ON LOCATION FOWEY
This compact Cornish port town delivers fine-dining restaurants, old-school pubs and bean-to-bar chocolatiers
WORDS: AL I C IA MI L L E R . I L LU S T R AT ION: CHRI S T INE RÖS CH
Tumbling down a hillside into a sparkling blue estuary cluttered with bobbing boats, Fowey is one of Cornwall’s most postcard-perfect towns. Despite its diminutive size, it’s also among the most exciting for food-lovers. You can hardly go a few paces without coming across another great place to eat and drink, from top-notch local seafood establishments to atmospheric pubs. It was Fitzroy (
fitzroycornwall.com) that put
Fowey on the culinary map, back in summer 2019. Restaurateurs Jeremie Cometto and David Gingell — the duo behind cult north London spots including Jolene and Westerns Laundry — were enticed by a converted former bank on a corner in the centre of Fowey. And with the opening of Fitzroy came a slew of savvy diners; even now, you’ll need to book well ahead for the chance to feast on smart plates starring fine Cornish produce, such as curried crab with cauliflower and runny egg, or meaty turbot with lobster sauce and spring onion — all washed down with natural wines. Fitzroy isn’t the only newcomer to Fowey.
Just over a year old, tiny Leopard + Goat Farm (
leopardandgoat.farm) is a bean-to-bar chocolate brand also turning out artisan hot chocolate. Choose from the likes of Tanzanian Kokoa Kamili Organic or Madagascan Sambirano Valley — as well as decadent, ganache-filled handmade doughnuts or sausage rolls flavoured with smoked cacao. Visit in the early evening and the owner will happily pour you a glass of pet nat sparkling wine or a margarita. A few minutes’ walk away, Fowey Sweet Shop
(
foweysweetshop.co.uk) sits right along the central Fore Street strip. Owner Darren Tatham gave the place a facelift in July 2019, after taking over from the couple who’d been running it for more than
three decades. Despite the addition of stylish Kernow Chocolate bars, crafted an hour away in St Eval, one thing that hasn’t changed is the fudge, handmade in Looe. The toothsome sea salt caramel, enrobed with dark chocolate, might be the bestseller, but the cream tea flavour — shortbread, clotted cream fudge and a thick wedge of Turkish delight, all smothered in Belgian white chocolate — is well worth trying. For more local treats, although of a more savoury
kind, stop off at Kittows (
kittowsfowey.co.uk), a farmer and butchers/deli that’s been going for almost 150 years. Here you can pick up ready-to- eat Cornish crab or wild garlic campanelle pasta from Cornwall Pasta, locally made olive oil and sea salt, Cornish yarg cheese and hot pasties — as well as meat from the Kittows farm. In front of the deli, meanwhile, are wicker baskets overflowing with seasonal veg. On warm days, the pubs lining Fowey’s quay
— fringed with sun-drenched terraces — are a go-to for a sundowner. But with autumn’s chill, there’s no better place for a pint than The Ship Inn (
shipfowey.co.uk) on Trafalgar Square, the town’s oldest drinking hole, dating back to 1570. Sip your St Austell ale surrounded by cosy beamed interiors — all dimly lit nooks and stained glass windows. Stomach still rumbling? Feast on cider-battered fish and chips or plump, wine-soaked mussels, plucked from the Fowey River, just yards away. It doesn’t get much more local than that.
HOW TO DO IT: Trains run from London Paddington to Par; from here, Fowey is 20 minutes away on the number 25 bus. Newquay is a 45-minute drive away. The Old Quay House Hotel has a seaside terrace restaurant and doubles from £195 a night, room only.
theoldquayhouse.com
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NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/FOOD-TRAVEL
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