outlaw to the Cornwall Food & Drink festival marquee for a food demo.
lovely post! great that you didn’t even mention the foul weather. My friend Sue Proudfoot – whalesborough farm cheeses is there somewhere with lovely french style cheeses.
Thanks Sue! will look for for Sue Proudfoot and her cheeses – it’s not the Cornish Brie/Camembert by any chance? Will you be making it down this year? We’re British, we have to put up with the weather!
No, I have an exhibition at the castle, Bude, so busy , busy. Have posted some images in my blog gallery or take a look at http://www.facebook.com/suereadart
Sue P. does trelawney, celtic gold, miss muffett and cornish crumbly and sends loads to london and has won awards. So find her and say sue read says hello. Have been badgering her to start a blog. She is a great writer. V. interesting lady.
Bloody good to see bloody bunny, after our tongue adventure. I’m stuffed, sated and happily satisfied with Day One of the Royal Cornish Show. I see you’ve gone over to wild garlic Yarg.
Grumpies pies, that was a standout post. I don’t think you managed to even taste them all the first time! Old Tarts coming soon? Can’t be soon enough for this old tart. As you’re already a front-row Nathan Outlaw, I expect to see you with the filleting knife in your hand and your arm around Nathan. Or looking like the cat that drained the goldfish bowl.
Love you bunny!
Ann
Hi Ann! thanks for your unflagging support! just realised I never emailed you tongue piece – I will do so now. What with royalty and rabbits, am all exhausted today! Take care my dear, the bunny x
Great stuff. This has inspired me to take a jaunt there tomorrow!
Hi Eve, excellent – go and enjoy – hopefully it won’t all have blown away by then! Rachel
I have never been to Royal Cornwall, so must schedule my visit to cover June next year so I can go – and also visit Open Studio sites too.
Ha! Great plan. We’d be so stuffed, and our heads so spinny from the beauty of it all, that we’d be in mortal danger at Tintagel, which we’d jog to to clear our heads and burn off the calories. Rachel sets a hard pace I hear but, like Atalanta, is easily distracted by shiny things
)
ah, how well you know the bunny from across the Atlantic!
I recommend it Lynn, Open Studios supposed to be fab too – I did a piece on it in May’s Cornwall Life ..Royal Cornwall is quintessential Cornwall!