Food Taste the street food revolution | Cornwall’s raw food treats Bites, the latest news and events from Devon and Cornwall’s vibrant food scene The Table Prowler | Behind-the-scenes at two artisan distilleries PHOTO: DAVID GRIFFEN Look out for pop-up dining events hosted by The Little Feast Company across Devon thelittlefeastcompany.com MANOR | Late Spring 2015 93 Foodies on the front line of the Westcountry street food revolution The phenomenon of street food offers the chance to socialise, soak up the atmosphere and experience fresh new flavours in a way that differs to sitting down at a restaurant table. Recently, gourmet vintage vans and street food markets have been popping up everywhere, bringing that al fresco festival feel to beaches, campsites and town centres. By Anna Turns The Thirstea Company Seth Richards, co-owner of The Thirstea Company, love street food now, it has worked its way up from the a travelling tea room (below), trades from a pitch on image of a greasy burger at the car boot sale to a whole the South West Coast Path, just above the beautiful range of quality products, often served from quirky Towan Beach. “Street food is really taking off now, as vehicles!” says Seth, whose own van is called Earl. the Westcountry keeps up with metropolitan trends. So it is most definitely time to jump on the street It’s a much better way of engaging different markets food ‘bandwagon’, or converted horse trailer or and customers wherever the company wishes. People airstream or retro campervan... anything goes! It is most definitely time to jump on the street food ‘bandwagon’, or converted horse trailer or airstream or retro campervan... anything goes! 94 MANOR | Late Spring 2015 food @HOME One chef drawn towards street food by its freedom Cornwall and creating locally sourced delights such as is Harry Bartlett, who was inspired to combine his Cornish lobster from Dreckly Fish in a tortilla with passion for cooking with talking to people when he Cornish salad and a chimichurri salsa. “I called my created @HOME street food last year. He offers a business @HOME because Cornwall is my place of menu of dishes inspired by his globe-trotting around rest now,” explains Harry, who has a regular Saturday the world: “I didn’t want to get pigeon-holed. I wanted slot at Truro Farmers’ Market on Lemon Quay and at to bring diversity to Cornwall, from Mexican tacos to Falmouth University on Mondays. Thai curry, whilst using locally produced ingredients. Harry worked as a boatbuilder for 12 years, and For me, authentic street food gives a relaxed vibe that’s this spring he’s putting his hands to work developing different to eating sat at a table indoors.” a new vehicle for @HOME with an awning so he As any intrepid traveller knows, the best way to can cook in front of his customers, rather than in get a real taste of a foreign country is through eating a trailer. “I love the outdoor lifestyle here and surf specialties on offer at exotic street food stalls – and when I can, but the busy summer season is pretty Harry is bringing his favourite experiences back to non-stop.” Posh Kebab Company Devon’s new Posh Kebab Company has taken a very This is turning the traditional impression of greasy different approach, specialising in one homegrown dish. street food on its head – with topside and silverside Rare and traditional breed meat specialists, Hannah beef steaks hung for 35 days, it’s not ‘fast’ food, and and Duncan Nobbs (below) run Partridge Farm Meats animal welfare is of utmost importance to Hannah near Tiverton, and they are the first farmers in the and Duncan. “We can trace every steak used in our Westcountry to diversify into street food, reducing food posh kebabs back to a specific animal, and there are miles from the field to fork to a minimum. no other middle men in our supply chain,” explains “All of our livestock is born, bred and butchered Hannah. The Posh Kebab Company trades at Frome on our farm. The animals only leave the farm to Independent Market on the first Sunday of the month go to the local abattoir a few miles away,” explains and various other food festivals across the region. Hannah. “Now we’re going one step further by Following their recent launch, Hannah and Duncan cooking posh kebabs for our customers at street food are excited to have been invited to participate in markets and private functions.” Their 95 grass-fed the West and Wales regional heat of the British Aberdeen Angus cattle and 130 Oxford Down sheep Street Food Awards in May in Bristol, with finals in result in meat that is succulent and rich in flavour. September, so watch this space! PHOTO: GUY HARROP MANOR | Late Spring 2015 95 Chef and founder of the Posh Pasty Co, James Strawbridge runs a pop-up restaurant at Port Eliot festival later this summer MANOR’s pick of the best street food events this month Lanson Grill Fest: Launceston town square, 2 May, 10am-10pm. Plymouth Good Food Market: Royal William Yard, 3 May, 10am-3pm. Barnstaple Real Food Market: Pannier Market, 10 May. Paul Brealey LostFest: Lostwithiel, 17 May. From 10am until late. at Devon’s Totnes Good Food Market: 17 May, 10am-3pm. Lemon Jelli serves up sweet Chill at the Mill music and food festival: and savoury Retorrick Mill, Mawgan Porth, 22-24 May. French crépes, Booking essential. barista-made Truro Farmers’ Market: Origin Coffee, Lemon Quay, every Saturday. speciality teas, Exeter Street Food Market: shakes and Guildhall Shopping Centre, Fridays, Saturdays smoothies from and Sundays. Plus night market a van called 16 May 4.30-9pm in Piazza Terracina. Sapeur. 96 MANOR | Late Spring 2015 PHOTO: GUY HARROP Street food has gone upmarket. For example, The Posh Kebab Company uses silverside and topside grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef Michelle Northcott and Nicholas Daniel cook culinary delights on board the Silver Server, a 40-year-old airstream trailer Tweet about street food! Anna’s top ten favourites: Bantham: @Gastrobusbeach Totnes: @DiabloDeliFood Newton Abbot: @LemonJelli1 Westward Ho!: @Glorious Oyster Tiverton: @PoshKebab1 Truro: @HomeStreetFood Wadebridge: @WildBake Helen Grace serves homemade crumpets from her Falmouth: @TrulyCrumptious 1967 Cheltenham Waterbuck Truly Crumptious Roseland Peninsula: @Thirsteaco vintage caravan. Try her crumpets with Cornish brie Cornish Street Food Collective: @Cornstreetfood with free-range smoked bacon MANOR | Late Spring 2015 97 Have your cake and eat it Tam Schallhorn Garrood tells MANOR the story behind the raw food treats she creates at Je Tam’s Hayle kitchen n enterprising mother-and-daughter the deli wanted to place a regular order. team from Cornwall are on a mission to Je Tam started selling to stores around Cornwall. revolutionise the idea of guilty pleasure In fact, demand became so high that Tam moved when it comes to food, with a range of to new premises at Foundry Farm in Hayle, and raw food treats designed to satisfy even brought in help from her mother Monika. “I wanted Athe most powerful of sweet-tooth cravings. to support Tamarah, who is studying Natropathic For Tam Schallhorn Garrood and her mother Nutrition at the same as running a busy business,” Monika, embarking on this new business venture said Monika. “Working with raw food has changed (appropriately named ‘Je Tam’) has been a remarkable the way I eat, which in turn has improved my energy personal journey. It began when Tam, who prides levels. I’ve never felt better!” herself on her health and fitness, was extremely ill “We use wholefoods for our products – this is before her wedding in 2013. food in its natural state including fruits, vegetables, “I was bed-ridden for months and in that nuts, and seeds,” says Tam. “Often added to this situation it’s too easy to eat unhealthily,” Tam recalls. is raw cacao; untreated, it retains its vitamins and “After doing lots of research I decided to give up minerals, providing health benefits and making your sugar, as there is a growing consensus about the daily chocolate intake a healthy prospect. detrimental impacts of sugar in our diets. I looked “We have found our products to be helpful for for alternatives which would satisfy my desire for people with food intolerances, as the majority contain chocolate, biscuits and cake. I also don’t eat wheat or no wheat, gluten, sugar or dairy. All these ingredients dairy, and finding products which didn’t contain any – which are carefully sourced and often organic - are of these was virtually impossible.” not only safe to eat uncooked but are turned into As her health improved, Tam started devising her what feel like indulgent treats. Our favourites include own recipes using sugar substitutes, making chocolate Chocolate Orange Cheesecake, Lemon, Lime and and ice cream with raw cacao butter and frozen Coconut Bars, Salted Caramel Raw Chocolates and bananas, and cheesecake using cashews and fruit to Spirulina Balls. We also make savoury burgers in a sweeten. The latter in particular was an immediate variety of flavours including beetroot and mushroom, hit with her husband Jon, who began setting her which contain very small amounts of dairy and challenges to make ‘clean’ (meaning unprocessed and gluten. I can honestly say our products can be free from sugar, wheat and dairy) and raw (uncooked) consumed ‘guilt free’ and not only that, but they pack versions of his favourite sweet treats. This is how one a nutritional punch too.” of Je Tam’s flagship products, The Clean Viscount Biscuit, was born. Je Tam’s products can be found at Archie Browns in Thinking that she might be onto something, Tam Penzance and Truro, The Natural Store in Helston and took a batch of her cheesecakes to The Allotment Deli Falmouth, Elixir Soup and Juice (also in Falmouth), The in St Ives.