Kathryn Lewis journeyed to Cornwall’s most southerly point to experience an exceptional tasting menu crafted by an exciting emerging talent
It’s all change at Housel Bay Hotel: new owners, a fresh vibe and an intriguing new restaurant named after young and upcoming chef Joseph Fallowfield.
Landing their first eponymous restaurant is a big deal for any chef, let alone a young talent. Yet Joseph’s previous posts – which include cooking alongside Simon Hulstone at Michelin starred The Elephant in Torquay – have developed his taste for exceptional local produce and his eye for impeccable plating.
VISIT for archetypal Cornish ingredients repackaged to surprise and delight. Each dish is named after the origin of its hero ingredient – and Joseph hasn’t had to venture far for inspiration.
‘Falmouth Bay’ is a millennial take on a baby boomer throwback: a crisp vol-au-vent topped with luscious chunks of ale-smoked lobster, local mussels, leek jam and a striking red crab sauce, each layer unlocking another level of texture and flavour.
The culinary creativity seems to evolve in each chapter of the five-course tasting menu and ‘Housel Bay’ – a Cornish take on a baked alaska with frozen clotted cream, passionfruit curd and saffron cake – finishes the epic on a high.
Pairing the tasting menu with a drinks flight is a nobrainer. Joseph has carefully chosen the wines himself, bringing as much spark to the pairings as the cooking. A first course of cured brill, for example, is partnered with a knock-your-socks-off sake.
DON’T VISIT for interior design inspo. Instead, look past the traditional decor out to the panorama of lucent Atlantic waters and the rocky cliffs below the bedroom windows. The new owners of Housel Bay Hotel are slowly rolling out a refurb, in the meantime the unrivalled views, epic location and knockout food more than make up for a 1980s bathroom suite.
WE LIKE practically rolling out of bed onto the South West Coast Path. Whether you turn left or right from the bottom of the garden, miles of easy-to-follow footpaths guide you to photo op after photo op of gorgeous coastline.
