Cornwall’s best food & drink

This family-run, state-of-the-art vineyard, set in some of Cornwall’s most beautiful countryside, has been producing award-winning wines since 1989. With south-facing slopes and mild climate of the Camel Valley, conditions are perfect for growing grapes; the result – high-quality sparkling wines that have won numerous awards, including the Gold Medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2019.

Sparkling wines produced include their flagship Cornwall Brut and Pinot Noir Rosé Brut, and Annie’s Anniversary – a single-vineyard wine made from vines exclusively pruned by co-founder Annie Lindo for over 30 years. They also produce a range of still wines, including Bacchus Dry, Pinot Noir Rosé, and Atlantic Dry. All of their wines are made using traditional methods and are crafted with care, resulting in wines that are crisp, refreshing, and elegant.

Book ahead for guided tours of the vineyard and the chance to wine taste of some of England’s best wines. Well-behaved children are permitted.

Families and chocoholics will love these chocolate workshops, that see you designing, moulding and decorating a variety of chocolate treats (that you take home after). A brilliant group experience for all ages, with special activities even for the toddlers.

This plough-to-bottle distillery, owned and run by the Dustow family, has mastered the art of transforming their potatoes into award-winning spirits, notably gin. You can book in for tours of the distillery and gin tastings, and courses to make your own custom bottle of gin.

Since the mid-19th century, oystermen from Falmouth have earned a living dredging oysters in the Carrick Roads and surrounding rivers. Old laws still govern the practices of the oystermen to protect the natural ecology of the riverbeds and oyster stocks. Boats with engines are prohibited in the oyster fishery; instead sail-powered or hand-pulled dredges must be used.

This annual four-day foodie extravaganza, held at the start of the Falmouth oyster-dredging season, is a celebration of both Cornish produce and the traditional art of dredging by sail and hand punt.

Expect masterclasses from celebrity chefs, cookery demonstrations, a Falmouth Working Boat race, a town parade, live music, sea shanties, oyster shucking, shell painting, and marquees overflowing with Cornish oysters, seafood, wine and ale.

Professional forager, ecologist and cook Caroline Davey has been widely featured in the press and on TV – including the BBC’s Countryfile – such is the popularity of her wild food foraging and cooking school.

The courses, which include gourmet weekends for serious food lovers, can involve gathering seaweeds and seasonal herbs, flowers, salads and vegetables from beaches, cliff tops, woodlands and hedgerows, cooking modern dishes with professional chefs, and feasting together after.

There’s no minimum age but it’s unlikely to appeal to young children – but older kids with an interest in food, nature and cooking will love it.

A small family-run cidery that produces a range of high-quality, award-winning ciders. The cider is made using a blend of locally sourced apples, including rare varieties, and traditional methods. Book in for tours of the orchards and pressing facilities, followed by cider tasting. They also offer cider-making courses.

Cornwall is famous for cider, and Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm produces award-winning cider the old-fashioned way. The farm offers tours and tastings where you can learn about the cider-making process, and sample different ciders. They also have a farm shop and restaurant selling locally-produced treats.

A boutique winery that produces a range of award-winning wines and spirits, including still and sparkling wines, vermouth, and gin. Book in for guided tours of the winery and vineyards, before a tasting of their products in the on-site tasting room.

Established in Cornwall in 2004 by a group of enthusiasts, Origin specialises in sourcing and roasting exceptional coffee. Book ahead for tours of their roastery in Helston, or head to their café at Harbour Head in Porthleven to sample the goods (with a slice of artisan cake).

Vegetarians and garden-to-table advocates should stop by this organic garden, that prides itself on producing its own organic food. Explore the gardens then sample its produce in the café. The garden hosts a variety of events throughout the year, such as music festivals, workshops, and markets.

This family-run organic farm produces a range of sumptuously delicious organic dairy products, including ice cream, yoghurt, and milk – using milk from their own herd of Jersey cows.

Visitors can explore the farm and learn about the farming and production processes, as well as tucking into some homemade food and drink at the on-site cafe.

The Croust House restaurant, in an old milking parlour, has a dedicated kids’ menu and 24 flavours of ice cream.

This family-owned brewery, founded in 1851, produces a range of award-winning beers and ales using local ingredients, such as Cornish barley and spring water. They offer guided tours of the brewery, teaching you about the brewing process, ending with tastings. The brewery also runs a variety of events throughout the year, including beer festivals and live music.

This popular annual festival showcases the best of local Cornish food & drink, in one of Cornwall’s loveliest towns.

As you’d expect, food stalls sell locally sourced and made produce, from fresh seafood to artisan cheese. There are live demonstrations from top chefs, plus live music and entertainment.

A highly-regarded distillery producing award-winning gin using only locally-sourced and organic botanicals, and a traditional copper pot still. Book in for tours of the production process, onsite tastings – and the chance to make your own bespoke bottle of gin.

Tea lovers should head to this, the only tea plantation in the UK. It produces a range of fine teas, grown using sustainable and organic methods, from classic black tea to innovative blends like Manuka and Cornish Earl Grey. You can book in for tours of the plantation and learn about the history of tea in the UK, before a tasting in the on-site tea bar.

Celebrity Chef Rick Stein’s Cornish empire now extends to four restaurants, three shops, a cookery school and an assortment of rooms in Padstow; a pub in St Merryn and two eateries in Falmouth.

This award-winning restaurant and Cornwall institution opened in 1975, is the big fish. It serves up an exciting selection of globally influenced dishes such as sashimi of Cornish scallops, salmon, sea bass and brill, palourde clams a la plancha and Singapore chilli crab – using the finest, freshest seafood, caught locally in Cornwall and the surrounding waters.

This family-owned winery and orchard produces a range of award-winning still and sparkling wines, as well as apple juice and cider. The offer guided tours of the vineyards and orchards, that end with wine tastings in the on-site tasting room.

A buzzing weekly farmers’ market held every Wednesday and Sunday on Lemon Quay. Here you’ll find everything from fermented foods to raw chocolate, chilli jam to craft beer. A great opportunity to sample local Cornish produce, and snack on Cornish ‘street food’.