Cornwall, Recipes, Stories, Places to visit, Food and Drink, History, Photography,
Apologies for the radio silence! I am very busy with my photographic career. I thought my readers may be interested in some images I recently took of Falmouth fisherman, Les Angell on my professional photography website blog! A lovely man to spend the morning with.
http://www.marklordphotography.co.uk/2016/11/13/the-story-of-an-oysterman/
We are delighted to be celebrating our first year wedding anniversary tomorrow and I though it was about time to put some of our honeymoon pictures on one of our blogs! So if you head over to www.acornishcoastalwedding.com (our wedding blog) you will see them.
Go grab yourself a cuppa tea and a piece of Saffron cake and enjoy the pictures!
M&B
Just a little bit of fun on this February afternoon. I (a Cornishman) have just driven into central Oxford and bought one thing…… a Cornish pasty. It was not my intention but there I was ambling down the street and all I could smell was pasties coming from a Cornish Bakehouse shop. Ansom Waz! So I bought a giant (wasn’t that big compared to me mothers) steak (yes STEAK) traditional Cornish Pasty. I had to lock it in the boot of the car to keep the smell at bay.
Still, it was proper tasty! Certainly one of the best I’ve had north of the Tamar and highly recommended.
Where ‘s your favourite pasty from north of the Tamar? Please answer below.
With a recent visit to Cornwall planned to see my parents they thought it would be nice to take us out for a Sunday roast. All we had to do was suggest somewhere to go? I jumped on the computer and typed in ‘Best Roast in Falmouth’ and at the top of the Google results was a review which rated The Waymarker between Falmouth and Gweek highly. Trip Advisor has a few reviews on The Waymarker and upon reading them I thought it was definitely worth a go.
So, after a quick call to Mum and Dad who said ‘Oh yes that’s Paul Mann’s relative who runs it – we’ve passed it by but never been in there. Shall we give it a go?’
After a quick email it was all booked up for 1pm Sunday. Well, what a Cornish Gem – The Waymarker is a timber frame construction built in a tranquil old granite quarry at Trewardreva, Constantine. With beautiful countryside surrounding the building and plenty of outside seating I imagine it would be a great place to stop off to relax on a warm and sunny day. We opted for the more civilised indoor seating arrangement as we were having a cooked meal. After hearing the rave reviews online we decided to all go for the roast beef.
Whilst we waited for the meal my parents had a couple of shandies and Becky and I thought we could try some local beverages. Becky went for an Elderflower Presse made in Duloe by Cornish Orchards while I went for a more alcoholic option of a real ale. Lizard Ales of Coverack, on the Lizard peninsula brew half a dozen different ales in an old nuclear bunker and I opted for the classically named Kernow Gold. A cracking light and refreshing ale suitable for lunchtime drinking.
With the drinks going down well, it was not long before our meals arrived. Wow, they looked mouth-watering! It transpires that Rhiannon who runs The Waymarker is a farmer’s daughter. That combination of farmers daughter and cooking will usually result in a hearty meal especially when roast Beef and fresh veg is concerned! It was a really great meal, friendly service and an idyllic location. So if you are in the area, its well worth trying this little gem tucked away off the beaten track between Falmouth and Gweek.
After that delicious meal we had to try to walk some of it off so headed for the Penrose Estate to walk down to Loe Bar via Loe Pool.
Loe Pool is a fresh water lake located on the Penrose Estate with a shingle bank separating it from the sea. Measuring 50 Hectares (500,000 sq metres) it’s quite a large lake that we later realised.
Becky and I headed off as my parents wanted to take a more leisurely stroll and not walk all the way to the sea. It’s a ride I have done on my bike before but never on foot – Dad did say its a ‘Hell of a walk’ – He was right! After a 40 minute walk we realised just how much further we would have to walk around Loe pool before then turning around and walking all the way back. Not wanting to keep Mum and Dad waiting too long we turned around and headed back with the idea of driving to Loe Bar car park and walking along the clifftop to see the bar, the pool and the sea.
The scenery around the pool, the bar and the south Cornish coastline is just stunning. The clear blue skies and the fresh vegetation were just glorious. Its well worth a walk for the able-bodied person, next time we will plan to take all day to do the walk and take a lunch with us to have on the beach (bar).
A word of warning. Do not attempt to go into the sea on Loe Bar, there are very dangerous under currents here coupled with the steep shingle bank which acts like quicksand so do not even consider stepping foot in the water. Several lives have been lost along this stretch of coastline. So be safe and keep out of the water! The dangerous swimming conditions and remoteness keep this beautiful beach off the bucket & spade brigades go to lists – excellent. Check out how quiet it is on a Sunday afternoon!
Here are some of my favourite pictures taken that day
We finally got back to Falmouth, where we went up to Pendennis Point to admire the view…… and have a Mr Whippy too!
People are up in arms on the south side of the Tamar as those in charge of the country namely the The Chancellor of the Exchequer in his 2012 Budget has announced that VAT will be added to hot food. This means the Cornish Pasty will incur an additional 20% VAT to its price. This increase will dramatically damage the Cornish economy and could potentially damage employment in Cornwall too.
Boo… Mr Osborne, surely Mr Cameron is not happy with this decision for all the holidays he has in the county! Another 40p on top of a £2 pasty, whatever next? 5p if you want it in a bag!
The pasty is a staple diet for the Cornish and a popular attraction for visitors. Pasties are expensive enough as they are without putting the cost of them up.
Well, followers of My Saffron Bun please have your say and sign the e-petition on the HM Government website here.
Mother's pasties - you will not be putting VAT on these beauties Mr Osborne!
A quick review of the The Fisherman’s Apprentice
Marine biologist Monty Halls is down in Cadgwith working in one of the toughest professions in the country , fishing. With fish stocks depleting and various quotas put on the fishermen, fishing is a dying trade and is getting harder and harder to make a living. With fishing being taken over by the big trawlers and their nets trawling the sea beds the fishermen of Cadgwith are still fishing in the traditional way with small boats using lines, small nets and pots to catch their wares. Monty is being taught by local fisherman Nigel Legge a seasoned Cornish fisherman who has fished from Cadgwith all his life. Monty has been lent Nigel’s boat Razorbill and is left to go to sea with his pots to catch crab and lobsters. On his 3rd day in Cadgwith and on his first trip Monty caught just 5kg of crabs, whilst on a good day a fisherman could catch 500kg. Monty’s 4th day in the fishing cove and the weather is too bad to go out so he catches up with Tonks one of the local fishermen working in his workshop. The fishermen may find themselves shorebound for up to four months a year due to bad weather, however that’s the way it is which they accept and gives the fish stock time to breed.
The following day Monty brings in 16kg of crab, just enough to be sold to the fish trader who collects their catches. With a smile on his face Monty has to prepare for a day out with Tonks on a larger boat to do some larger scale fishing. Half a tonne of crab from hundreds of pots and a hard day at sea the crew return. Monty decides it’s not for him and he would rather try and catch the more lucrative lobster further inshore, so he head out in Razoebill to sets his pots and leaves them for a day or two. Next day, with little rest Monty’s out with another local chap Danny; out with the big boys catching real fish, the Monkfish. After a few hours and I can only empathise with Monty, he is spewing up over board and useless to the skipper. With a boat getting filled up with top quality ‘Monk’ Danny would not turning back. Monty’s day got worse when he became unconscious and started choking on his sick, we’ve all been there! 😮 Five and a half hours later and with a green crew man the boat returns. Monty, delighted to be back on dry land and ready to get out on his little boat the next day to check his lobster pots. With a good catch under his belt he at last feels like a proper fisherman having made a decent wage from the sale of his lobster.
Another great programme of lovely Cadgwith showing the difficult lives of the Cornish fisherman. With another 4 episodes on Wednesdays 8pm make sure you don’t miss out on this eye opening series.
Missed it? Catch it here on BBC iPlayer
And the big question is where is Rueben?
Today, the 5th March is St Piran’s Day, the patron saint of tin miners.
It is said that St Piran was of Irish origin, and arrived in Cornwall in the 6th Century. Fast forward 15 Centuries and Cornwall’s favourite saint is still being celebrated by the patriotic Cornish.
The boy’s name ‘Peran’ is Cornish for Piran and many a young lad in Cornwall has to explain the origins of his name to his upcountry friends.
Here a short list of some of the events that take place around the county courtesy of Wikipedia
Bodmin – A parade through the streets with Cornish pipers and a children’s dance. Speeches by various notables, including the town mayor, Lord Lieutenant, and Grand Bard of Cornwall, followed by children’s performances of Cornish plays and songs. 400 people attended the parade in 2009.
Bude – a St Piran’s day walk led by a piper and attended by hundreds of people annually.
Camborne – singing with Cadgwith Singers at Camborne Rugby Club.
Falmouth – A parade through the town. Shop window competition.
Launceston – Piping the Flag at Launceston Castle, followed by a procession through the town ending at the West Gate.
Marazion – Procession led by mayor and mace-bearers through the streets, a short ceremony with food and entertainment afterwards.
Newquay – St Piran’s Feast.
Penzance – Annual performance of St Piran Furry dance and procession through the streets by 500 children. Annual St Piran Schools Concert.
Perranarworthal – St Pirantide celebrations at the Norway Inn. Cornish Evensong.
Perranporth – St Piran is welcomed from the sea. A processional play is enacted across the sand dunes to St Piran’s oratory and then to the ruins of his church, attended by over 1000 people annually.
Porthleven – Raising the Flag ceremony with the Old Cornwall Society. Cornish dancing by three local schools.
Redruth – First held in 2011 and billed as the biggest St Piran’s celebration in Cornwall. In 2011 it included entertainments in the town centre before a parade to the rugby club where there was a market and fairground rides, with a rugby match. During the evening there were various live music events at venues across the town. Over 2000 people attended the rugby club events while hundreds more attended events in the town. 2012 will see three separate marches from different parts of the town converge as one giant procession at the miner’s statue before heading to the rugby club.
Rock – Homecomers celebrate St Piran
Roche – St Pirantide celebrations, Victory Hall.
St Issey – Cornish music and singing.
St Ives – Procession through the streets.
Truro – Procession through the streets with speeches outside the cathedral which has a St Piran themed lunch menu in its cafe, and a Cornish folk music session afterwards. Hundreds of people attend the parade annually.
and out of the county you will find celebrations in…
London – Kernow in the City, annual live music event at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Daytime activities include a showcase of Cornish film, a Cornish language workshop, and Cornish food and drink
USA – St Piran’s day is also celebrated annually in Grass Valley, California to honour the Cornish miners who participated in the area’s mining history beginning in the mid 19th century.
Oxfordshire – We have our own celebrations tonight with home-made pasties a la Becky and a couple of Tribute ales.
Diet resumes on Tuesday! If you would like to find out how to make a pasty by a seasoned pro then you must check out my mum making a pasty here
Her pasty making demonstration is up to nearly 1000 hits and she’s loving her global sucess. So please spread the word on St Pirans day and lets getting the nation making pasties tonight.
So raise that St Piran’s Flag on your flagpole today and be proud of your Cornish roots!
Do you ever feel like popping in somewhere warm and welcoming on such a grey and miserable day like today? Well, should you ever find yourself in Penryn you should be sure to make a visit to Miss Peapod’s at Jubilee Wharf.
Bright flowers on a retro table will soon cheer you up!
Jubilee Wharf is an award winning development with a mixture of housing, workshops, offices and a children’s nursery. Community creation & revitalisation – a hub for craft makers, quality childcare onsite from Jumblies Nursery, health & fitness classes and the café for socialising. It was built on what was the old coal merchants but has extremely green credentials, they have just installed photovoltaic panels and there are 4 x wind turbines on the distinctive shaped roof.
To Drink?
We have only been to Miss Peapod’s for coffee but have plans to go back and eat next time!
They make their own pasta and bread and exploit all the seafood brought to them from a local fisherman. Expect specials like crab ravioli and fresh sardines, king prawns grilled in caper, chilli and parsley butter or for people with more simple tastes there are homemade burgers with chips and toasted ciabattas with fillings such as roasted seasonal vegetables and homemade butter bean hummous.
They seem to have regular event evenings and they were busy planning one when we were there. This weekend they have the wonderful Megan Henwood who was BBC Young Folk Award Winner who, ironically I photographed all the way up here at a garden party in Henley on Thames a few years ago. Have a look at the website for more details www.misspeapod.co.uk
Origin please!
You may notice from the photos that the coffee at Miss Peadpod’s is Origin. Did you know that Origin is a Cornish company? I didn’t!
Well, tonight we were thrilled to happen upon a programme set in Cornwall; Alex Polizzi – The Fixer. The premise of the programme is Alex’s one woman campaign to rescue local family businesses. You may have seen her on The Hotel Inspector and she is part of the famous hoteliers the Forte family. Her Mother owns the fabulous Hotel Tresanton in St Mawes on the South Cornwall coast. Something I didn’t know until this programme is that she owns her own wholesale bakery who supply to Selfridges & Fortum & Mason amongst many top restaurants. So she has a great background which has given her the experience needed to help Choughs Bakery in Padstow – business and bread!
A great programme which really shows the benefits and perhaps the pitfalls of working with your family. Alex worked with the Eade family who have been running a bakery on the harbour at Padstow for the last 30 years. The shop had a new look and she helped them diversify to help them through the lean winter months. Something I’m sure a lot of Cornish businesses have problems with. People shouldn’t only view Cornwall as a summer destination, there’s nothing better than a walk on a Cornish beach when the winds blowing a hooley with a pasty in your hand.
This programme offered a great glimpse of lovely Cornwall while we’re up in Oxfordshire in the snow. There was also an all too brief view of our favourite Yarnigoats (Men from Port Issac) The Fisherman’s Friends who made the perilous journey from Port Isaac to Padstow to sing for the Town Crows (people from Padstow) at the ‘Celebration of the Cornish Pasty’ Do you think they may have been paid in pasties?
One of their new ideas is pasties by post. If you fancy a taste of the home county shipped to your door or even a Valentines pasty check out their website here The Chough Bakery or if you fancy trying to make one yourself check out Mark’s Mum on You Tube
If you missed this programme you may want to watch it on BBC IPlayer here Alex Polizzi – The Fixer – Episode 2 The Chough Bakery It’s definitely worth a look if only for their secret pasty ingredient…..Cornish Clotted Cream!! I love the way recipes get handed down in families. Apparently their grandmother made her own clotted cream and always added a dollop to the veg and meat in her pasties.
Also, if you want any more news on the lovely Fisherman’s Friends check out their website here Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends They’re going on tour!!
My Saffron Bun 