Food and Drink in Cornwall

Cornwall is famous as the home of the Cornish Pasty and of Clotted Cream and Scones but these foods traditionally associated with Cornwall are just the tip of a very large iceberg.  Cornwall offers a  wide range of cuisines with a complete cross section of restaurants to suit every taste and every budget.

Cornish pubs with their homemade specialities; cafe-bars; pizzerias, fine restaurants;  and what nicer than sitting on a cliff with a spectacular view eating traditional fish and chips, not just any fish but something which was landed that morning and which has the taste to prove it.

Surrounded by the sea Cornwall is of course noted for its fresh seafood.  At Newlyn near Penzance there is a large fish market with a huge variety of seafood. There are many excellent fish restaurants throughout Cornwall.  

Cornwall has been associated with pilchard fishing ( known locally as seining) since the 18th Century and although this industry is now know longer as prominent as in former times, pilchards  landed at Newlyn are salted and can be bought direct from the Pilchard Works in the town.  The Pilchard Works is the only such establishment working in Britain today.  The majority of  pilchards salted here are exported to Italy.

Local crab is a popular choice in many Cornish restaurants. Succulent mussels from the Fowey River, cooked in wine and garlic sauce are another great favourite.

Treat yourself to a fresh lobster salad or oysters dredged from the River Fal and if you like the idea of trying one of the  traditional Cornish fish dishes which can be found in some restaurants, look out for Star Gazy Pie, so named because the fish stare skywards from the pastry crust in which they are baked.

Throughout the year Cornwall hosts a number of festivals celebrating its food and drink including  towns such as Newlyn, Porthleven, Falmouth, Redruth and Truro.  Some celebrate a particular harvest such as the Falmouth Oyster Festival which takes place every year in October.

Speciality shops, many of which are farm based, offer oak smoked seafood, hams, turkey and a variety of other meats, many of which are organically reared.

Many local farmers produce organically grown fruit and vegetables.  Pubs, restaurants and cafes offer vegetarian and vegan dishes made from locally sourced produce.

 

World renowned chefs have located themselves in Cornwall to  be close to the abundance of quality fresh local produce.

Tea, from a species of the Camellia plant (Camellia sinensis), is not something you would normally associate with Cornwall but tucked away on an estate near Cornwall's south coast, black and green tea is produced from the only British grown tea plants. 

Cornish Tea

Raw, unheated and unfiltered honey is produced by bees whose hives are located in wildflower habitats in Cornwall's beautiful rural landscape.

Mead, the honeymoon drink, is the favoured beverage in a number of Meaderies throughout Cornwall.  A variety of local wines including a large range of traditional fruit wines such as elderberry, strawberry and blackberry are also available. Cider is of course another local product and it is possible to visit some cider farms to see it made and to sample the finished product.

For those of you with a sweet tooth, Cornwall offers saffron buns, heavy cake, Cornish cookies and the delight of  freshly baked scones covered with jam and delicious Cornish clotted cream.

Cornwall's dairy products, from its fresh milk and butter to its clotted cream and ice cream produced on local farms gives you a quality and a taste which you'll find difficult to match.  Several farms throughout Cornwall now produce their own artisan, deluxe ranges of ice cream and on some farms you can even meet the cows and watch them being milked before their fresh, creamy milk is combined with stunning ingredients before being available for you to buy straight from the farm.

Look out for locally produced cheeses:  Cornish Yarg; Old Smokey; Cornish Blue; Cornish Camembert; Cornish Brie; Cornish Tiskey and the well named Little Stinky.

Cornish Cheese

Cornish Pasties, famous as the daily lunch for Cornish miners, traditionally made with beef, turnip and potato,  are now available with a diverse variety of fillings including lamb, pork, cheese and vegetables. Local bakeries produce their own combinations of fillings so it is worthwhile trying a few during your visit and some bakeries even offer the option to buy a box of Cornish Pasties!

Cornwall is  also home to cuisines from around the world with Thai, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Greek, Spanish, French, Mexican and other speciality restaurants.

So, don't worry, whether your taste is for a mouthwatering local speciality or you can't live without your fast food burger and fries, Cornwall will cater to your culinary needs.

Are you feeling hungry yet ?

Got a taste for Cornish produce and want to buy it when you're at home?
We feature a range of products to buy online including biscuits, Cornish tea, cheeses, sea salt, fudge and hampers full of Cornish products.

For local produce straight from the farm visit one of Cornwall's regular Farmers Markets.

 

 

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Food and Drink in Cornish

Apple
Aval

Banana
Banana

Beer
Korev

Biscuit
Tesen gales

Bread
Bara

Cabbage
Kowl

Cake
Tesen

Carrots
Karetys

Cheese
Keus

Chocolate
Choklet

Cider
Sider

Coffee
Koffi

Crisps
Kresigow

Fish and Chips
Pysk hag asklos

Food
Boos

Hot chocolate
Choklet tomm

Ice cream
Dehen rew

Mackerel
Brithel

Onion
Onyon

Orange
Owraval

Orange juice
Sugan owraval

Pasty
Pasti

Plum
Ploumen

Potatoes
Patatys

Red wine
Gwin rudh

Sausage
Selsik

Strawberries
Sevi

Tea
Te

Tomato
Aval-kerensa

Water
Dowr

Whisky
Dowr tomm alban

White wine
Gwin gwynn





Food and Drink Phrases in Cornish

Are you thirsty?
Eus syhes dhis?

Yes/No
Eus/Nag eus

What would you like to drink?
Pandr'a vyn'ta eva?

Tea please
Te mar pleg

With/Without milk
Gans/Heb leth

With/Without sugar
Gans/Heb sugra

Black coffee please
Koffi du mar pleg

White coffee please
Koffi gwynn mar pleg

Hot chocolate please
Choklet tomm mar pleg

Thanks
Meur ras

 

 

Find accommodation in Cornwall

Cornwall holiday accommodation directory search for hotels, holiday cottages, B&Bs, camp sites, self catering.  All areas Advent Altarnun Ashton Blisland Bodmin Bodmin Moor Area Boscastle Botallack Breage Bude Cadgwith Camborne Camelford Cape Cornwall Carbis Bay Cardinham Carlyon Bay Cawsand and Kingsand Chacewater Chapel Porth Charlestown Constantine Cot Valley Crackington Haven Crantock Delabole Devoran Falmouth Fowey Germoe Gerrans Grampound Gulval Gunwalloe Gwennap Gwithian Harlyn Bay Hayle Helford Helford River Helston Holywell Bay Isles of Scilly Kennack Sands Kilkhampton Kingsand and Cawsand Lamorna Land's End Land's End Peninsula Launceston Lelant Liskeard Lizard Lizard Peninsula Looe Looe and South East Cornwall Lostwithiel Madron Malpas Manaccan Marazion Mawgan Mawnan and Mawnan Smith Mevagissey Minions Morvah Morwenstow Mount's Bay Mousehole Mullion Mylor Newlyn Newquay Newquay - Padstow Area Padstow Paul Penberth Pendeen Penryn Penzance Perranporth Perranuthnoe Polperro Polruan Port Isaac Porthcurno Porthgwarra Porthleven Porthtowan Portreath Portscatho Portwrinkle Praa Sands Probus Redruth Redruth - St Agnes Area Rosudgeon Saltash Sancreed Sennen St Agnes St Anthony Head St Austell St Austell - Fowey Area St Breward St Buryan St Cleer St Columb Major St Dennis St Erth St Ervan St Germans St Ives St Just in Penwith St Just in Roseland St Martin's Isles of Scilly St Mawes St Mawgan St Neot Stithians Stratton Tintagel Tintagel and North Cornwall Torpoint Towednack Trevone Treyarnon Bay Truro Truro - Falmouth Area Tywardreath Wadebridge Watergate Bay Whitsand Bay Widemouth Bay Zennor All accommodation types Hostels, Surf Lodges B&B / Guest Houses Caravan Parks Cottage Collections Farm Holidays Cottages, Self Catering Holiday Parks Hotels Inn, Pub accommodation Properties to Rent Campsites & Touring Parks    Extra Options   Baby care equipment Bar/Licensed Beach within walking distance Bike Hire Available Biker Friendly Child discount available Childrens facilities Conference venue Cots Provided Countryside/Rural Disabled access Electric Vehicle Charging Point Electric hook-ups Family and children Games room Gardens Green / Eco friendly Group friendly Gym facilities Hen/Stag Friendly Hot Tub Laundry Facilities Linen Provided Live entertainment Long Let / to rent Open all year Parking Pets welcome Restaurant/Cafe Sea views Shop Smokers welcome Spa Sports facilities Swimming pool Wedding venue Weekend/short breaks Wi-fi/Internet Access Woodburner / Open Fire

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St Ives Beer Festival
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Maps of Cornwall :

The Ordnance Survey publishes the Explorer series of maps which are ideal for walkers.

Scale 1 : 25 000
2.5 inches to 1 mile /
4cm to 1km.

Available in local bookshops or click on the links below to order online.

Those covering Cornwall:

For more information: www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk