Places to eat: Historic locations, from guild halls to garrisons

HISTORIC

• LOCATIONS •

Whether you plump for a humble caff, a posh restaurant or a pasty shop, sometimes the location is just as important as the food on offer. Here are 10 eateries in historic surroundings, from Victorian public buildings to castle defences and fish factories.

Built in 1893, this is one of four institutes in Cornwall donated by Victorian philanthropist John Passmore Edwards to provide working people with libraries and rooms for meetings and lectures. Today it’s a community hub run by a small team of staff and volunteers and used by local residents of all ages for a wide range of social activities including yoga, Pilates, dance, art and writing groups, music, photographic club and community film nights. The Nourish café has a new top team, and serves breakfast, hot drinks, delicious cakes and cream teas from 9.30am to 1pm on weekdays and the first Saturday of the month. The MMI Supper Club returns on October 13, with a night of food masterfully prepared by popular local chef Adam Vasey.. Sample dish: Roasted tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil on toast, £3.50. www.stagnesmmi.co.uk

Looe Sardine Factory

In the 19th century, Looe’s Sardine Factory did exactly what it says on the tin: when fishermen shouted “Hevva!”, it meant shoals of pilchards had been sighted and the boats would be bringing in the catch for processing and canning. In 2018, chefpatron Benjamin Palmer bought the building and transformed it into an 80-cover restaurant overlooking the harbour, awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2020. Benjamin’s specialism is sustainable fish dishes, and he is suitably obsessed with sardines - his Stargazey Pie is something to behold. Sample dish: Goan spiced whole sea bass, on the bone with saag aloo and onion bhaji, £16. www.thesardinefactorylooe.com

The Alverton, Truro

The Alverton was built in the 1830s as a family home for fatherof-13 William Tweedy, whose family was well-known in town society as senior partners in the Cornish Bank and steadfast Tory supporters. In 1883, the house was acquired by The Order of Epiphany, whose nuns travelled around the Duchy to help local clerics with work including crucial aid with tuberculosis treatment. By 1984, the house had become too big for the remaining sisters and was converted into a grand country house hotel, which now has 51 bedrooms, four silver stars and a two AA-rosette award-winning restaurant. Sample dish: Afternoon tea. Cosy up by the roaring fire for a festive twist on this wonderfully British pastime. www.thealverton.co.uk

Good Stuff at Harbour Light, Boscastle

A gem of a café on Boscastle Harbour, the Good Stuff at Harbour Light can be found in a 16th-century building that was destroyed in the floods of August 2004, and faithfully rebuilt two years later. By day, order speciality coffee, local seasonal dishes and a selection of sweet goodies to lift the spirits of tired coast path walkers; on Friday nights, the venue is transformed into a cocktail and small plates bar. Everything is thoughtfully sourced, from Cornish ingredients to compostable takeaway packaging and ethically produced coffee. Owners Alice and Will are Living Wage employers. Open Wednesday to Sunday, March to November. Sample dish: Enjoy bread and pastries from Electric Bakery, up the road in Bude. www.thegoodstuffcafe.co.uk

Polurrian on the Lizard

Originally built in 1890, the Polurrian on the Lizard was a fashionable railway hotel appealing to distinguished guests. Guglielmo Marconi stayed here in 1901 while sending the first ever transatlantic radio messages from nearby Poldhu Cove. Sadly, a fire devastated the original hotel in 1909, destroying everything but the terraces and steps near the tennis courts; what you see today was built soon after. During the Second World War, the hotel was an officers’ mess for nearby RAF Predannack, and in 1953, Hollywood stars Clark Gable and Gene Tierney stayed while filming the romance adventure Never Let Me Go. Sample dish: Choose a mouth-watering pizza baked in the wood-fired Gozney oven. www.polurrianhotel.com

Star Castle was built in 1593 during the reign of Good Queen Bess, for the defence of the Isles of Scilly. It stands on the fortified Garrison Hill to the west of Hugh Town on St Mary’s, and commands magnificent sea views in all directions. The dining room was the original officer’s messroom, and belongs to the age of Drake and the sea-dogs, while the dungeon that once incarcerated some of the most notorious prisoners in the country is now an intriguing hostelry serving Scillonian real ale! Dinner available from February 14 to October 31. Sample dish: Seared Salakee duck, raised on St Mary’s. Four courses, £55. www.star-castle.co.uk

Old Lifeboat House, Penzance

In 1884, Henry Martin Harvey Esq. of Launceston made a gift of £1,000 for the building of a complete new lifeboat station. A year later, a boathouse made of Cornish granite opened in Penzance, complete with bell turret and bell; the new 10-oared lifeboat, named Dora at Mr Harvey’s request, would save 57 lives from 10 vessels. Today, this small but quirky bistro enjoys unobstructed views of Penzance Harbour and St Michael’s Mount, serving predominantly seafood but also tea, coffee and cakes until 4.30pm each day. Sample dish: Newlyn dressed crab salad, served with new potatoes and baguette, £19.95. www.oldlifeboathousebistro.com

Carn Brea Castle

It’s thought that Carn Brea Castle was first built in 1379 atop the imposing hill above Redruth as a chapel dedicated to St Michael. Around 1790, it was converted into a castle folly in the romantic Gothic style by the Basset family of Tehidy, perhaps to be used as a hunting and feasting lodge – making its current guise particularly appropriate. This is a small but delightfully intimate space in which to enjoy cuisine with a Middle Eastern flavour. Sample dish: Sayadeyeh – tiger prawns with onions, mushroom, garlic and green chillis, served with saffron rice and yoghurt dip. £18.85. www.carnbreacastle.co.uk

Bodmin Old Guildhall

From the outside, it’s a humble pasty shop in Bodmin’s Fore Street, but don’t be fooled. Eat in, and you will discover splendid decor - wood panelling, stained-glass windows, coats of arms - indicative of this building’s illustrious role in Bodmin’s municipal history. The Grade II listed Guildhall was built on the site of the meeting place of St Petroc’s Guild of Skinners and Glovers and is recorded in Queen Elizabeth’s Charter of 1536 as the location of town council meetings and other important functions (John Wesley is thought to have preached here in the 18th century). The last council meeting took place here in 1983; the premises was sold to pasty purveyor Malcolm n 78 | My Barnecutt. Issue 74 | October - November 2022Sample dish: Medium steak.

Salt, Hayle

Part of Cornwall’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hayle’s Foundry Square was once the hub of the esteemed engineering firm Harvey & Co (1779), producing Cornish beam engines for mines around the world. The foundry closed in 1903 but evidence remains of its former glory: the counting house, with its distinctive clock tower (which once displayed both “local time” and “London time”, around 20 minutes ahead), now houses Hayle’s heritage centre. White’s Warehouse dates from 1828 and has been a mill and bakery and a furniture store; it’s now home to several businesses, including artisan jeweller Emily Nixon. Salt Kitchen Bar on the ground floor serves a menu inspired by land and sea: burgers, seafood, grill and cocktails. Sample dish: Popcorn prawns – Cajun-spiced battered prawns with garlic mayo, slaw and fries, £16. www.salt-hayle.co.uk