13.09.06
Celebration factor sets food festival apart

A massive celebration of Cornish food is what's being promised by the organisers of the Cornwall Food and Drink Festival, being held in Truro over three days at the end of the month.

Thousands of people are expected to attend, to revel in a sheer abundance of locally produced Cornish food and drink and be entertained by a packed programme of cookery theatre featuring Cornwall's top chefs.

The festival runs from Friday, 29 September to Sunday, 1 October at Truro's Lemon Quay. This year the food marquee is bigger than ever, with a record 55 Cornish producers exhibiting everything from nude food to incredible fruitcakes.

"There's going to be such a celebratory feel to the festival this year," says Angie Coombs of Taste of the West. "It's going to be so much more than a retail opportunity. We're out to inspire people by connecting Cornish food with ideas of how to use it, which means lots of tasting, lots of demonstrations, a few surprises and lots of food fun."

The line up of producers in the food marquee includes established award-winners such as Lynher Dairies, Cornish Country Meats and Trenance Chocolates. But there are also many new names exhibiting for the first time, such as the Nude Food Company based in Porthtowan, which uses local produce to make high quality hand-made meals, and Granny Nunns from Falmouth which is launching its traditional bread puddings at the Festival.

Last year's Cornwall Food and Drink Festival attracted an estimated 15,000 people over the three days, confirming it as one of the region's top culinary events. This year it's the flagship event for a month-long Cornwall Celebration of Food.

"This is only our third year, but we're expecting it to be amazing," says Steve Whittingham of Fodders Restaurant who is again organising the event with support from Taste of the West in Cornwall and Inside Cornwall Magazine. "Because the festival provides easy access to local food it's not just fulfilling an existing demand but also helping convert people who would not otherwise seek it out. We've got amazing line ups in both the food marquee and the demonstration kitchen, where some of Cornwall's top chefs will be inspiring us with their culinary know-how."

The food theatre programme includes top chefs such as Neil Haydock from Jamie Oliver's new Fifteen Cornwall, Ben Tunnicliffe from the Abbey Restaurant and Kevin Viner from Viners Restaurant. There will also be demonstrations by rising star Richard McGeown of Couch's Restaurant in Polperro, and instructors and trainees from HMS Raleigh in Torpoint, where the Royal Navy trains its chefs and stewards at its Defence Maritime Logistics School.

The Cornwall Food and Drink Festival runs from 9.00am to 6.00pm on Friday and Saturday (29-30 Sept) and from 10.00am to 4.00pm on Sunday (1 October). On Saturday festival-goers are being encouraged to use the Park & Ride service, which will be running every 20 minutes from County Hall to Lemon Quay between 10.00am and 5.00pm.

More information about the festival can be found at www.cornwallfoodanddrinkfestival.com.

For further information please contact Veronica Newport of NPR on 01326 866927 or email veronica@n-pr.co.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in Cornwall Taste of the West through the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).

Anyone considering a new horticulture, food and land based industries project is advised to speak with Martin Butler at Government Office South West, 01752 635134 before commencing development as there are now only limited funds available due to the successful uptake of funding by the agricultural sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Editor's notes:

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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