02.09.03
New kitchen at Hell's Mouth

An already successful family-run business at Cornwall's Hell's Mouth Café is expanding further to offer visitors a greater range of local food and drink thanks to investment of £4,000 from Objective One project Cornish Food and Drink Partnership Scheme.

Adjacent to the local Hell's Mouth beauty spot on a dramatic section of cliffs overlooking St Ives Bay and towards Godrevy Lighthouse, a café was first set up on the site in the 1930s.

More recently in 1982, the café was revived and modernised under a farm diversification project by owners Colin and Jennifer Trezise to support their nearby Carlean Farm, but it now provides them with one of their main sources of income.

The investment has now helped the Trezises to purchase several new major items of kitchen equipment that will allow the café to move from its current 'quick snack' image towards being able to serve a wider menu with a good range of cooked meals.

Equipment worth some £9,000 includes a new fan assisted oven, a refrigerated display unit, full extractor canopy, various stainless steel tables, a table top fryer, water boiler, griddle, and dishwasher.

Open from Easter to October each year and providing 30 covers for customers, the café is already renowned for its ice cream, drinks, cakes and biscuits, toasted sandwiches and traditional cream teas, plus facilities for the disabled including easy access and toilets.

Under the grant project coordinated by Cornish chartered accountants Bishop Fleming, the café will now provide more cooked 'sit-down' meals for visitors which will not only help to build the café's reputation but will also safeguard existing jobs and result in extra part time staff member being required in the future.

The expansion is underpinned by a commitment to use locally sourced supplies in all food served.

The investment in Hell's Mouth is one of a number of rural business and farm diversification projects undertaken by Bishop Fleming working closely with Business Link and their Objective One scheme.

Business Link and Taste of the West jointly run a capital grants scheme called the Cornish Food and Drink Partnership Scheme to assist growing Cornwall food and drink businesses via capital grants for development projects.

The key emphasis is on the sourcing of local food in Cornwall and applicants have to demonstrate they do this rather than just sourcing from the local cash and carry.

This ensures benefits to both the grant applicant and the local farming community, plus food and drink producers, as well as to customers who get better local services and products.

Colin Trezise comments: "This investment from the Cornish Food and Drink Partnership Scheme, coupled with our own investment, will make a world of difference to our business.

"Hell's Mouth café has been serving customers since the 1930s and this project will not only allow us to provide a far wider range of quality meals to our customers but also safeguard new jobs and support local food and drink suppliers.”

Business Link's Graham Woolcock said: "The Cornwall Food and Drink Partnership Scheme run by Business Link and Taste of the West exists to help Cornwall's food and drink businesses grow and become more competitive.

"This project is a good example of one that will help both Hell's Mouth and the agricultural businesses from whom they source their raw materials.”

Mark Norton of Bishop Fleming comments: "We are really pleased to have helped Colin and Jennifer realise their ambitions with this project.

"In the right circumstances, Objective One funding can be accessed and organisations such as Business Link and Taste of the West are here in Cornwall to help businesses grow.”

Editor's notes:

Jason Clark
Communications Adviser
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Tel: 01872 241379
Fax: 01872 241388
objectiveone@cornwall.gov.uk

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