Food Bites: All change in the Meudon kitchen

bites

NEW MEUDON HEAD CHEF

Great British Menu contestant Charlotte Vincent has taken on the role of head chef at Hotel Meudon near Falmouth. Devonian by birth, Charlotte learnt to cook with the British Army, before spending 10 years working with Michael Caines at the Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter and the two Michelin Star Gidleigh Park. Next, she took the helm at the award-winning Five Bells in Cullompton, steering the inn into the UK's Top 50 Gastropubs. She describes her food as 'Modern British' influenced by Scandinavian and French cuisines. This will be reflected in her selection of autumn menus, which promises to include delightful dishes inspired by the rugged beauty of the coast and Bream Cove. l

www.meudon.co.uk

Eco-friendly chocolate

Rio Nuevo chocolate, based in Penryn, has relaunched its single-origin hot chocolate range in all-natural packaging which biodegrades in up to six weeks, and with minimal branding to symbolise a need for less consumption. The paper is 30% seaweed – a product which grows up to 1m a day, doesn’t compete with food crops, doesn’t need fresh water and actively contributes to de-acidifying our oceans. The rest is made from as much recycled fibre as possible. The chocolate is produced by Andres and Sara, who grew up in Ecuador and Colombia, and now live in Penryn. l www.rionuevochocolate.com

Under new ownership

St Austell Brewery has acquired The Wellington Hotel, a 16th-century coaching inn in the pretty harbour village of Boscastle. The acquisition is the first in over two years for the brewery, which now owns 175 pubs, inns and hotels across the West Country including 39 managed sites, and a portfolio of tenanted and leased properties. Chief executive Kevin Georgel said: “The Wellington is a family-friendly destination with great views, a pub, a restaurant and overnight accommodation, making it popular with both locals and visitors. It fits perfectly with our current managed estate and the variety of guest experiences we always look to offer. It also supports our plans to strengthen and grow our pub estate, across Cornwall and the wider South West, in the months and years ahead.” l

Drifty dates

The Driftwood Spars in St Agnes collaborates with Lynher Dairies (makers of Cornish Yarg), Old Chapel Cellars of Truro and Castle Brewery of Lostwithiel for the ultimate cheese pairing evening (£25pp) on October 14. The Drifty has also teamed up with local social prescribing service Community Connect to host a Menopause Support Group on the second Thursday of every month at 7pm. And good luck to head chef Tom Bennetts, who is a finalist in the professional chef category of the South West Chef of the Year competition, to be held on October 25. l

www.driftwoodspars.co.uk

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Falmouth Oyster Festival

Cornwall’s biggest specialist seafood festival will take place from October 13 to 16. Now in its 24th year, Falmouth Oyster Festival celebrates the start of the dredging season, which runs from October to March. It focuses on the native Fal oyster, with its salty liquor and sweet flesh, and highlights traditional methods of harvesting, using only sail and oar.

The festival attracted 40,000 visitors in 2019 and has outgrown Events Square, so Church Street car park will be transformed into an exciting new harbourside hub for flavoursome fun. Expect seafood bars, Working Boat racing, a grand oyster parade and a fiercely contested oystershucking competition - plus live music, comedy, arts and crafts, real ale and a Laurent Perrier champagne bar.

Chef Nick Hemming of The Heron in Malpas will open the festival on Thursday, October 13, joined by children from Falmouth’s five primary schools, with two from each selected to sit at the Chefs’ Table and critique Nick’s culinary skills. Nick Hodges of The Greenbank Hotel, Hylton Espey of Culture Restaurant, Alfie Hazlitt of INDIdog and Annie Seabourne of My Fish Kitchen in Mawnan Smith will also give cookery demonstrations.

Hotel sponsor St Michaels Resort will host the flagship Seafood Bar, showcasing brasserie and street food style dishes including Tregida smoked ling chowder, spiced crispy squid or oysters, and delicious Nam Jim dressed crab. l

Like the Facebook page @Falmouth Oyster Festival, follow on Twitter @FalOysterFest or visit www.falmouthoysterfestival.co.uk

Best in the UK

A training restaurant at Penwith College in Penzance has been crowned Best College Restaurant in the UK at the AA Hospitality Awards.

AA judges scored Senara students 100% for their final presentation - a top score unmatched in previous years. Inspectors praised Senara for its “incredible food and service”, and for adapting during the pandemic to incorporate a takeaway service for the local community.

The Senara team travelled to London’s Grosvenor Hotel on September 27 to hear they had beaten off competitors from Milton Keynes and Cardiff. Professional cookery students Emily Earley and Shay Uren were chosen to attend the event – which was hosted by television sport personality Gabby Logan - as a reward for their dedication and professionalism. “When they announced our names, we were stunned,” said Shay. “Our little restaurant in the far west of Cornwall has beaten much larger college restaurants.”

Catering lecturer Dave Izzard added: “We know how good Senara is, and reviews from our customers back this up. However, being named the best in the UK by such a prestigious awarding body is fantastic.”

Senara students will now enjoy an allexpenses-paid week of work experience in the capital's Michelin-starred restaurants, including Murano courtesy of Angela Hartnett, and a day with Tom Booton, executive chef at The Grill at The Dorchester.

The award for Hotel Group of the Year went to The Pig Group, which has an outpost at Harlyn Bay near Padstow; and the New Yard Restaurant at Trelowarren, near Helston, received three AA Rosettes for its culinary excellence and was praised

by AA inspectors for its use of estategrown produce. l

Reservations at Senara can be made for Wednesday, Thursday or Friday throughout the college year. Email senara@truro-penwith.ac.uk