This season's best places to eat, stay, shop and visit in the South West
The new – and first – Indy Coffee Guide London reveals 163 of the best independent speciality coffee shops in the capital
Autumn's a curiously magical time isn't it? I used to dread the end of summer: the drawing in of the nights and September's association with going back to school, but in recent years I've come to appreciate the beauty of the season.
Now it feels like a time to pick up the indoor projects that were put on hold over summer in favour of outdoor pursuits, to pickle and preserve the glut of seasonal produce, and to appreciate nature's colourful last hurrah before everything slips into hibernation. And I can't pretend not to be relieved to put on hold, for a few months, the sisyphean task of keeping the garden under control.
In this issue we've gathered some of our favourite ways to embrace the autumnal shift from light to dark. Read on to discover ravishing places to stay, special places to eat out and unmissable art shows and spas.
Autumn is the natural time for a speciality coffee road trip and my colleague Selena has rounded up some of her favourite finds in the South West – find them on page 58. You might also like to read my account of a stay at Kirstie Allsopp's holiday home in Devon – find it on page 86.
My colleague Rosanna talked to Bristol artist Rosanna Morris for this issue (page 18) and discovered how nature inspires her work. And if, like me, you feel this is the natural season to gather friends around the table, read our feature on page 38 in which food stylist Rosie MacKean reveals how to take home entertaining next‑level in a relaxed and rustic way.
To make sure you don't miss a thing each season, why not get Food Lifestyle delivered to your door? We also create a free weekly email of special finds – find out how to get both on page 9.
See you at Christmas!
Jo Rees Editorial director and founder, Salt Media
Listen to our season's playlist on Spotify. Search for Autumn Food Lifestyle
Image: Guy Harrop
This issue
18. Tastemaker: Rosanna Morris
The botanical printmaker reveals her love affair with nature and the city that inspires her work.
24. Five of the best adventures in art
This season's must‑attend exhibitions.
38. Food stylist's secrets
Take entertaining next‑level with tips from chef and food stylist Rosie MacKean.
58. Speciality coffee road trip
Seven speciality coffee spots for first‑class brews.
66. Bar's open
Pro drinksmiths share seasonal cocktails to shake up at home.
72. Cool places to stay
The most fabulous places for an autumn adventure.
80. The insider's guide: Nancarrow Farm
Cornwall's best worst‑kept secret.
84. The spa inspector: Homewood
Everything you need to know about Bath's newly developed spa.
86. Tried and tested
We stayed at the Devon holiday home of TV property guru Kirstie Allsopp.
88. The Full Works: The Priory
How to squeeze every last drop of deliciousness from 24 hours at the monastery turned country house hotel.
92. Landed gentry
The Great Cornish Seafood Weekend.
10. Things to do this season
29. Eating out
We visit Indidog in Falmouth, Live and Let Live in Landscove and Topsham's The Farm Table.
37. Weekend cooking
Autumnal recipes for beef pie, crumble and slow‑cooked lamb. How to spice up autumn, Scott Paton's most memorable dining experience, and seasonal pleasures.
57. Drinks
Susy Atkins' pick of the South West rums, plus coffee and cocktails.
71. Travel
Cool places to visit this season.
96. Food Lifestyle directory
98. Stockists
94 Win!
A chance to win lunch or dinner for two at The Godolphin in Marazion (worth £90); and a two‑night stay at St Michaels Resort in Falmouth (worth £1,000).
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Editorial Abi Manning, Melissa Morris, Jane Rakison, Jo Rees, Rosanna Rothery, Selena Young
Design Christopher Mulholland Publishing Charlotte Cummins, Tamsin Powell Accounts Richard Bailey
Commercial/advertising Nick Cooper, Claire Fegan, Jeni Smith – 01271 859182
Cover image Annie Spratt
Publisher Salt Media – ideas@saltmedia.co.uk, 01271 859299, saltmedia.co.uk
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Left to right: Selena, Abi, Rosanna and Jo
Editorial team photographed by Guy Harrop at The Collective at Woolsery in Devon
SCAN
SPECIAL FINDS
Image:
Guy Harrop
Is it a bar? Is it an installation? No, it's the new look
Roth Bar at Hauser & Wirth
5 Things to do this season
1. CHECK OUT SOMERSET'S MOST INTERESTING NEW LAUNCHES There's been a flurry of new openings in the county which include the relaunch of ROTH BAR (rothbar.co.uk) at Hauser & Wirth in Bruton. The bar is an integral part of the gallery experience and been reworked as a functional artwork by artist Oddur Roth.
Also in Bruton, Former River Cottage chef Sam Lomas opens his first restaurant in September. Find BRIAR on the site previously occupied by OSIP, which chef Merlin Labron‑Johnson has just moved to a nearby rural location (osiprestaurant.com).
In Frome, The Walcot Group opened LITTLE WALCOT (littlewalcot.com), sister to Bath's Walcot House and one of a burgeoning brood of South West siblings. Check out INOSHISHI IZAKAYA (inoshishi.co) in the town too, which launched at the end of 2023 and is doing good work with Japanese‑inspired food and cocktails. ››
2. EXPLORE EAST DEVON'S EDIBLES
The TASTE EAST DEVON FESTIVAL takes place from September 14‑22 and comprises a line‑up of top‑drawer events that range from tours of PEBBLEBED VINEYARD (pictured) with wine, cheese, and charcuterie chomping to long table feasts at RIVER COTTAGE and apple picking at WHITEWAYS' ancient apple orchard. Get the low‑down on the whole smorgasbord of food and drink‑related happenings at tasteeastdevon.co.uk
Image: Matt Austin
3.
AND DO
AT ROBUN The Bath restaurant (robun.co.uk) is already the city's go‑to for Japanese and Asian‑inspired sharing plates, teishoku set meals and themed nights, but it's just added another reason to visit: karaoke and Tokyo tapas with cocktails. Make ours a Jasmine Highball with salmon hosomaki and chicken karaage and an opportunity to hog the mic ... ››
EAT JAPANESE
KARAOKE
Tom Williams‑Hawkes manning the oyster bar at the relaunch party at The Salutation Inn
Image: Nick Hook
4. FEAST ON SEAFOOD Many native species of fish and shellfish are abundant in autumn, and in prime position on menus across the South West.
One spot where the seafood is front and centre is THE SALUTATION INN (salutationtopsham.co.uk) in Topsham near Exeter which comprises a smart restaurant with rooms and a fishmongers shop – Salt – at the front. Owner Tom Williams‑Hawkes has long crafted fabulous dishes from the day's catch, but in lockdown created an onsite fish shop to support local fishermen. It gave Tom and team such incredible access to fresh fish and shellfish that it became a permanent fixture.
The Grade II listed property's atrium and restaurant have just been given a beautiful refurb. Visit to feast on the pick of the catch in a setting filled with artwork and trailing plants. On Thursday September 19, The Salutation is holding a Devon Seafood Supper, which will see Tom and head chef Luke give a talk about their passion for seafood and serve a four‑course dinner showcasing the fruits of the local waters.
In Padstow, Prawn on the Lawn is running its pop‑up seafood bar LITTLE PRAWN (prawnonthelawn.com) until the end of October. Visit for frozen margs and locally caught seafood prepped in chef owner Rick Toogood's signature Mediterranean and Asian style.
In Truro, THE ALVERTON (thealverton.co.uk) is holding a Lobster On The Lawn evening on Friday September 6. Visit to scoff locally caught lobster with all the trimmings and sip glasses of chilled fizz on the outdoor terrace in the leafy garden. ››
Lobster On The Lawn at The Alverton
Image:
Arabelle
Zhuang
5. HUNT OUT THE TARTAN FOX Adam Handling has just opened his second pub (he also owns award‑winning The Loch & The Tyne in Windsor), and his second venture in Cornwall. The Tartan Fox (tartanfoxpub.co.uk) joins Adam's restaurant and bar Ugly Butterfly at Carbis Bay in St Ives.
Experience the chef's highly inventive cooking at the quintessentially British country pub, which is located between Newquay and Truro. The team have given the trad building a refurb to create a cosy environment that includes a bar, wine room, restaurant, two private dining rooms and a garden. •
Image: John Hersey
TASTEMAKER
Rosanna Morris
Bristol‑based botanical printmaker
Rosanna Morris tells Rosanna Rothery about her love affair with nature and the city that inspires her art
Images: Eva Nemeth
Botanical printmaker Rosanna Morris sees the beauty of nature everywhere, even in the densest concrete jungle. She grew up on an urban council estate and recalls picking dandelions from the cracks in paving slabs and hunting for snails and woodlice near her home.
Today, her printmaking process usually starts with a visit to the fields and woodlands on the outskirts of east Bristol where she lives. Rosanna loves nothing more than to forage under trees and in hedgerows before returning to her studio with a posy of plants to study and develop into prints.
When it comes to art, nourishment, cooking, walking and entertaining guests, she doesn't see the natural world as something ‘other’, rather as an essential part of everything ‑ including what it means to be human. It's a theme she explores through her work.
Her recent book, Botanical Block Printing, is a step‑by‑step guide to her artform, and she hopes it will encourage others to experience the thrill and satisfaction she derives from capturing nature through the medium of bold botanical block prints. ››
‘I always felt the art world was this superiorimpenetrable, place with secrets shared behind closed doors’
Rosanna in her Bristol studio
Why block printmaking?
It's something you can do at home at your kitchen table with very basic resources, which yields hugely satisfying results. Not only is it one of the most accessible printmaking forms, it's also one of the most accessible artforms. Block printmaking creates bold work and is very creative: you can craft a great many different objects. It's also an ideal craft for the beginner. You don't need to be a formal artist or dedicate your whole week to your art; you can do it in the evenings and on the weekend.
What's the secret to finding time to be creative while leading a busy life?
It's the eternal question, even for me – and I'm a full‑time artist! My tip would be to try, consistently, to draw in a sketchbook. Keep it by the side of your bed or in your bag. When you're in a GP or dentist waiting room, for instance, instead of sitting and looking at some random reel on Instagram, start drawing, taking note of your surroundings and being more present. That's how I try to bring creativity into my daily life.
Why is creativity important?
It may be difficult to slot it in, but it's paramount for all of us to have time to be creative. It's part of the joy of life to allow ourselves time to think creatively and express ourselves; it's important for our mental health and happiness.
I hope my book gives people an excuse to connect with their creative practice and nature, and to allow themselves time for creativity as an indulgent treat for themselves.
The book is a how‑to, why give away your secrets?
I've taught courses and events at Cato Press and always enjoyed sharing knowledge and being open and honest about the printmaking process. I'm from a working‑class background and, although I went to art schools in Bristol and Camberwell, I always felt the art world was this impenetrable, superior place with secrets shared behind closed doors. There's nothing to be gained from secrecy and I hate that part of the art world. ››
Rosanna's Bristol
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
There's such a wealth of easily accessible nature around Bristol; it's everywhere when you start looking. People sometimes think when they live in an urban environment, they need to go somewhere to fi nd a conservation area, but the living world is all around us. It's important to connect with it in the city, as much as in the countryside.
Best spots away from the hustle and bustle?
I spend a lot of time in Paradise Bottom woods because the kids and I love walking the dog there. It feels quite wild and is full of foxgloves and huge redwood trees. Another great spot is Snuff Mills, a nature reserve near my home. There are loads of amazing community gardens in Bristol, too, which are open to the public.
Favourite foodie treat?
I've got three young kids and we like to go to Farro Bakery in St Paul's and fill our bags with croissants and savoury scones and then head out for a picnic. Without kids, it would have to be a night out at my favourite restaurant, Wilson's on Chandos Road. The food is grown by the team at their market garden on the outskirts of Bristol and they do really phenomenal things with produce and flavour.
Where do you take visitors when they come to stay?
We usually go to Purple Patch Farm, a beautiful market garden in St Werburghs, run by my friend Alex. It's such a magical little valley in the middle of the city where she has polytunnels and animals and grows flowers.
For a night out, I love going to the Cube Cinema on Dove Street South, which runs these amazing storytelling evenings by the Crick Crack Club.
Where do you shop for food?
We grow a lot of food ourselves but we also get a veg box from Garden Folk CIC and bits and bobs from the Fishponds' wholefood shop, Artichoke.
It's worth saying that in our Bristol parks, there are quite a few food‑growing projects, as well as edible planting by guerrilla gardeners. •
Botanical Block
Printing: A Creative Step‑By‑Step Handbook To Make Art Inspired By Nature by Rosanna Morris is published by Pavilion Books
Adébayo Bolaji, Birth, 2024. Acrylic and oil pastel on cotton. Courtesy of Bolaji Studio
Adventures in
ART
Adébayo Bolaji at Arnolfini
Bristol
UNTIL SEPTEMBER 29, 2024
Multidisciplinary London artist Adébayo Bolaji shares a kaleidoscopic collection of work in this solo exhibition, In Praise of Beauty, at Bristol's harbourside gallery (arnolfini.org.uk).
Bolaji has exhibited internationally and, as a poet, actor, public speaker and director, is also involved in performance art and speaking engagements. This show, which is exhibited over the first‑floor galleries, explores notions of beauty through monumental works in acrylic and oil pastel, mixed media, drawing, sculpture and film.
During her 60‑year career, Dame Phyllida Barlow garnered global appreciation for her audacious, energetic and seemingly precarious sculptures, which have been exhibited at many prominent international galleries.
Phyllida Barlow. unscripted at Hauser & Wirth (hauserwirth.com) celebrates Barlow's transformative approach to sculpture and challenges the audience into a new relationship with the sculptural object, the gallery environment and the world beyond. The show also marks the tenth birthday of Bruton's pioneering rural arts centre. ››
Russian abstract painter Mark Rothko is internationally renowned for his colour field paintings. No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red) sold earlier this year for $100m.
Rothko spent much of his life in New York where he was commissioned to paint a series of large‑scale mural canvases for the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building. However, in 1969, following a break to travel in Europe – including a visit to Cornwall – he concluded that the restaurant wouldn't be the right setting for the works. So he refunded the commission and donated the Seagram Murals to select museums.
This one‑room exhibition at Tate St Ives (tate.org.uk) is the chance to see five of the nine Seagram Murals in the Tate collection.
The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe The
Black Figure at The Box
Plymouth
UNTIL SEPTEMBER 29, 2024
The Box (theboxplymouth.com) is exhibiting this exciting curation by Ekow Eshun, which was created in coordination with the National Portrait Gallery.
The critically acclaimed exhibition (five stars from The Guardian) explores the presence and absence of Black figures in Western art, and examines the social, psychological and cultural contexts in which the works were produced.
Visit to see artwork by 22 UK and US artists from the African diaspora (with several Turner Prize winners and nominees in the mix), including Kerry James Marshall and Amy Sherald, whose portrait sitters include Michelle Obama. The show was described by Time Out as ‘a gorgeous display of some of the best painting happening today’.
Devon Open Studios
Venues across Devon
SEPTEMBER 7–22, 2024
This September, artists in Devon will throw open their studio doors and invite the public in as part of the Devon Open Studios event (devonartistnetwork.co.uk).
Around 200 participating artists will showcase work including drawings, paintings, sculpture, tapestry, ceramics, jewellery and glasswork – much of it for sale.
Visit to see the work of established artists and discover young and up‑and‑coming talent. •
Feast day and night on the f inest Cornish cuisine
at the Water’s Edge restaurant in Falmouth
Eating out
The Food Lifestyle team dine at the South West's most interesting restaurants to reveal where's worth visiting
The Farm Table at Darts Farm
Indidog
Jo Rees discovers a Falmouth restaurant dishing up feelgood feasting at the water's edge
Image: Rupert Binsley
What's the draw? A buzzy restaurant with huge windows and a terrace overlooking the glassy waters of Falmouth Harbour.
Despite its shoreside setting, Indidog is hidden away: you'd only stumble upon it by wandering down a lane to Fish Strand Quay or parking at the car park next door. That makes it a bit of an insider's find, so consider this your heads up on a restaurant that delivers feelgood feasting with waterside views.
Who's cooking? Head of theatre in Indidog's large open kitchen – entirely visible to diners – is Alfie Hazlitt. Indidog owner Vanessa Clark says Alfie provides the customers with plenty of behind the pass entertainment.
‘I often notice diners watching the kitchen team,’ she says. ‘They love it, especially when Alfie's giving orders to the brigade and there's a lot of shouting of “yes chef!”.’
Vanessa and her husband Simon have an instinct for reading a room, and spend their evenings gliding from one table to another, charming customers with personal attention. Indidog was almost full on the Wednesday night in early June that we visited, so they're clearly doing something right.
What to order? The menu has the same crowd pleasing credentials as the front of house approach and features favourites such as Mylor scallops with green chilli jam, apple, lemon and daikon, presented elegantly in the half shell.
House dishes include a daily changing cut of locally caught fish treated to the boisterous flavours of chorizo and bouillabaisse, and a meaty hunk of miso glazed monkfish in a fragrant broth with sauteed napa cabbage, coriander and daikon.
Despite the marine setting, carnivores are well looked after and treated to dishes made from locally reared cuts such as Redruth lamb rump, which is served with rosemary and potato rosti, leek and anchovy.
Careful sourcing is at the core of the menu and showcased in uber local ingredients such as the pristine salad leaves grown at Soul Farm across the harbour at Flushing.
Smart multi element desserts like a lemon parfait with flavours of apricot, honey and whisky, cut by the clean tang of yogurt sorbet, are top drawer. However, it would be a shame to forego the simple joy of an affogato of Callestick Farm vanilla ice cream served in a vintage style coup glass with one shot of Origin espresso and another of Grand Marnier. Solve the problem by filing it under 'coffee' and do dessert twice.
Need to know Book a window seat – inside or out – to savour the exceptional harbour views. And arrive hungry so you can add an appetiser of smoked cod's roe with lacy sourdough crisps and a glass of chilled Veuve Clicquot to the experience.
Abi Manning scouted out a south Devon dining pub built around flame, farming and palate‑punching flavours
Head chef Iain Dawson and general manager Elinor Hession
What's the draw? The ingredients of a great dining pub include seasonal dishes crafted from local produce, a home from home atmosphere sans stuffiness, and a warm welcome for everyone – whether they're loyal locals or fervent foodies from afar. But what takes a dining pub from ‛meh’ to magnificent is when it does all this in its own authentic voice.
The Live and Let Live, which reopened this year under new management, ticks all the boxes – and then some – with the appointment of a chef whose signature style has taken the pub next level.
Who's cooking? Head chef Iain Dawson learnt his craft at some of the top kitchens in Canada (his home country) before landing in the UK and, more specifically, Bray, where he cultivated a flair for flavour at Heston Blumenthal's The Hind's Head.
It was there that Iain fell in love with cooking over fire, which he's honed to become his signature style. He then did a lengthy stint at South Hams institution the Millbrook Inn, before heading – smoker and charcoal grill in tow – to the Live and Let Live in Landscove, a tiny village in picturesque countryside between Ashburton and Totnes.
It's in this rustic setting of exposed stone, parquet flooring and farmhouse chairs that Iain's rural and flavourful cooking feels right at home.
What to order? Whether opting for a cauliflower croquette with pickled chard or a cut of meat sourced from a farm down the road, be assured that the dish will be full of flavour and crafted with simplicity and generosity.
On our visit, a starter of smoked scotch egg was encased in the crunch of a pork crackling crust, the smokiness of the meat cut with a piquant mustard dressing and balanced by the fresh and pickled flavours of a farm salad.
Mains – pork chop with celeriac puree, cider and fennel jus and triple mustard, and glazed beef short rib with caramelised cauliflower puree, kale and bordelaise sauce – were rich, hearty and honest, a jostling amalgam of smoky, salty, caramelised and sweet flavours.
A pudding of cinnamon and cardamom pannacotta with rhubarb and a farm fruit compote was a light and spiced delight to end the meal. The sweet and aromatic creaminess juxtaposed the tartness of the compote, while dehydrated rhubarb added crunch for contrast.
Need to know Unwind for longer in this countryside haven by booking a rural retreat in one of the pub's three guestrooms.
Live and Let Live
Landscove, Devon, TQ13 7LZ liveandletlivepub.com
The Farm Table
Leave all expectations of farm‑shop dining at the door. Darts Farm's latest project redefines the genre, says Jo Rees
Image:
Ed Schofi
eld
What's the draw? It's a bit of a head scratcher that this place is so unusual. Putting a proper restaurant in a store stuffed with high‑quality artisan produce shouldn't be a mind‑blowing concept, yet it's almost unheard of in the UK. We all know a farm‑ shop restaurant is where you go for quiche and salad with a side of coleslaw.
The Dart family have always eschewed convention, however. That's what's led them, during the past 30 years, to evolve a pick‑your‑own produce stall into a pioneering food emporium with high‑end homewares, outdoor gear, teepees, a cider business, gelateria, chocolatery, vineyard and spa.
So, in their usual groundbreaking way, the family have created an in‑house restaurant of note. The original daytime cafe is still in situ and bolstered by a casual dining area, but The Farm Table is quite a different proposition. Rustic decor and a setting adjacent to the wine store give it a vineyard‑ restaurant vibe, while access to outstanding produce has been exploited in a menu that takes plot‑to‑plate up a level.
Cooking creds Thomas Walker heads up the kitchen, turning the ingredients in his dominion into creative but unfussy dishes. This may be artisan but it's not simple: local pork chops are brined for two days before they hit the pan; belly‑pork bites get the low'n'slow sous vide treatment before being crisped; and steak, sourdough and roasted dishes all benefit from a lick of flame in the wood‑fired oven.
What to order? Before digging into starters, kick off with slices of crust‑forward sourdough slathered in smoked wild‑garlic‑salt butter, plus slivers of rum‑cured charcuterie and those bite‑size squares of belly pork. Sweet, crisp, chilli‑hot, hot‑hot, salty and meaty in equal measure, the belly pork is crack‑level addictive. The table next to us had an order with their drinks, another with their starters and a third with mains …
Buoyed by this promising start, we dived into a dish of Lyme Bay scallops with guanciale and fresh peas – resisting the charms of grilled red mullet with shaved fennel and samphire to save room for mains.
Choosing from the Soil, Sea and Land sections of the menu, we were delighted by the meaty hunk of Brixham hake with crisp skin, served on buttery chilli‑flecked broccoli with almonds. A smoky pork chop with black pudding, sweet roasted carrots and a pleasingly sharp apple and rhubarb sauce accompanied, along with a side of grilled baby gem lettuce with anchovy mayo.
After a decent interval, we braced ourselves for pudding: own‑grown‑rhubarb steamed sponge with clotted cream, which was comfort food incarnate, and a single‑origin Indonesian chocolate baked mousse. We made a decent go of the sponge but were floored by the richness of the mousse. Chocolate addicts: plan ahead and skip starters in anticipation.
Need to know The drinks menu showcases a thoughtful curation of artisan ciders, wines, beers, cocktails and spirits of note – with lots by the glass – so swerve the role of designated driver by any means necessary.
food‑styling secrets, Scott Paton reveals his most unforgettable dinner and Anuj Thakur spices up autumn
Weekend cooking doesn't get better than turkish eggs for brunch. Find Town Mill Bakery's recipe at food‑mag.co.uk/tmb
Food stylist's secrets
Chef and food stylist Rosie MacKean shares some clever ways to take your entertaining next‑level
Images by Sam Harris
When it comes to laying a table, Rosie MacKean has plenty of charming ideas for creating a beautiful, relaxed and inviting space for dinner‑party guests. Even as a child growing up in Bath, one of her favourite activities was to invite friends to supper. Admittedly, in those days she was serving them steak and chips made from plastic blocks, but the urge to be a brilliant hostess has never left her.
At her home in Hackney, Rosie has perfected a curation of foolproof menus and table‑styling secrets for her new book Good Time Cooking, which is full of hacks and recipes for easy entertaining.
Rosie has shared a few of her stress‑free tricks of the trade to ensure the next time you have friends over they're as wowed by your food styling as they are by your cooking.
1. Dine family‑style
My biggest tip for styling food for dinner parties is barely a trick to be honest, but it's an important place to start. When serving a crowd, it's a thousand times easier to plate family‑style where people help themselves to shared dishes.
It is also far more generous, inviting and, quite frankly, dramatic to put a few big, heaped dishes down on a table – and it's a lot less work to plate one dish than six.
Letting people serve themselves and share things across your table is one of the best things about convivial dining. It relaxes your guests, gets them talking and engaging with the food and leaves you the space to join in and be a part of it, rather than being a glorified waiter.
2. Style a sharing table
I love using a selection of oval, square and round plates or platters. These don't always need to be huge. Sometimes it's better to do a few medium‑size portions to spread across the table rather than something ginormous.
Serving food in pans or oven trays is fine – don't feel it's too informal to put them on the table. Just make people aware when something is hot, and provide tea towels or protection where necessary. In fact, this is a great way to break up a table and create interest in the overall scene. ››
3. Plating up
Always try to leave an empty border on a plate. You want to avoid overfilling plates because the effect of the finished dish can be lost or, worse, spilled. Leaving space means you will be able to see any finishing touches too.
If in doubt, drizzle with good olive oil. Not only does it taste good, it makes your dish shiny – and drips and pools on the sides of the plate are always sexy.
Don't style things that don't need it. Lasagne or pies are good examples; some dishes get styled in their making and need only to be cooked and served.
Neatness is the enemy of gloriously edible food. Drizzles, drops, sprinkles or smears are evocative and appetising.
Similarly, try and avoid regularity or patterns with your food (unless it's a pissaladière, of course). When plating, let different elements touch and bleed into one another, create piles or heaps and fun shapes. Don't overthink it!
4. Consider the backdrop
Most food looks good on pastel colours. I tend to gravitate towards blues, greens and pale reds and pinks, which are often patterns on top of cream or white backgrounds. The rich, darker tones in food will really sing when paired with lighter coloured plates.
I almost always avoid primary colours on crockery as their boldness can wash out the tones of the food. Similarly, I never use brown or black crockery.
Salads, pasta and risotto are for plates, not bowls! You see the texture of these dishes so much better when they are served on a plate.
Serving food on items that are not crockery gets a big yes from me. Having a variety of textures (such as ceramics, metal trays or pans, and wooden boards) creates a more lived‑in, cosy vibe.
5. Tablescaping
If you have lots of tablecloth and napkin options, then use them to add interest to the table. Like most of my stuff, I hunt for these in charity shops and flea markets. I don't think they're always necessary though, and a few jazzy plates will often do the job.
A great way of creating height on the table is by using candles. I always have a few of varying lengths (mismatched, of course). They also create beautiful light for your food.
Flowers on the table can be bulky and make it hard to speak to people across from you, but I adore how they brighten everything up. I like to arrange little posies with only three or four stems and spread them down the table. You don't need proper vases: old jam jars, little glasses or empty bottles are fine. Just choose two to three different types of flower and play with them – you don't need a huge range to make something pretty. ››
See Rosie's recipe for beef shin pie on page 42
Beef shin pie
‘A proper beef shin pie is just the most glorious thing, but it does require some effort. I find the process very therapeutic: the braising of the beef, making the pastry (suet pastry is so easy), the crimping and glazing,’ says Rosie.
Serves 6
For the beef shin
Optional lean beef shin marrow bone – split (ask your butcher) 1 (6 8cm)
Vegetable oil 3 tbsp
Beef shin off the bone 1.5kg, cut into 4‑5cm chunks
Flaky sea salt 1 tbsp
Onions 2, diced
Large carrot 1, diced
Celery sticks 2, diced
Plain flour 70g
Beef stock 400ml
Bovril 40g
Guinness 440ml
English mustard 1 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp
Hot horseradish sauce 1 tbsp
Black peppercorns 2 tbsp, crushed
For the pastry
Self‑raising flour 400g, plus extra for dusting
Beef suet 200g
Salt 1 tsp
Freshly ground pepper ½ tsp
Water 240ml
Butter or oil for greasing
Egg 1
Whole milk 1 tbsp
1 For the beef shin: Start the pie filling the day before. If you are using the marrow bone, preheat the oven to 200C / gas 6.
2 Put the bone in an oven tray and roast for 25 minutes, then remove and scoop out the marrow from the centre while the bone is hot. Pour off and reserve any fat to fry the beef in later. Set the marrow and bone aside to cool and turn the oven down to 160C / gas 3.
3 Heat the vegetable oil in a large casserole dish, adding any beef fat from the bone. Season the beef shin chunks with sea salt, then add in batches to the casserole dish and brown over a high heat. When the beef has good colour on all sides, remove it and set aside.
4 Add the onions, carrot and celery and turn the heat down to medium. Let the vegetables caramelise for 10 12 minutes. Add the flour and stir in well. Slowly pour in the beef stock, mixing well, then add the Bovril and Guinness. Mix in the mustard, worcestershire sauce, horseradish sauce and black pepper and bring to a simmer.
5 Return the browned meat to the pan, cover and put in the preheated oven to cook for 3.5–4 hours until the meat is meltingly tender and the gravy glossy.
6 Chop the cold marrow (if using) and stir in. Cool the mix to room temperature, then chill overnight.
7 For the pastry: combine the flour, suet, salt and pepper in a bowl. Slowly pour in the water and stir to make a shaggy dough. Turn it out onto a work surface and gently bring together, adding an extra splash of water if it feels too dry – or a dusting of flour if it feels overly wet.
8 You'll see large chunks of suet in the pastry and this will act like butter when the pastry cooks, making a flaky crust.
Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour.
9 Grease a pie dish with butter or oil. Divide the pastry into two lumps – roughly two‑thirds for the base and a third for the top. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece of pastry until it's slightly wider than the size of the pie dish and about 0.5cm thick.
10 Carefully lay the pastry in the dish, making sure it sits evenly on all sides. Mix the egg and milk together and brush the edges of the pastry. If using the bone, position it in the centre of the pie.
11 Fill the dish with the braised beef in an even layer. Roll out the second piece of pastry to the same thickness. If using the bone, cut a 5cm x 5cm cross in the middle of the pastry to accommodate it.
12 Lay the pastry on top of the pie filling, fitting the top of the bone through the cross. If not using the bone, cut a small cross in the middle of the pastry and insert a pie chimney if you have one.
13 Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to crimp and seal the pastry edges on all sides, then trim any excess pastry. Brush with the egg and milk glaze, then chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
14 Preheat the oven to 200C / gas 6. Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 1 hour and 20–30 minutes until the top is golden and crisp and the middle molten.
15 Serve the pie with mash, peas and extra gravy –although it does have a pretty good built‑in gravy already. •
Edited excerpts and recipe from Good Time Cooking: Show‑stopping Menus For Easy Entertaining by Rosie MacKean (Pavilion Books)
Est. 1992
Take your cookery to the next level
If you want to improve your cookery skills the Ashburton Cookery School is the best place to start. With a range of over 50 cookery courses aimed at home cooks of all levels, you are sure to find a course to enhance your skills and enjoyment of cookery.
Our award-winning courses are taught by experienced chefs using only the best ingredients sourced from local producers.
Master a specific skill such as Knife Skills, Patisserie and Sauces, or learn to cook a favourite cuisine on courses such as Italian, Mexican, French, Indian and Thai. We even have a range of qualifications at our prestiguous Chefs Academy where you can train to cook professionally.
View our full range of courses on our website and see how you can take your cookery and home entertaining to the next level.
Eat the season
Forager's crumble
Going out's lovely and all that but sometimes there's nothing more nourishing for the soul than staying home and eating homemade fruit crumble. For proper autumnal indulgence, make it with foraged blackberries and seasonal garden fruit like plums and apples, and be generous with the amount of butter in the crumbly top. Best served with clotted or whipped cream – we love Trewithen Dairy in Cornwall for flavour – instead of custard. •
Find our forager's crumble recipe at food‑mag.co.uk/crumble
Sacred pleasures
Chunky knits, new boots and a lazy afternoon snuggled up in a coffee shop. What's not to love about autumn?
In Exeter, a fantastic place to lean into the season is Sacred Grounds, the award‑winning vegan cafe in McCoys Arcade. Sit beneath the atrium roof among the plants and indie shops or inside the vibrant cafe.
If the season is all about plenitude, then the bounty of harvest on the plant‑based menu fits the bill. Dishes are mind‑bendingly creative and include the award‑winning tofu “poached eggs” or a bagel lavished with oak‑smoked carrot “lox”, avocado, “cream cheese”, capers, dill and rocket.
As summer slides into autumn, the cafe celebrates the shift by holding events. Owners Nathan and Hayley Maker – who have form in their previous roles as curators of indie art haven and lifestyle store No Guts No Glory – run an autumn fayre with live music, street food, a market and cocktails, as well as regular candlelit long‑table supper clubs.
‘It makes sense to celebrate the wonderful produce through the food we serve but also the creative culture we're immersed in,’ says Hayley.
‘Many of our regulars are artists or designers and we love to support them via our events. Our fayres take place around the dates of the equinox and the solstice. It's the perfect time for people to make changes in their lives, and for artists to be inspired by these changes.’
The space beneath the atrium and the bar are also hired out for private events, book launches, literary festivals and talks.
‘The cafe comes alive in the evening and the atrium roof provides a natural amphitheatre and great acoustics for performers,’ says Hayley.
Don't leave without stocking up on ceramics and table linen, jars of homemade nut butters and bags of coffee beans roasted by Foundation Coffee Roasters in St Ives, to recreate the Sacred Grounds experience at home. • sacredgrounds.co
TRENCHERMAN'S TUTORIAL
Spiceup autumn
Trencherman's Guide chef and spice maestro Anuj Thakur of Tewkesbury Park reveals how to add kick to your autumn cooking
Image: Ed Schofi eld
Leaves crunching underfoot, the vibrant colours of nature, cosy nights by the fire ... autumn is a sensory paradise, and one Anuj Thakur embraces fully.
‘At Tewkesbury Park we love the season's richness with its bounty of fruit and vegetables bursting with flavour. We particularly relish game produce at this time of year, with venison being a personal favourite.
‘This autumn I'm giving a nod to my Indian heritage in dishes that utilise local ingredients. A new venison and autumn squash dish sees the loin marinated in a blend of ground spices, yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, lemon juice and Himalayan salt. It's barbecued and served with tandoori‑marinated roasted squash tortellini, tossed with coriander chutney and complemented by a sweet date puree.’
Inspired? Here are a few of Anuj's suggestions for using spice in inventive ways in autumnal dishes.
Sunday seasoning Inject some adventurous flavour into the Sunday roast by sprinkling roasties with a blend of mild red‑chilli powder, turmeric and curry powder before baking. When they're cooked, toss them in chopped fresh coriander and add a squeeze of fresh lemon. You'll never cook spuds the old way again!
Gravy with gusto Give gravy an autumnal infusion by adding cardamom pods, cloves, star anise and a cinnamon stick, simmering slowly to infuse the gravy with the spices.
Mighty marinade
This quick tandoori marinade is perfect for venison, duck, chicken, lamb or any game meat. Ideally, marinate overnight:
Garam masala 1 tsp
Curry powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Garlic and ginger paste 1 tsp
Lemon juice from one lemon
Greek yogurt 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Try marinating carrots and thick‑cut squash with the same mixture and roasting them alongside the meat.
Can't beet it Root veg like carrots, beetroot, turnips and potatoes pair beautifully with spices – and autumn soups and stews are the ideal playground for flavour experimentation. Add whole spices when using whole veg and ground spices for cut vegetables.
Fragrant rice Make fragrant rice by adding two crushed green cardamom pods, two cloves, a handful of bay leaves and a pinch of salt to the water when cooking. •
tewkesburypark.co.uk
The Trencherman's Guide, chaired by Michael Caines MBE (pictured), has showcased the most exquisite restaurants and dining pubs in the South West since 1992. The 32nd edition, published in September, reveals this year's most special dining finds.
Secure your copy for £9.99 by preordering the 2024 edition at trenchermans-guide.com
Festival of Flavours
Sat 5 - Sun 6 Oct
Celebrate the bounty of autumn and Rosemoor’s heritage apple harvest with a weekend of cookery demonstrations, expert talks, garden tours, live music, a food and craft market and delicious, seasonal meals from the Garden Restaurant.
Entry included with garden admission – members go free. Your visit supports our work as a charity.
from a Michelin kitchen Notes
Michelin‑starred chef Scott Paton of Àclèaf at Boringdon Hall in Plymouth reveals the most exceptional restaurant experience he's ever had
Even the most experienced palate can still be blown away by a new flavour combination, a jaw‑dropping setting or impeccable service. Scott Paton had just such an experience at a restaurant in Denmark. We grilled him for the deets.
Where did you eat this incredible meal?
It was at Jordnær in Copenhagen. The restaurant achieved its first Michelin star just ten months after opening in 2018, followed by a second two years later. Earlier this year it was awarded a third star – an incredible achievement and one that's very well deserved, in my opinion.
Who was behind the pass?
When I visited, chef‑owner Eric Kragh Vildgaard was cooking. His is an extraordinary story: he was a gang enforcer who completely turned his life around after he fell in love – with his wife and with food. Within seven years they'd opened the restaurant and earned the three stars – and with six children in tow.
‘That level of attention to detail makes for a fully immersive experience’
Which element of the meal is lodged most firmly in your memory?
It was all memorable, but if I had to choose one thing it would be the use of caviar. The ways it was paired with different flavours and used in different dishes made me see the ingredient in a whole new light.
What about the service?
The fluidity of the service was impeccable as there were minimal transactional moments. I also liked the beautiful vibe of the dining room and that the chefs came out to present the food.
How have you been inspired by the experience?
Jordnær translates as ‘down to earth’, which is very accurate as the team are masters of restraint and understatement. It inspired me to search for an experience where you notice nothing ... not whether there's too much or too little salt, not the music – because it blends seamlessly – nor whether the temperature is too hot or too cold. That level of attention to detail makes for a fully immersive experience. •
acleaf.co.uk
Harvesting the season
It's that time of year when showstopping ingredients, ripened or fattened by the long days of summer, take centre stage. Head chef Dolton Lodge of Bearslake Inn on Dartmoor shares his favourite seasonal finds
Quick buck
One of our most popular dishes on the Bearslake menu is duo of deer served with Roscoff onion, smoked potato and charred tenderstem. We often source our venison from local hunter Geoff Reynolds, who shoots in Lydford and Halwill.
When roasting venison at home, try not to overcook it. The lean meat of saddle fillet or haunch can dry out easily; serve it on the rare side. Quickly sear the venison in a pan before placing the meat in the centre of the oven, then cook swiftly for maximum flavour.
Moreishly meaty
Monkfish often features on the Bearslake menu at this time of year. This marine bounty is landed in Brixham, then we roast it and pair it with Fowey mussels, lentil dahl, rainbow chard and coconut curry.
When cooking monkfish, treat it like meat. It holds up well to strong flavours and is scrumptious marinated in yogurt and tandoori spices. Simply roast it and then let it rest before serving.
Lucky duck
With its rich meat and crucial layer of fat, duck is a go‑to whenever I want to create a sumptuous autumnal supper. We source it from Creedy Carver in Devon or Beech Ridge Farm in Somerset and serve it with hasselback potatoes, pea puree and chargrilled broccoli lavished with duck jus.
It's easy to cook crisp‑skinned, rosy‑pink duck breast on the hob at home. Make sure you score the skin (not too deeply) and cook in a heavy‑base pan over a medium heat, skin‑side down. Spoon out the fat that's rendered during the cooking and save it to fry the potatoes in later. When the duck breast's skin is golden brown, salt it then turn over and cook for five to ten minutes more.
Golden globes
My favourite autumn vegetable is squash and, in particular, the crown prince variety (pictured). At Bearslake, I often serve its sweet orange flesh with a pumpkin velouté, Quicke's‑cheddar custard and cheddar tuille.
Crown prince is a glorious vegetable to roast at home and is delicious skin‑on, chopped into wedges, sloshed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, chilli flakes, thyme and bashed garlic cloves. The result is a dish with deep flavours to partner just about anything. •
bearslakeinn.com
Chef Dolton Lodge and an autumn dish of roast red‑deer saddle with braised deer boulangère, chargrilled broccoli and port jus
Image: Nick Hook
Image: Martin Bartnicki
Lunch:
theholcombe.com
info@theholcombe.com 01761 232478
Barbecue‑style pomegranate and cardamom lamb with hasselback potatoes
Milly Webster of Cut to the Smoke suggests barbecuing lamb with Middle Eastern flavours for an autumn feast
Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking 4 hours
For the lamb
Leg of lamb 2kg
Head of garlic 1, halved
Olive oil 4 tbsp
Cut to the Smoke
Pomegranate and Cardamom
Seasoning 40–60g
For the hasselback potatoes
New potatoes 1kg
Olive oil
For the sauce
Lamb juices 4 tbsp, retained
Natural greek yogurt 300–400g
Mint a handful, chopped
To serve
Honey
Rocket leaves
Feta cheese
Dried currants
Pomegranate seeds
1 For the lamb: preheat the barbecue to 180C. Cut deep holes and insert the garlic cloves. Rub the lamb with olive oil and seasoning. Place on the barbecue with an open flame and cook for 30 minutes.
2 Transfer the lamb to a large baking tray and double wrap in foil. Reduce the heat to 120C and return the lamb to the barbecue.
3 For the potatoes: cut width‑way slices every 2mm, two‑thirds of the way through each potato. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4 After 3 hours, add the potatoes to the barbecue on a separate baking tray. Continue to cook the lamb and the potatoes for a further hour.
5 Remove the lamb and potatoes and cover with foil. Let the lamb rest for 10 minutes before carving. Retain the juices for the sauce.
6 For the sauce: combine the lamb juices with the yogurt and mint, and season with salt and pepper.
7 To serve: Drizzle the lamb and potatoes with honey. Garnish with rocket leaves, feta cheese, dried currants and pomegranate seeds, and drizzle with the sauce.
cuttothesmoke.co.uk
Drinks
Discover local rums, take a speciality coffee road trip and shake up seasonal cocktails
road trip Speciality coffee
Selena Young, editor of the Indy Coffee Guide series, shares seven speciality coffee spots you should visit this autumn
RADICAL ROASTERS
Bristol
The women‑led crew at this inclusive roastery‑cafe in Easton describe its unique style as ‘Granny's living room meets Irish bar’.
Cups and plates are a mismatch of retro finds, the shutters are decorated with animal‑themed murals and near the bar you'll find the world's first (according to the RR team) speciality coffee vending machine.
Own‑roasted coffee is the house serve, with only the highest quality beans (selected to empower the people who produced them) crafted into insanely delicious espresso and filter drinks. ››
Radical Roasters' illustration and team
Image: Jamie Gray
SUNSHINE AND SNOW
Bideford, Devon
The colourful shopfront of this coffee bar, lifestyle store and events space mirrors the cheerful community vibe within.
Take a seat in the cafe space and you'll be surrounded by customers grabbing a coffee after their yoga class in the studio upstairs, creatives browsing curated homewares and clothing in the lifestyle store, and locals who've popped in to enjoy a speciality brew and an Exploding Bakery cake at a sunny window seat.
Rumour has it there's an evening offering of small plates and natural wines coming soon.
SITU
Penryn, Cornwall
Sham Mulji and Alexa Richardson are the dream team running this coffee shop, eatery and events space.
Drawing on Sham's experience as a Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) trained barista and chef and Alexa's background in events and hospitality, the duo know how to deliver a slick brew‑and‑bites experience.
Coffee is the bread and butter at Situ and there's always a variety of roasts available, including seasonal espresso, rotating single‑origin espresso and a guest African or Indian coffee prepped as batch or hand filter.
Dishes are inspired by Sham's Gujarati‑Ugandan heritage and crafted using Cornish produce, plucked and grown from the surrounding coast and countryside.
COLONNA & SMALL'S
Bath
This multi‑award‑winning coffee shop, founded by three‑time UK Barista Champion Maxwell Colonna‑Dashwood, should be on everyone's bucket list.
For devout coffee followers it's a mecca of rare and interesting beans, while for the uninitiated it's a chance to get closer to understanding the art and science of the speciality coffee movement.
Colonna & Small's was one of the first venues in the South West to serve high‑scoring coffees from indie roasteries, but it now exclusively serves its own house‑roasted Colonna beans –including a freezer menu of limited and highly sought‑after coffees.
What is speciality coffee?
All the cafes in this roundup serve speciality coffee: coffee that's been graded above 80 for quality on a 100-point scale set by the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA).
These beans often come from small farms across the world's coffee growing belt, and are cultivated in select altitudes and climates by farmers who nurture the crops with great attention to detail. Q graders assess these coffees, determining if they make the grade to be classed as speciality.
Once speciality beans land at roasteries in the UK, they're roasted lightly to preserve the specific characteristics fostered by the terroir in which they were grown. Speciality green coffee beans are significantly more expensive to source than regular commodity coffee, so are treated with great care by baristas: grinding, brewing and serving the beans in a way that respects the journey from origin to cup.
THE WHOLE HOG LYME BAY
Lyme Regis, Dorset
Winner of Best Cafe at last year's Food Reader Awards, this tiny takeaway hatch is an institution in Lyme Regis.
The Whole Hog's menu features just three items: speciality coffee, roast‑pork baps and artisan doughnuts. Almost everything is made from scratch onsite each morning.
Arrive early to avoid missing out on a warm glossy bun stuffed with slow‑roasted pork and drizzled with apple sauce (they sell out quickly). Add a Monmouth Coffee flat white and a box of doughnuts – flavours include salted caramel, chocolate, and homemade raspberry jam, alongside seasonal specials –to your order and head to the shore to scoff your haul on the beach.
SOULSHINE
Bridport, Dorset
This Bridport favourite from former River Cottage colleagues Andy Tyrrell and Joel Gostling has raised the gourmet game for cafes in the region.
Almost everything at Soulshine is made in‑house (including the jam, bread and cakes) and the team have a penchant for anything pickled or preserved. The breakfast menu revolves around eggs, sourdough and pancakes, while lunch and dinner focuses on small‑plate dishes crafted from local and seasonal produce.
Single‑origin coffee is also bronzed in‑house, roasted under the moniker Goose & Badger, and served as espresso, pourover, batch filter and cold brew.
Image: Matt Austin
STRONG ADOLFOS
Wadebridge, Cornwall
Since 2013, this indie cafe has been a haven for anyone travelling the Atlantic Highway through Cornwall. However, unlike so many other roadside stops, it's the kind of place you'd actually enjoy breaking a journey.
A long‑term collab with Cornish roastery Origin sees a line‑up of on‑point espresso drinks served in the contemporary space. Its quirky decor references founders John and Mathilda Friström Eldridge's passions for surf and motorcycle culture, while the luscious house bakes are inspired by Mathilda's Scandinavian heritage. For more substantial eats, its extensive cafe menu features the likes of black‑forest pancakes, mexican brioche and kimchi 'shroom toast. •
Discover over 150 exceptional speciality coffee shops, cafes and roasteries in the region in the Indy Coffee Guide England: South No8
Food Lifestyle readers get a 25% discount with code FLCOFFEE at indycoffee.guide
Our new London Indy Coffee Guide is also out now – find it on the website.
in the tumbler Rumble
SUSY ATKINS' TASTING NOTES
IDrinks pro Susy shares her pick of the South West rums
t must be related to the region's seafaring traditions, but the South West – and especially Devon and Cornwall – has been on the rum trend from the beginning. Local distilleries and blenders craft an impressive array of sugarcane spirits, from white rums through to gold, dark and spiced versions. Some are distilled from scratch using molasses as their base while others are created by careful blending of imported spirits. These liquid treasures can all be poured neat for a warming fireside sip or mixed up into fine cocktails.
Rosemullion Distillery Gold Rum (43%)
Pot distilled and aged in oak at the distillery near the Helston River, south Cornwall, this gold rum has bagged multiple international awards. Rounded and mellow with barley sugar, wood spice, cereal and mango notes, it's a sipper. Or try it in a refreshing, punchy Barracuda cocktail.
masterofmalt.com
£35.99/70cl
rosemulliondistillery.com
£18.50/25cl
Morvenna Spiced Rum, The Cornish Distilling Co. (40%)
Made in north Cornwall from molasses twice distilled and diluted with Cornish spring water, this gently spiced rum is smooth and subtle with delicious notes of vanilla, soft brown sugar, sweet spices and mocha. It's cheering on a cold autumn night sipped neat, or add lime juice and ginger beer for a spicy Dark and Stormy.
masterofmalt.com
£31.74/70cl
thewhiskyexchange.com £31.75/70cl
Two Drifters Pure White Rum (40%)
From Two Drifters' carbon‑negative distillery comes this pure‑tasting, vanilla‑tinged white rum with its light twist of white pepper. Very versatile in cocktails, it's made from twice‑distilled 100 per cent cane molasses at the Devon distillery. Perfect in a pink‑grapefruit daiquiri ...
masterofmalt.com
£31.74 spiritskiosk.com £31.95
Hattiers Resolute Navy Strength Rum (54.5%)
A graceful giant among rums, this is expertly blended in south Devon by Hattiers founder Philip Everett‑Lyons, using the fine Caribbean rums he imports. Warming black pepper joins spicy sandalwood from oaky ageing, and the finish is incredibly long and satisfying. Sip it neat – on the rocks – and do try a slice of extra mature cheddar with it.
thewhiskyexchange.com
£52.75/70cl
Harvey Nichols £55/70cl
Image: Thomas Rohde
Bar's open
Shake up the weekend with homemade seasonal cocktails, as designed by some of the South West's most creative drinksmiths
Image: Amber Gudger
Banana Stout
Embrace the darker evenings with lashings of cacao, coffee and rum in this fortifying cocktail from St Michaels Resort in Falmouth
Makes 1
Discarded Banana Peel Rum 20ml
Rosemullion Coffee Rum Liqueur 40ml
Dark cacao liqueur 15ml
Ice cubes
For the stout and banana foam (5‑10 servings)
Mena Dhu Stout 500ml
Sugar syrup 50ml
Discarded Banana Peel Rum 20ml
Xanthan gum ½ tsp
1 For the stout and banana foam: blend the ingredients together. Set aside.
2 Pour the Discarded Banana Peel Rum, Coffee Rum Liqueur and dark cacao liqueur into a tumbler or rocks glass.
3 Add the ice cubes, leaving a quarter of the glass empty for the foam. Stir for 5 seconds.
4 Pour the foam on top and garnish with a banana chip. stmichaelsresort.com
‘This powerfully layered cocktail starts with light aeration and ends with punchy flavours,’ says Dave Ridgeon, head mixologist at St Michaels Resort
Hun
Apple juice, matcha and maraschino lend an autumnal vibe to this sip from Flute Seafood Café & Bar in Bath
Makes 1
Renegade Gin 50ml
Champagne cordial 20ml
Maraschino liqueur 12.5ml
Cloudy apple juice 50ml
Matcha 1 bar spoon
Chilli threads to garnish
1 Put the gin, cordial, liqueur, juice and matcha into a cocktail shaker.
2 Shake until combined then double strain into a Nick & Nora glass.
3 Garnish with chilli threads. ›› flute-bath.com
Mama
Espresso Martini syrup
The coffee pros at Extract Coffee Roasters in Bristol have created an Espresso Martini syrup that delivers the perfect cocktail – time after time
Dark brown sugar 60g
Extract coffee beans 80g, finely ground
Quality vodka 200ml
1 In a saucepan, combine the sugar with 560ml of water. Put the lid on the saucepan and bring the water to the boil over a medium heat.
2 Once boiling, remove the pan from the stove and add the ground coffee, whisking to remove any lumps.
3 Allow the coffee to brew for 1 minute, then strain through a paper filter or muslin to remove the coffee grounds.
4 Transfer the liquid to a sterilised bottle and allow to cool. Once at room temperature, add the vodka, then mix and seal.
5 To create an Espresso Martini, simply shake 120ml of the syrup with ice and strain into a Martini glass.
extractcoffee.co.uk
Image: Joakim Carlstrom
Circus Cocktail
This autumnal concoction from The Dark Horse in Bath weaves Somerset Cider Brandy with notes of blackcurrant and ginger
Makes 1
Somerset Cider Brandy Ice Cider 40ml
Lemon juice 20ml, freshly squeezed
Blackberry and rosemary syrup* 20ml
Harvey's Signature 12yo Sherry 10ml
Fever-Tree Spiced Orange Ginger Ale
Orange 1
*For the syrup
Blackberries 300g
Water 100ml
Sugar 100g
Rosemary 1 sprig
1 For the syrup: bring all of the ingredients to a gentle boil in a pan. Allow to cool before stirring and straining through cheesecloth or muslin. Keep refrigerated.
2 To assemble the cocktail: build the first four ingredients in a highball glass with ice. Stir gently and top with ginger ale. Garnish with an orange slice. • darkhorsebar.co.uk
Creative Cuisine
Embracing the essence of seasonality and celebrating fresh, locally sourced produce, executive chef Anuj Thakur seamlessly blends his Indian heritage with modern British cuisine, curating an exceptional dining experience with his six-course tasting menu.
Travel
The coolest, quirkiest and most fabulous places to visit in the South West
The Old Bell Hotel, Malmesbury (page 72)
to stay Cool places
Time is precious, so weekends deserve to be spent somewhere exceptional. Here's our pick of where to stay this season
The Old Bell Hotel Malmesbury, Wiltshire
Escape modern life at England's oldest hotel. Dating to 1220, The Old Bell Hotel (oldbellhotel.co.uk) near Malmesbury Abbey was refurbished in 2021 to deliver sumptuous and contemporary comfort alongside a charming dose of history.
The Old Bell's owners certainly didn't stint on the refurb and the hotel's glam interiors are rivalled only by the two‑AA‑rosette cooking to be found in its Abbey Row restaurant. Exec chef Daniel Kerr and team craft beautiful dishes using produce from the kitchen gardens of sister property Abbey House Manor, alongside other local and seasonal ingredients. ››
Pier House
Charlestown, Cornwall
Pier House (pierhousehotel. com) reopened this summer following last year's devastating fire. Fully refurbished in smart style, it's now the flagship spot in St Austell Brewery's growing fleet of pubs with rooms.
The listed harbourside building, in the historic village of Charlestown (famed for its tall ships), is well placed for those wanting to immerse themselves in the area's mining and maritime heritage and enjoy a stomp along the South West Coast Path.
Stylish bedrooms – with all mod cons – are keenly priced and paired with a crowd‑pleasing food and drink offering. Muddy boots, sandy toes and soggy paws are all welcome.
Rosilian Hall
Flushing, Cornwall
We spotted this magnificent house while having dinner across the water in Falmouth, and just had to find out who owned it. Turns out it's available to rent for a holiday or mini break. So, if you've a generous budget and 19 friends (and up to three dogs) who you trust to not bust your bliss, the luxurious riverside mansion could be the location of your autumn group getaway.
The magnificent hall is set over four floors, with ten bedrooms and several indoor and outdoor entertaining areas. The best bits, however, are a luscious garden that stretches down to the water and the private beach from which you can explore the area by boat.
In The Times , Mariella Frostrup described Rosilian Hall (cornishgems. com) as ‘ the most perfect place on earth’. 'Nuff said. ››
Image: Elliott White Photography
The Old Coastguard
Mousehole, Cornwall
Mousehole is magical all year round, but the savvy make a beeline for the charming fishing village when the summer swarm has retreated. At the heart of the buzz is The Old Coastguard (oldcoastguardhotel.co.uk) with its 14 comfortable rooms, lovely terrace overlooking the ocean, and Trencherman's‑rated cooking.
Head chef Danny Garland and his team have attracted attention (and plaudits) for The Upper Deck, Sun Deck, Terrace and The Crab Shack, which max on The Old Coastguard's coastal vibe, views and very local (Newlyn is just two miles away) ingredients. Equal expertise is applied to the drinks offering, which sees South West tipples sharing the striking timber bar with an award‑winning wine list.
Thyme
Near Lechlade, Gloucestershire
The concepts of restoration and rejuvenation have been applied to every element of the family‑run village of Thyme (thyme.co.uk) in the Cotswolds. It's evidenced in the 31 rooms in impeccably restored houses and cottages, and the abundant kitchen garden that fuels chef Charlie Hibbert's farm‑to‑fork menus. His culinary talents can be experienced in the Ox Barn restaurant (pictured), The Swan pub and the stunning poolside Orchid House.
Active relaxation is encouraged in the tranquillity of Thyme's Meadow Spa, as well as through art exhibitions, wellness sessions and cookery workshops. Those for whom ‘therapy’ is best preceded by ‘retail’ can treat themselves to a remedy at Thyme's beautiful homeware and fashion store.
Saunton Sands Hotel
Saunton, north Devon
The Art Deco hotel (sauntonsands.co.uk), which presides over three miles of sand and surf friendly waves, has long been a draw in summer but the installation of a fabulous spa has made it a seductive destination for autumn and winter escapes too.
Source Spa won the AA Best UK Spa Award this year for its marine vitality pool, thermal journey experience (incorporating steam, ice and sauna), treatment rooms with sea views and glassed chillout zone. Head to this rooftop sundeck to lounge – post‑spa – and sip herbal tea while watching the sun set over the ocean.
Beach walks, wild swimming, yoga and two‑AA‑rosette cooking add the final touches for complete rejuvenation.
Image: Kevin Nicholson
Food Lifestyle
Travelguides
The Food Lifestyle team do the legwork, hunting out the best places to stay, eat, shop and explore in the South West's most interesting locations.
Read our discerning traveller's guides to Frome, Clifton, Bruton, Lyme Regis, Bath, Sherborne, Exmoor, Ashburton, Wells, Padstow, Bridport and more on the website.
Lilac Restaurant and Wine Bar
Nancarrow Farm
THE INSIDER'S GUIDE
A trip to Cornwall's rural‑cool organic farm should be on your autumn hit list
This isn't the first time we've espoused the virtues of Nancarrow Farm for an idyllic sojourn in Cornwall. We certainly rate the foodie destination near Truro, heck, we've even held the Food Lifestyle Awards there – twice. So forgive us the fangirling, but it would be inconsiderate to our readers not to highlight Nancarrow as a special place to stay this season.
While the farm delivers a sterling experience year‑round, it's in autumn that its rustic appeal skyrockets. The countryside setting blazes with russet hues and, as the temperature dips, the delights of cosying up by a fire, tucking into soul‑nourishing food and sipping wine in a candlelit barn, before spending the night in cosy lodgings, is rather swoonsome.
Decade of development
This year marks two huge milestones in the farm's history: 25 years of being certified organic and ten years since owners Stephen and Lucy Chamberlain welcomed the public to Nancarrow.
Before they flung open the barn doors for foodie experiences, the pair sold their produce via farmer's markets and a roadside honesty stall.
‘We were inspired to diversify by the agritourism we'd seen in France (known as Ferme Auberge) and the farm eateries of Brittany,’ says Stephen.
‘We saw how it could immerse people in farm life and we wanted to recreate that enriching experience here. It's why we've consistently enhanced Nancarrow to better connect people, place and produce through eating experiences, stays on the farm and community events,’ he says.
Over the past decade, Nancarrow has grown from a working organic farm to include a feasting barn, accommodation, micro bakery, butchery, larder and orchards.
More recently, it's introduced educational farm visits for school children, who are taught to join the dots from plot to plate, and learn about looking after the natural environment and the benefits of sustainable food production. Events have included farm tours and crafting salsa verde from handpicked herbs and farm ingredients.
Next year, adults will be brought into the fold as the team launch their Experience Days on the Farm, where people can tour the nature reserves where Red Devon cattle graze, stroll through kitchen gardens, help produce charcoal for the wood fired kitchen, and enjoy lunch or dinner in the beautiful rural environment. ››
Clockwise from left Event at the Farm, bedroom at Nancarrow
Farm‑to‑table fantasy
At the heart of Nancarrow is its wood‑fired kitchen, where head chef Jack Bristow and team use produce grown and reared on the farm to craft unfussy‑yet‑exquisite dishes.
To experience the field to fork menus, guests can make an advance booking at the Thursday night suppers (three course set menus, switched up each week), Friday courtyard lunches and Sunday roasts.
At each of them, it's worth allowing time, pre‑feast, for a seasonal cocktail or local tipple at the outdoor bar. Sitting by the firepit at one of the communal tables festooned with fairy lights is a special experience.
An open kitchen and the laid back vibe of the tastefully renovated Grade II listed feasting barn helps nurture an informal and inclusive atmosphere. Dishes are often served family‑style, so everyone digs in and gets to know each other.
Menus include the likes of ember‑roasted leeks, goat's curd and toasted buckwheat to start; suet pudding with smoked beef chuck and horseradish gremolata for mains; and gorse parfait with hedgerow jam and sorrel for dessert.
Deamy digs
Several barns and buildings have been renovated into country chic accommodation, which can turn a memorable dining experience into a full‑blown gourmet getaway.
Those visiting with a big group should check out the Old Mill which has a communal living space and an open‑plan kitchen, as well as five individually styled en‑suite rooms.
The Old Piggeries feature three rustic en‑suite rooms, while individuals and couples will like The Chicken Shed, tucked away by the salad garden and greenhouse. Three shepherd's huts – handcrafted from reclaimed materials – in the orchard offer further luxurious lodgings. • nancarrowfarm.co.uk
Clockwise from left Kitchen at Nancarrow, autumnal dish, feasting barn, organic farmland
THE SPA INSPECTOR
Homewood
Rosanna Rothery visited Homewood near Bath and found a magical spot delivering thermal rejuvenation with a side of fine feasting
Cheers to the Romans for taking the Greek craze of communal bathing and turning it into a mania for wellness. If Emperor Nero could join us on our visit to Homewood, he might be nonplussed that marble and sculptures have given way to futuristic dining domes and an outsized teddy bear made from faux grass but, hey, this is therapeutic thermae for the selfie generation.
House of eccentricities
It's not just the sweeping lawns and 22‑acre grounds that are full of these delightful surprises either; the gabled Georgian mansion harbours its fair share of quirkiness, too. At first glance, it's a conventionally beautiful country pile but step inside to discover a feast of visual fun. The reception area, for instance, is home to a veritable museum of antique timepieces and carriage‑clocks, while the restaurant has not one but a whole host of chandeliers dangling in a dazzling cluster.
Therapeutic thermae
The let‑your‑hair‑down vibe continues in the spa where water babies get a chance to revel in thermal therapy alfresco, thanks to a recent refurb.
This includes a heated outdoor vitality pool where guests can wallow in warm water as the sun's rays caress their face. With its underwater benches and beds spurting jets of foaming water, it's a paradise for lazy loafers. Braver souls venture into the metal cages that kick out less sedate bubbles. (Warning to whirlpoolers: these get pretty wild.)
This elemental spa experience also includes an outdoor heated swimming pool, ice‑cold‑water bucket experience and a eucalyptus sauna. There's also an invitation to melt away the madness of daily life in the heated indoor whirlpool, sauna and steam room.
After thermal rejuvenation, guests can retreat to sip Champagne and chill in the relaxation room and round‑the‑pool seating areas. These also make superb post‑treatment slouching spots. An hour‑ long GAIA bespoke massage in a little shepherd's hut caused this haggard journalist to almost weep with joy as cemented shoulders were slackened and slid back down from ear level.
Soul food
Those staying at the hotel, on a spa day or a spa break can take advantage of other indulgent routes to wellbeing which include a couple of magical dining options. The glam Olio restaurant is the place to indulge in executive chef Jamie Forman's superb British and Med dishes and generous feasting platters fashioned from garden and local produce.
It's not unusual to spot ‛no‑dig Darren’ (gardener Darren Stephens) in the kitchen garden, tending to produce for dishes in both the restaurant and the feasting domes – where chefs fire up the grill for lantern‑lit, flame‑licked feasts.
The hotel's well‑stocked Valentine's Bar is as good an excuse as any to stay over in one of the 31 rooms (split between the house and Mallingford Mews), which each offer oodles of character, quirky artwork and luxurious touches.
After a sumptuous breakfast in the plant‑laden conservatory with views over rolling Somerset countryside, it's hard to tear oneself away from this oasis of hot pools, decadent treatments, alfresco saunas, enchanting gardens and arty interiors. We'll be back. •
Jo Rees went off the beaten track to wildest Welcombe to stay at the TV property guru's home from home
The kitchen at Meadowgate
Images: Classic Cottages
What?
An opportunity to soak in Kirstie Allsopp's bath, sleep in her bed and ... enough information already.
The Location, Location, Location presenter's holiday home, in a remote part of Devon, was the eponymous star of Kirstie's Homemade Home. The Channel 4 series saw her rescue the dilapidated farmhouse in Welcombe Mouth on the north Devon coast and work with craftspeople to transform it into an inviting abode for the Allsopp clan.
Why?
To step into a Famous Five story. Meadowgate is so delightfully old fashioned it's like visiting Kirrin Island to stay with Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny. All that's missing is Timmy the dog and lashings of ginger beer – and you can get the latter at the nearby pub.
The house is managed by Classic Cottages and sleeps 14 so is a good spot for a group getaway. Four of those beds are bunk beds in a single room, however, which is worth bearing in mind if you're planning a mini break with a group of mates.
The best bedroom in the house is, hands down, the huge master bedroom with its trad freestanding bath next to windows overlooking the valley. That said, all the rooms are comfortable and have sinks, chintzy furniture, eclectic artwork and rural views.
A spacious sitting room and small snug – both with fireplaces ‑ plus a games room (with a huge poster of Kirstie on the wall from an old bus ad campaign) provide plenty of places to hang out with (and get away from) other people.
Nearby
Meadowgate has a huge, well‑equipped kitchen, which acts as the social centre of gravity in the house, so it's easy to eat well without having to travel. However, there are some quality experiences in close proximity at The Farmers Arms in Woolsery, The Old Smithy Inn at Welcombe and The Electric Bakery (for alfresco coffee and snacks) in Bude.
Despite all of its appealing indoor features, the house's coastal setting is one of its biggest attractions; the pebbly beach at Welcombe Mouth is just a five minute walk away, bookended by hilly coastal paths. The beach is wild and quiet for most of the year, and exactly the kind of spot where Julian and Dick would have stumbled upon a cache of smuggled goods at the start of their summer holiday.
Verdict?
Comfy and peaceful, Kirstie's crash pad is a seductive spot where a group of chums can go wild in Devon.
Recommend to friends?
Without doubt. Better still, go with them – just arrive first to bag the master bedroom. • classic.co.uk
We visit the South West's most special places to stay and squeeze every last drop of delight from the experience. This issue, Rosanna Rothery enjoys a room with a bloom at an ancient monastery turned country house hotel
THE FULL WORKS
The Priory
The Priory in Dorset has an astonishing heritage dating, in part, back to 809. It started life as a monastery before becoming a grand private house and then a hotel, so the Grade II*‑listed building is fantastically atmospheric. However, it's a relief to discover that hair shirts, draughty rooms and hermit‑style lodgings (so 11th century, darling) have been ditched in favour of fine dining, super‑king beds, luxury robes and whirlpool baths.
Tripping down a stone‑flagged alley and opening a creaking rustic wooden door is an adventure in itself – who knew a secluded riverside retreat was tucked away in back lanes off Wareham High Street?
Images: Andrew Callaghan
Inside, fascinating remnants of the building's former incarnations are woven into the fabric of the rooms: ancient doorways, flagstones and fireplaces hold the secrets of centuries past. Continuity, charm and character exude throughout, from the savoir faire of the reception staff to the antiques collected by owner Jeremy Merchant (and his father before him).
The four‑acre grounds wow too. Billowing trees, a springy lawn and old stone walls lend secret‑garden appeal. Cottagecore favourites clamber on trellises and walls and vie for attention in hanging baskets and informal beds.
To get the full Garden Of Eden experience, we sit at white tables and chairs on the terrace and enjoy a Gin Sweety (gin with a dash of elderflower cordial and apple juice). Then it's off to the drawing room to quaff more aperitifs, nibble canapés and eye the portraits of long‑gone monks.
Dinner in the green‑oak beamed restaurant deepens the English‑country‑garden romance by bringing the outdoors in: floor‑to‑ceiling windows that open fully in summer add bucolic views and birdsong. In autumn, guests can witness the season's wild beauty while sheltering in comfort.
Inspired by a Loire Valley childhood, head chef Stephan Guinebault's style of cooking complements this (almost) alfresco dining experience. Each dish is elevated when set against a backdrop of dusk slowly descending over a softly‑lit lawn leading to the reedbeds of the River Frome.
Stephen's classical training at both Michelin and Relais & Châteaux restaurants across France is showcased in delicate starters. Garlic and sloe‑gin venison salami, for instance, is paired with the tang of honey‑and‑lime‑infused watermelon and cantaloupe, the bite of roasted rhubarb and the cool velvet of goat's curd with mint.
Mains are equally delicious. The tenderloin and crisp belly of Purbeck pork with hasselback potatoes, roasted rainbow beetroot and stir‑fried hispi cabbage with pancetta are bestowed with the tartness of caramelised apples and the richness of calvados cream.
This dining experience is perfect for special occasions, although those pushing the boat out might opt for the Treat Yourself menu. Delicacies such as Attilus Royal Siberian Caviar with sour cream and buttered toast, and Kimmeridge lobster with thermidor sauce and seasonal veg are rather special.
The puddings that follow are a triumph of traditional country‑house cuisine, and include a hazelnut praline crème brûlée and warm chocolate lava cake.
Coffee and petits fours in front of the fire in the lounge completes the feast and leave us ready to retire to the Boat House, a renovated 16th‑century building next to the riverbank. We're sleeping
in Kingfisher, a gorgeously dramatic room with vaulted high‑beamed ceiling, lounge, balcony, hydrotherapy bath and antique furniture. A sumptuous super‑king bed, complete with curtain canopy for extra cosiness, lets you gaze over the cottage garden while feeling as snug as a dormouse.
Next morning, a generous choice of hot and cold options at breakfast leads to the inevitable eyes‑bigger‑than‑belly scenario. Thankfully, it's followed by a restorative yoga class. ››
Those who fancy cruising around Sandbanks beach in a yacht, or pootling up the River Frome by boat to go snorkelling in Studland Bay, are in luck. In liaison with The Boat Club, the hotel offers personalised boating experiences directly from its private moorings. Owner Jeremy and son Ben treat us to a taster in their private yacht and we glide down the tidal river towards Poole, taking in a patchwork of meadows, salt marshes and reedbeds.
Need to know
Must pack Walking gear to explore the nearby Isle of Purbeck
If you do one thing Get out on the river
Insider tip Hunt out the rose garden and pond in the grounds
Our paradisal stay ends with a “poshnic”, a posh picnic in a garden pod on the riverbank. Forget curling sandwiches; it's a hedonistic hamper that wings its way from Stephan's kitchen. Savouries include chicken liver and foie gras parfait brioche roll, and a scotch egg crafted with Purbeck venison,
The Priory
Church Green, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4ND theprioryhotel.co.uk
pistachio, apricot and truffle, served with gribiche sauce. Sweet touches come in the form of mini exotic fruit tarts and strawberry choux buns.
As we feast on the riverbank, sunlight bathes the flower beds and glistens on the water. Admittedly we don't see a jacketed white rabbit disappearing into a hole in the ground, but butterflies dive and flutter around us, swans drift languidly past and we glimpse the blue flash of a kingfisher. English garden reveries don't get any more idyllic. •
Image: Elliott White
Flavour-forward spice mixes and meat rubs to supercharge your spring barbecues.
instagram @cut to the smoke | cuttothesmoke.co.uk
Landed gentry
The Great Cornish Seafood Weekend celebrates the county's finest fish and its iconic fishing industry from October 26‑27
If asked to list the foods associated with Cornwall, chances are you'd put seafood somewhere near the top. You wouldn't be wrong – or alone –in that assertion. Research from the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation (CFPO) reveals that 60 per cent of visitors cross the Tamar with the specific intention of not only feasting on fish and shellfish, but also meeting the people who catch it and finding out more about their work.
‘More than anywhere else in the UK, in Cornwall tourists “eat the view”,’ says Chris Ranford, chief executive officer of the Newlyn based CFPO. ‘It's all part of the experience.’
The view isn't just one of picturesque fishing village scenes either. ‘We know tourists come to look at working fishing harbours because they speak to the fishermen,’ says Chris. ‛They ask them: “What are you doing? What's in that box? Let me see the colours.” There's a genuine excitement and curiosity about this unique lifestyle.’
Chris says the fishing industry is four times more important to Cornwall than anywhere else in the UK. When visitors buy local Cornish produce, they're supporting a food supply chain that incorporates around 8,000 jobs: from fishermen at sea to those working in the harbours and markets, as well as the chefs cooking the catch.
Being on holiday is always a good opportunity to push the boat out and try something different. Chris recommends trying a couple of species that are abundant, seasonal and have been rebranded to reflect their connection and importance to home waters.
Cornish king crab was once known as the less appetising sounding spider crab. Chris says: ‘Historically, the name put people off, yet once they've tried it many people prefer its sweeter taste. We're trying to encourage more restaurants and cafes to put it on the menu.’ Slowly savour a plate of king crab with a bottle of chilled white at a table with sea views and you've got slow food at its finest.
Alternatively, try megrim sole – AKA Cornish sole – a flat fish that's a year round staple. It's traditionally been exported (the Spanish love it) and is similar to dover sole. Yet it's much more affordable and its stocks are healthy, so it's also an eco friendly choice.
If you're up for cooking seafood at home or in a holiday cottage, it's worth knowing that it's possible to buy direct from fishermen. Visit the Seafood Cornwall website for advance information.
‘There's no better experience than going down to the quay and buying fish from the person who caught it,’ says Chris. ‘You'll be charged a fair price, learn the provenance and be advised on how to cook it. The fishermen aren't just hunter gatherers – they're also pretty savvy with a kitchen knife.’
You don't have to be by the sea to join in the fun. In October, Truro's Great Cornish Food Store will host The Great Cornish Seafood Weekend.
This celebration of the county's fishing industry will include street food, cookery demonstrations, an oyster and fizz bar, sea shanties and children's activities such as fishy face painting and mobile rock pooling.
‘We found that when we asked people what food they most associated with Cornwall, more stated seafood than pasties or cream teas,’ says Ruth Huxley, director of the Great Cornish Food Store.
‘That's why we want to shine a light on this important industry. I'm really looking forward to introducing people to the huge variety of fish available from our waters and the people who make it all possible.’
The Great Cornish Seafood Weekend takes place from October 26 27 at the Great Cornish Food Store in Truro (next to Waitrose). • greatcornishfood.co.uk
Win lunch or dinner for two at The Godolphin
The Godolphin's position, with its toes in the sand opposite St Michael's Mount, is exceptional. Its position as a finalist in the 2024 Trencherman's Awards is just as impressive: both irrefutable reasons to visit this autumn.
Relaxing guestrooms at the intimate hotel balance beachside comfort with a dash of Georgian glamour. Over half overlook the seascape of Mount's Bay, while a Salty Paws room upgrade is available to those travelling with dogs.
Bracing walks and salty swims are best chased by feelgood food. Those in search of sustenance are well served by the hotel's sea‑view Shutters restaurant. Headed up by exec chef Ben Cox, it delivers a seasonal menu that crafts ingredients from the coast and countryside into small plates and classic dishes. In good weather, head to the terrace to sample Craby's Beach Bar barbecue. Just up the hill is sister eatery the Fire Engine pub in Marazion, which is a find for trad pub food, small plates and pizza.
PRIZE A small‑plates lunch or dinner for two (three small plates and a side per person) at Shutters, plus a round of cocktails. Worth £90.
QUESTION Which famous coastal landmark does The Godolphin face? thegodolphin.com
To enter, visit food‑mag.co.uk/win
See the website for individual terms and conditions. Closing date for entries is October 8, 2024.
Win a two-night stay at St Michaels Resort
With its fabulous position close to Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth, it could be argued that St Michaels Resort is best visited in summer, but an autumn escape to this luxury spa hotel is every bit as enchanting. There's an array of room types in which to hunker down, including beach apartments and spa lodges, all of which emanate coastal charm.
St Michaels is on the doorstep of Falmouth's excellent restaurants, galleries and independent stores, but there's also plenty to do – and eat – at the resort itself. So, if the weather is wild, batten down the hatches, stay put and indulge.
Excess energy can be burnt off in the superbly equipped health club, or tease out tension in the sanctuary of the spa with its huge hydrotherapy pool. Then dive into Cornwall's finest produce at the resort's restaurants: the casual Nourish and AA rosette awarded Brasserie on the Bay.
PRIZE A two night stay at St Michaels Resort, to be taken between October 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025 (excluding December 23 to January 1 and February 12 16).
The prize includes two nights in a luxury king bedroom – with breakfast – plus a three course dinner for two at Brasserie on the Bay on the first evening and a two course lunch for two in Nourish on the second day. The lucky winners will also get a two hour Hydrothermal Experience in the spa, and ‘Swim and Gym’ access to St Michaels Health Club. Worth £1,000.
QUESTION: Which Falmouth beach is close to St Michaels Resort?
stmichaelsresort.com
To enter, visit food‑mag.co.uk/win
See the website for individual terms and conditions. Closing date for entries is October 8, 2024.
Food Lifestyledirectory
The Cellarhand
Independent wine shop and wholesaler in Bruton, Somerset, stocking a carefully sourced selection of wines from around the world. Let the knowledgeable team guide you to wines that suit your tastes. Mixed‑case discounts in‑store and free next‑day delivery when you spend £125 online.
thecellarhand.co.uk
Cornish Sea Salt Co
Hand‑harvested from Grade A Atlantic waters off the Cornish coast, this delicious salt contains the rich zesty punch of over 60 natural sea minerals, lending versatility and creativity to cooking.
cornishseasalt.co.uk
Drinks Kitchen
These award‑winning aperitifs are a fabulous non‑alcoholic alternative to a glass of fizz or a G&T. Crafted in Somerset from botanical distillates and extracts, they deliver complex and innovative flavour notes. Curations include Spiced Rhubarb, Orange Cinchona, Herb Verde and Grapefruit Piquante.
The aperitif is concentrated and perfect mixed with tonic, sparkling water or even used as a mocktail ingredient. Ditch the FOMO; Drinks Kitchen has autumn sips sorted – without the alcohol. drinkskitchen.online
Powderkeg Brewery
Devon's original craft brewery creates outstandingly fresh and interesting beers. Flavour‑packed easy‑drinking session beers, like flagship pale Speak Easy, share cellar space with award‑ winning lagers Harmony and Cut Loose, as well as game‑changing low‑alcohol IPA Green Light.
powderkegbeer.co.uk
The Queen's Arms
At this lovely dining pub on the Dorset/Somerset border, the focus is on exceptional food – from pub classics to elevated dishes – made from locally sourced ingredients. This is bolstered by a wide selection of drinks and ten luxurious guestrooms. Dogs and muddy boots encouraged!
thequeensarms.com
Image: Matt Austin
The Rising Sun
This vibrant and award‑winning gastropub is located just outside the hubbub of the Cornish capital city of Truro. Expect charming rural pub vibes, an impressive drinks selection and an elegant dining experience.
therisingsuntruro.co.uk
Flory Restaurant
This elegant and welcoming restaurant in Bodmin is set across three floors and serves European‑inspired dishes which utilise quality Cornish ingredients. Open for brunch, lunch, dinner and Sunday lunches. Parking in Priory Car Park.
floryrestaurant.co.uk
The Grey Lurcher
Browse luxury homewares and contemporary gifts at this Falmouth store. The shop stocks Annie Sloan chalk paint, luxury home fragrances from Illumens Candles, jewellery, greetings cards, French soap and other quality items. greylurcherfalmouth.com
Marshford Organic Foods
Visit Marshford's farm shop in Northam, north Devon, for a fabulous array of fresh organic veggies, salads and herbs (many of which are homegrown).
Local fish, meat, eggs, bread, dairy products (including a selection of interesting cheeses) and a wide variety of groceries (all environmentally friendly and organic) are also available from the store, while veg boxes and produce can be delivered.
Visit the shop or order online for collection and local deliveries. marshford.co.uk
The Fish Shed St Ives
Fresh, local and sustainable seafood on the beach in St Ives, Cornwall. The Fish Shed St Ives offers contemporary, bold and inventive food flavours with a unique cocktail menu and wine list to match. thefishshedstives.co.uk
Black Bee Honey
Black Bee Honey is a beekeeper collective producing delicious local honeys you can trust. The beekeeper and hive location are stamped on every jar, and 2 per cent of the company's turnover is used to create bee‑friendly wildflower meadows. blackbeehoney.com
Email claire@saltmedia.co.uk
Stockists
These are just a few of the exceptional places you can pick up a copy of Food Lifestyle. Find the full list at food‑mag.co.uk
