Food and drink

A recipe for success
Take fresh, natural ingredients of the highest quality. Add a generous dash of culinary flair. Season well with plenty of marketing nous. What have you got?

A recipe for the outstanding success of Cornwall's food & drink industry!

If you've ever sampled the superb, freshly caught seafood served up by one of our world-class chefs, chilled out over a succulent locally produced steak at one of our famously funky beach restaurants, or washed down a delicious hand-made pasty with a pint of traditionally made Cornish Ale, then you won't need much persuading of the quality of Cornish fare.

But you might still be surprised at just how far the county's food & drink sector has developed in recent years.

Cornwall's £1 billion food industry
Latest estimates put the annual turnover of Cornwall's food & drink industry at over £1 billion. There are plenty of reasons why it's thriving:

Cornwall's farmers are ideally placed to meet surging demand for food produced to the highest environmental and animal welfare standards. Many now have organic certification from the Soil Association.
Marketing initiatives such as the Cornish King brand have reinforced public trust in the wholesomeness and traceability of Cornish meat and vegetables.
New chilling, packing and distribution facilities are making a wider range of fresh local products available to national and international markets.
The county's mild climate enables its farmers to meet growing demand for out-of-season vegetables, building on effective partnerships between growers, processors, marketing companies and the supermarket majors.
Demand for seafood has never been higher, and Cornwall's fishing industry has moved to meet it through innovative initiatives such as the National Lobster Hatchery at Padstow.
Cornwall's retail and hospitality sector has seen strong growth in the past few years. It is now the third-largest sector of the Cornish food economy.

A powerful endorsement of Cornish produce
While many of the firms in this sector are small and medium-sized enterprises, several global players have made major investments in the county including Allied Frozen Foods and Dairy Crest.

However there are examples of the smaller firms leading the way in terms of innovation within the food and drink sector. These include The Cornish Cheese Company which is the UK's only producer of soft blue cheese. They have won multiple awards including Best English Cheese and Best Blue Cheese at the British Cheese Awards. Other successful small firms include Cornish Sea Salt Co - the UK's first sea salt producer to harvest direct from the ocean and Deli Farm Charcuterie, which is one of only two UK companies specialising in air dried meat products. The company uses only the freshest Cornish meats and employs traditional Italian drying methods to create superior salami with minimal environmental impact.

Networks
Many of Cornwall's food & drink businesses - from producers to restaurants - benefit from membership of networks that promote the Cornish brand and showcase the offerings of individual members.

Cornwall Agricultural Council aims to transform Cornwall into the UK's exemplar agri-food centre of excellence.
Cornwall Taste of the West is a one-stop-shop source of information, support and grant funding for the Cornish food & drink industry. It also has a promotional role, working with producers, restaurants and other organisations to ensure that more people discover the superb quality, taste and range of Cornish food and drink.
The Food in Cornwall Association is a non-profit organisation that promotes quality eating establishments in the county. All member establishments are independently inspected before being allowed to join, and spot checks are conducted throughout the year to ensure that high standards are maintained.