Food and Drink

Food & Drink In Devon and Cornwall – Great Pubs, Good Food And Drink!

Traditional scones, jam and clotted cream

Traditional scones, jam and clotted cream

It’s true that the Cornish enjoy their food – so much so that Devon and Cornwall are known almost as much for their culinary offerings as their stunning scenery and coasts.

Fine Dining

In recent times, the celebrity chefs have arrived in Devon and Cornwall and so have the foodies and food festivals. With the abundance of seafood, diary produce, seasonal fruit and vegetables and the creative cooking skills of these famous chefs, dining out in Devon and Cornwall has become very exciting. Fine dining is now easily available on your Devon and Cornwall holidays.

Traditional Food

Of course traditional foods still play an important part of the sustenance for families on holidays and there’s nothing nicer than a filling Cornish pastie or fresh fish and chips after an exhaustive day of surfing.

Cornish Pastie

The famous Cornish Pastie is just one of the local edible treats available in this charming English county. The Cornish pastie is a tasty puff pastry that’s stuffed with beef steak (or mince), onions, potatoes and seasoned with pepper. It must be tried (assuming you’re not a vegetarian) at least once during your visit to Cornwall.

Famous starters include Kiddly Broth, a soup made with onions, bacon and hard bread as well as nettle soup (yes, it’s made from real nettles).

Fish & Chips is a famous English dish – however, the Cornish use beer to make their batter and it certainly makes for an interesting variation of standard fish and chips.

Star Gazy Pie is a pastry made with pilchards (herring or mackerel can also be used), boiled eggs, bacon, onions and white wine.

Fancy something sweet? Cornish sweets include Cornish Cherry Choclets (a mix of chocolate, syrup, cherries and butter), Cornish Splits (made from sugar, milk, flour and lard) and Figgy ‘obbin (a baked treat consisting of raisins, milk, sugar and flour). And don’t forget the world-famous Devonshire Cream Teas with their delicious scones thickly spread with fresh butter, fruity strawberry jam and topped with thick Devon clotted cream!

Devon cows

As you’d probably expect by now the Cornish also have their own signature drinks. These include Aunt Ellys Nog (a mix of eggs, cream, vanilla, sugar and milk), Cornish Mine Punch (rum, brandy, lemons and sugar) and Cornish Spiced Mead.

Other foods that Cornwall is known for are the rich Cornish fudge and ice cream and Cornish Hevva Cake.

Cows are busy in Devon and they produce an abundance of fat-rich, creamy milk. Devon is of course famous for its clotted cream, farmhouse cheeses and other dairy products!

A popular Devon specialty is Deep Fried Cheeses with gooseberry sauce.

Scrumpy is a type of cider particular to Devon, made from apples that fall off the trees before ripening, but if something stronger is needed, then try Plymouth Gin.