[Disclosure: I paid in full at Nancarrow Farm. They didn’t know I was a blogger]
When in Cornwall, the lure of the sea is stronger than ever and I’d be the first to say there’s nothing quite like tucking into a seafood lunch looking out at the waves. You’ll find many a spot like this on this blog.
But whilst it’s tempting to head to these beachside spots, it’s worth remembering that there are plenty of places tucked away inland that merit your attention. And it’s probably wise to start with Nancarrow Farm.
A family farm for nine generations, it’s tucked down a bumpy track that winds through fields and trees, with the only clues of what lies ahead in the form of helpful signage dotted at intervals. The farm is the perfect example of a family’s effort to ensure its future and diversify its offering.
Because these days, as well as rearing organic beef and lamb, Nancarrow Farm is a destination in its own right. For weddings, obviously. Because who wouldn’t want to get married in an idyllic stone barn in the middle of Cornwall. But also for events and restaurant-style offerings designed to showcase its produce, from the meat reared on the fields around it to vegetables and fruit grown in its gardens.
I have it on good authority that the feast nights are rather stupendous. But my first adventure to Nancarrow is for the Farm Lunch with a friend. A constantly-changing menu using what’s available at that time, so no lunch is likely to be the same. On a hot day you might find yourself in the beautifully-kept courtyard, but on the day my friend and I visit, we find ourselves overlooking it through big glass windows in the old stone barn.
Everything feels just right. The wooden tables are laid simply, decorated with fresh flowers. There’s a map on our way in that sets out the true extent of Nancarrow, and serves to ensure that you probably will go and explored after you’ve finished eating. The welcome is warm and enthusiastic, and the reason we’re here – the menu of small plates and mains – is a lesson in ‘less is more’ and how the simplest of dishes can be the best.
We’re tempted to order everything but manage to resist and settle for half. Though perhaps we’ll live to regret that decision if we never see a woodfired Denver steak on this menu again, or indeed Cornish earlies (potatoes for those who don’t know – but don’t worry, because explanations are both forthcoming and friendly as we’re considering our order).
The Nancarrow Wildfarmed focaccia is a must-have, and as we smear lightly-smoked, perfectly soft butter over the huge hunks of fresh bread, we smile smugly at our decision to come here.
Pickled beetroot is sliced thinly and adorned with nasturtium and proper horseradish – the kind that has a bit of heat but none of the added burn that the supermarket-bought horseradish sauce that’s often laced with extra mustard. It’s an Instagrammer’s dream, but also tastes as good as it looks. There’s sweetness, heat, freshness, crunch and a bit of creaminess. The whole package right there, on a rainbow-inspired plate.
Nancarrow asparagus comes with aioli and cured hens yolk. It’s been cooked perfectly so none of the crunch is gone, while the aioli brings richness and indulgence. Brilliantly-balanced, with the aioli serving as a rather delicious dipper for more of that focaccia that is the gift that keeps on giving.
Tempura hake is a level up from your average battered fish (though it has to be said, you can find some pretty decent battered fish in Cornwall). It’s nestled on top of a bowl of vichyssoise and smoked pea that’s creamy and smoky, yet light and delicate enough that you can keep going back for more, until we find ourselves scraping the final drips off the bowl.
We enjoy it all with a glass of wine each, and were it not for one of us having to drive and the other to catch a flight from Newquay airport, I imagine many more glasses would have been consumed in this idyllic little Garden of Eden.
Dessert is a choice between an Elderflower posset or a rich chocolatey delight that we’re ensured will go rather perfectly with a coffee. It’s Maleku chocolate, which hails from Costa Rica, formed into a kind of moussey ganachey loveliness that melts in the mouth. As all decent chocolate should be, it’s not too sweet. That job is done by a miso caramel that is delightfully sweet but with a pop of savoury. Caramelised seeds add crunch, and yes, the whole thing is perfect with a coffee.
Keen for our time in this little oasis to not be over, we walk off our lunch with a wander around Nancarrow – seeing immediately why it’s the perfect place for a special event, and indeed one of their feast nights.
With a constantly changing menu and a setting like this, it’s easy to see how Nancarrow Farm has become a destination not just for big life moments like weddings and celebrations, but for little special moments like lunches and evenings, helping to press pause in the busy-ness of life, and introduce people to a place that grows, rears, and shows off as much of what is right on its doorstep as possible. No, there’s no sea view, but that can wait for another day.
