FOOD & DRINK

WE ALL KNOW THAT CORNWALL HAS AN EXCEPTIONAL REPUTATION IN THE WORLD OF FOOD AND DRINK, BUT HOW HAS THE INDUSTRY RESPONDED TO THE PANDEMIC? WITH RESILIENCE, ADAPTATION AND INNOVATION, SAYS LUCY STUDLEY OF CORNWALL CONTENT.

he unique and diverse food and drink culture we have nurtured here in Cornwall is the envy of many. We enjoy a rich network of chefs, producers and pioneering entrepreneurs who together make the region a world-class gourmet destination. The recent G7 summit will have only added to that lip-smacking reputation.

The assembled World Leaders feasted on a bounty of local produce cooked by talented chefs like Emily Scott and Simon Stallard, and accompanied by award-winning Cornish wines, unique cocktails and classic Cornish beers. No matter what your opinion on the G7 and its high level machinations, this was surely a moment of shared pride for an industry which is very much a closeknit community - intertwined and reliant on every element for its collective success.

The G7 came hot on the heels of an 18-month period during which the Covid-19 crisis bought the Cornish food and drink industry to its knees. Intermittent mass closure of hospitality businesses, a supply chain in chaos, and unprecedented upheaval were followed by a recruitment crisis which left restaurants and hotels heading into summer chronically short staffed.

How then did we put on such a good show for Boris and Co? The answer is that businesses and individuals have shown phenomenal resilience, adaptability and innovative spirit to get us through this, proving that Cornwall has all the right ingredients to ‘build back better.’

The food and drink industry in Cornwall responded to the Covid-19 crisis in a typically energetic, creative, collaborative and inspiring way. Across the sector, business models changed overnight, as everyone from microbreweries to luxury hotels invoked resilience in the face of adversity.

One great example of this is our wonderful Cornish brewers, all of whom were extremely hard hit in the early days of the pandemic. From the smallest nano-brewery to the big national brands based in the Duchy, the pandemic is still an almighty, ongoing challenge. However, each has met this challenge in its own idiosyncratic way, diversifying and innovating in order to stay afloat and – in some cases – transporting themselves into the future.

One example of this is Cornish Crown Brewery, which has used its size (small!) as an advantage, performing feats of agility which the bigger players can only envy. “We condensed roughly five years of change and evolution into about five months,” explains Josh Dunkley, founder of the Penzance-based brewery. “Pre-Covid we were still producing quite a lot of cask beer for pubs. It was a shrinking market then, but that accelerated at warp-speed thanks to the pandemic.”

Josh used the break with normality to install new brewing equipment, rebrand and create a website for online sales, shifting his focus almost entirely to canned lagers and IPAs. Essentially he has repositioned the brewery as an exciting new player in the market for craft beer.

Meanwhile another microbrewery, this time on the north Cornish coast, was taking adaptability to a whole new level, investing in a pilot brew kit to allow it to experiment with small batches of beer. The Driftwood Spars Brewery near St Agnes has always balanced innovation with respect for traditional brewing methods. The new pilot brew kit will allow Head Brewer Mike Mason to experiment with micro batches of beers and develop new products; the market demands just this kind of agility at the moment. >>

Skinner’s, which sits somewhere mid-scale between micro and massive, has diversified and innovated in a different way. Following a successful Crowdfunding campaign, the much-loved Cornish brand aims to go from surviving to thriving. Along with other projects and new beer launches, Skinner’s will open a Tap Yard Bar & Café later this summer, creating a buzzing new social space within easy striking distance of Truro city centre.

The space has been innovatively designed to make the most of the existing footprint of the site, whilst making guests feel part of the brewing experience and the convivial Skinner’s brand. It looks set to become new highlight on Cornwall’s food and drink map, with an announcement on an opening date coming any day.

MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND OTHER PANDEMIC SUCCESS STORIES

Covid-19 forced us to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances, as we were initially extremely hard-hit by the effects of the pandemic. With markets and other events cancelled, we had to diversify quickly in order to survive. We identified a gap in the market for high quality meal boxes delivered to homes, and so I called on my mother – Mamma Daniela – to lend a helping hand!

We launched The Cornish Italian in March 2020, focusing on a small menu of delicious pasta dishes all based on our family recipes and made using fabulous Cornish ingredients. We are now sending authentic Italian meals – always finishing with Tiramisu of course – across the UK.

I’m pleased to say that we seized triumph from the jaws of disaster and it has been a phenomenal success. Just like our flagship dessert, The Cornish Italian is based on authentic recipes and great ingredients – all freshly prepared with love and care, from our family to yours. THE MARKET HAS RECENTLY SEEN A MARKED RESURGENCE AND A RENEWED SENSE OF VITALITY

Covid-19 has prompted more of us to shop outdoors and avoid crowded supermarkets, whilst reminding us of the importance of access to good quality local food. Concerns about the environment have also seen a younger generation engaging with the market, embracing the opportunity to shop locally, sustainably and ethically.

The effect of all of this is that the market has recently seen a marked resurgence and a renewed sense of vitality, as a new generation of food shoppers discover the joys of this colourful, characterful weekly event.

The incredible support we received for our Big Summer Market – which nearly fell foul of the G7 – showed just how important the market has been to local people these past months.

We opened our second pub, The Packet, in the middle of the pandemic and we’ll soon add a third outpost to our food-led pub company. We’ve also opened a takeaway at The Tolcarne, something we’ve been meaning to do for years but never got around to until the third lockdown gave us the time!

I will always be an optimist. I have so much faith in the quality and reputation of the Cornish food and hospitality scene that I know we’ll overcome the effects of Covid. Our next challenge is to solve the recruitment crisis and attract as much talent as possible into the industry, so that Cornwall continues to be a thriving food destination for many years to come.