I suppose one of the most exciting things was going out to New York with Pete Biggs to cook at April Bloomfield’s John Dory at The Ace Hotel, marking the launch of my book in America. New York really is a fascinating place. There is so much going on and it continues through the day and night! This is true even of the restaurant industry over there. You can eat almost any style of cuisine at any time of night or day and I found that it’s nothing unusual to spend a whole evening ‘restaurant hopping’ – having a course or two in one place and then moving on to another for the next part of the meal. Crazy!

The experience of cooking with other chefs is always interesting to me as it’s a chance to exchange ideas and knowledge. Last month we were fortunate to welcome Claire Clark and Valentine Warner for separate master classes here in Rock. Claire’s was an unusual event for us as the focus was on desserts for a change. The guys in the kitchen couldn’t wait to learn from her and it was great to see them (and me!) getting excited about the event and keen to try new techniques which, in turn, initiated new ideas for our menus. Needless to say, the actual evening was great fun and all our guests seemed to enjoy themselves.
Valentine’s event was also great fun and seeing his take on various dishes was intriguing for everyone involved. The day also involved a lot of banter, which kept everyone in the kitchen smiling.

As always, summer means that food festivals begin. Last weekend was the Exeter Food Festival and as usual a great time was had by all. I have had to drastically cut down the number I am appearing at this year though as I have other exciting things in the offing (one being a new book due for publication next year)…and I have restaurants to run! However, I will be doing the Newlyn Fish Festival on 26th August and the Cornwall Food & Drink Festival on 27th September. Hopefully I’ll see you there!

With the high season about to begin, our restaurants are gearing up for the summer ahead. In Rock, things have been getting increasingly busy since Easter and the kitchen and front of house teams are finely tuned and ready for a great summer. The team at Outlaw’s at The Capital is going from strength to strength and the changes we’ve made there to both the staffing and the menus are really making a difference.

In Rock we are very proud to report that sommelier, Damon Little, has created a wine list for us that has been named as runner up of the Tatler Wine List Award 2013. Anyone who has eaten with us and has had the good fortune to ‘talk wines’ with Damon will know how passionate he is about his field. His knowledge of everything wine is astounding and I am extremely proud to have him as part of my team. Very many congratulations Damon!

The only cloud on the horizon has been my recent and very difficult decision to draw a line under Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen at Looe. Unfortunately, and after many discussions, the project, which entailed completely gutting and renovating one of the units on the fish market, was just too costly and difficult to pursue for many reasons. However, I am still totally committed to buying the majority of the fish we use in our restaurants from Looe Fish Market and I haven’t given up the idea of opening a restaurant there. Looe is a wonderful town full of history built on the fishing industry and as such, I firmly believe that it is still the place to be home to Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in the not too distant future. So as they say ‘just watch this space’!

With local produce at the heart of what we offer at the restaurants, it makes perfect sense to grown our own ingredients just down the lane from RNO and Outlaw’s in Rock. This desire led us to setting up a couple of small plots in Porthilly and Trebetherick, where the sea breeze and slightly sandy soils definitely give an advantage, with an aim to eventually supply as many of our own vegetables and herbs as possible. Having started the process in the winter with endless weeding, digging over and reorganising, Danny has seen the gardens in all conditions, and so fully deserves this wonderful heat and the cloudless blue skies we are experiencing on the North Coast at the moment.

Our Porthilly garden is located right out in the open fields and Trebetherick in a lovely open space, so our greedy rabbit neighbours are also keeping an eye on how things are progressing, naturally being huge fans of fantastic local produce. However, Danny now has a crack-system and is very hot on securing the gates and maintaining the barracks so that we can keep all the goodies for our guests!

Being in the early stages, he is still testing the waters and seeing what grows best in the soil, which variety of each vegetable will flourish and how to get the best products out of the land. In the open ground the broad beans, peas and potatoes are now sprouting, shooting up twice as fast in this last week with the help from Mother Nature. We have spring onions ready that we are now using in the restaurants and there is forced and outdoor rhubarb making its way to Outlaw’s for the pastry section of the kitchen.

In Porthilly there is a polytunnel to help the cold-blooded vegetables and herbs along. In here, radishes were the early bloomers, and we now have the beetroot and mint catching up. Danny is also experimenting with tomatoes, which are very sensitive to temperature, in here and therefore seem to have their own agenda, so you will have to stay tuned for their progress!

Whilst the garden has been progressing through a rather slow spring, Nathan has been keeping the restaurant in a steady supply of herbs from his own garden with rocket, watercress, chives, fennel herb, chervil, thyme and rosemary blooming. Meanwhile, Danny is bringing on herbs in boxes in the kitchen garden, before they’re ready to ‘fly the nest’ and be planted out to add to Nathan’s provisions.

Being a fair-weather gardener myself, with a carefully honed skill to bump off every plant I’ve ever owned within two days, it was such a refreshing treat to see a successful array of herbs and vegetables sprouting from the ground. It is exciting for Danny to see as they change day to day to hopefully become a staple supply for the restaurants, helping us towards a sustainable future. Plus, we think they taste better when you know how much love and work is involved in growing them!

The evening commenced as normal with an interview with the chefs where Valentine, on talking about his career, revealed a professional life that began as an artist. However, it was so overshadowed by his passion for food that he could deny no more a clear calling for change. An accomplished catering career, three cookery books and two TV series later; some might say he made the right call! With a new book to accompany a new TV series in the making; who knows what Valentine Warner’s art pieces may have fetched had he not exchanged the paint brush for a knife all those years ago? However, one thing is for sure; Valentine Warner loves food!

Valentine’s infectious love for food with seasonal roots and robust flavours was quick to engage as he talked about his recent visit to Sweden whilst filming. This was also his inspiration for the first course of the evening “Cured Salmon & Black Bread.” Valentine demonstrated the cured Salmon, while Nathan demonstrated his “Cod Chowder, Clams & Mussels” dish, both showing how easy it can be to create fantastic fish dishes with minimal fuss.

The serious business of tasting Valentine and Nathan’s wonderful creations was soon underway with Nathan’s sommelier, Damon Little, alongside to provide the additional wow factor of superbly matched wines. One stand out favourite was the Spätburgunder Rosé 2011 from Germany paired with the Red Wine Octopus & Haricot Beans. The rosé wine balanced the richness of the red wine octopus and exposed the wonderful earthy, minerality of the haricot beans, providing enough acidity to make it a truly great pairing. What made it even more special was the fact that there are very few bottles remaining in the world. A truly memorable experience!

A well-received break in formalities came as Valentine requested the serving of Oliver’s Medium Sweet Cider from Hertfordshire alongside the Lamb & Cockles dish. The lamb itself was cooked in cider as well as juices from the cockles, and was served on a sharing plate in the middle of each table with accompanying celeriac and potato mash and seasonal vegetables. Something just felt right about drinking cider alongside this dish, especially as it complemented the flavour of the slow cooked lamb so well.

The finale was a reminder of what it feels like to be completely full, but to keep eating because every mouthful just tastes too good to leave on the plate. Valentine’s Chocolate Tart was no exception, nor was it a small helping by any means. Helped along with some caramelised orange, crème fraiche and a glass of Cabernet Franc Ice Wine from Canada, the evening drew to a close on yet another completely unique and immensely satisfying Master Class.

See the menu from the evening below…..

Valentine Warner & Nathan Outlaw Master Class

Guest Host, Daphne Skinnard

Canapés

Haddock & Paprika Beef Tartare & Mustard

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee 2008, West Sussex, England

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Cured Salmon & Black Bread

Pessac-Léognan 2008, Chateau Haut Nouchet, Bordeaux, France

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Crab Custard

Fleur do Savignin 2010, En Chalasse, Julien Labet, Jura, France

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Red Wine Octopus & Haricot Beans

Spätburgunder Rosé 2011, Meyer-Nakel, Ahr, Germany

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Cod Chowder, Clams & Mussels

Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2011, Charles Smith, Washington State, USA

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Lamb & Cockles

Olivers Medium Sweet Cider, Herefordshire, England

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Cheese Soufflé, Pickled Celery & Walnuts

Belle Epoque 2002, Perrier Jouét, Champagne, France

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Chocolate Tart

Cabernet Franc Ice Wine 2010, Peller Estates, Niagara, Canada

~~~

Petit Fours

Cranberry Marshmallow Hazlenut Truffles

Positioned approximately half way up the valley, with the Atlantic Ocean in view, the family vineyards of Newton Johnson are north facing which ensures great exposure to the sun. The influence of the Atlantic Ocean plays an important role for the region’s viticulture. The Hemel-En-Aarde Valley is created by two mountain ranges which run parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ocean thus creating a channel for the crisp on-shore Atlantic breeze making the region perfectly suited for cool climate grape varieties like Pinot Noir. The vineyard’s soil composition is predominantly granitic soils with small amounts of clay. The vines are between 7 and 10 years old. Quality over and above quantity is obvious when you notice small yields of 19 to 32 hectolitres per hectare.

The appearance of the wine is unusually pale, offering a contrast to the complex palate. This wine has an incredible depth in the aroma as well as flavour. I often see our guests taking a sip only at the very last minute so not to spoil the experience of inhaling this wonderful aroma of freshly turned earth which develops into a combination of roasted black pepper and coriander seeds, crushed and intertwined with cherry blossom. Yes, I know sounds unbelievable, well it is until you try this wine!

The aroma follows through onto the palate gracefully where the earthiness and spiciness is balanced by gentle acidity.  No need to gulp this wine as the incredible flavour of every sip lingers on and on.

The geniuses in the kitchen have created a dressing which we call Wild Garlic Tartare dressing.  The base of this is Extra Virgin Cornish Rapeseed Oil.  The oil is infused with locally foraged wild garlic as well as a red wine which has been reduced until a consistency of syrup is achieved. Monkfish Wrapped in Bacon with Wild Garlic Tartare dressing is just waiting for a glass of this Pinot Noir!

To celebrate the official launch, Nathan is delighted to be the guest chef at April Bloomfield’s New York restaurant, the John Dory Oyster Bar, based at the Ace Hotel. For this exclusive event, Nathan and April are creating a special seafood tasting menu together, into which Nathan will incorporate dishes from his book including a scallop tartare, and squid with pork belly, satsuma, fennel, and squid-ink mayonnaise.

Having met in London when April was promoting her first book, Nathan and April share a passion for cooking fantastic quality produce and combining flavours with simplicity at the heart of their dishes. April’s John Dory Oyster Bar provides the perfect setting for this one-night only event, which sees Nathan cooking in America for the first time.

Whether you are already in the area, or due a last-minute holiday, this is one event not to be missed!  Limited reservations are currently still available by contacting nathanoutlaw@thejohndory.com

Find out more about April Bloomfield here.

It was inspirational to listen to Claire’s experiences, having worked at such a high level in prestigious establishments such as the Ritz, as Head of Pastry at the eponymous three Michelin Starred restaurant The French Laundry in California and now as a consultant. Nathan and Claire share a love of the highest quality produce prepared and combined simply, to allow the flavours to speak for themselves. They both possess a natural gift in fish and pastry respectively, which, when combined with their extensive experience, makes them fascinating to watch in the kitchen. Guests observed as Claire demonstrated how to temper chocolate by feeling the temperature and making truffles, while Nathan showed how to prepare a pickled herring dish. The way in which Claire prepares and cooks by sight and feel was very much like how Nathan prepares and cooks fish, handling them so delicately with an instinctive knowledge of exactly where to cut, how the texture changes through cooking and the flavours that will complement them.

Claire was accompanied by her boyfriend André, an antiques dealer by trade, who is passionate about food, and bread making in particular. For this Master Class, he had his first experience of being a chef in a commercial kitchen, not giving himself an easy time by deciding to make four different types of bread for the Master Class: Wholemeal Sourdough, Olive and Thyme Fugasse, Rye and Five Seed!  Seeing him competently kneading the dough in the afternoon, it was easy to see why Claire said his flair for bread is too good to be kept at home; he obviously has the knack as the finished products tasted delicious.

André also inspired and took care of the first course of the evening which was a dish from his childhood. Cornish herrings were pickled in a traditional Polish cure of apple and red onion, with rye bread on the side and, as a first for our Master Classes, we served the traditional accompanying drink of Polish vodka. All our guests were adventurous enough to try it and were surprised at how the dish softened the vodka and worked so well together.

Moving on, Nathan took care of the main course which was stunning ‘Turbot on the Bone with Lamb’s Belly, Beetroot and Capers’. The moist, beautifully cooked Turbot really shone with its clean, wholesome taste and almost falling off the bone with the slow cooked lamb’s belly giving the dish real depth in flavour. As a real treat with this, Damon offered the 2011 Pinot Noir from Newton Johnson Family Vineyards situated the Hemel en Aarde Valley, sourced from his recent trip to South Africa. It brought earthy, red cherry flavours, with a body standing up to lamb’s belly and meaty texture of the Turbot and lovely acidity to match that of the beetroot.
Then it was onto a lighter-than-air cheese soufflé and three incredibly beautiful desserts, with which Claire has a super-human way.

Inspired by Claire’s time in California, ‘S’mores’ was a deliciously naughty combination of peanut butter mousse, caramel ice cream, candied peanuts, chocolate fudge cake, hot chocolate sauce, popcorn and vanilla marshmallows, accompanied by Damon’s unique Vin de Liqueur, Ratafia de Champagne from Domaine Dumangin. Claire’s Rhubarb and Camel Valley was a fairy tale in dish-form with a light pink rhubarb jelly, rose cream and delicate angel hair, strawberry powder and edible flowers, precisely balanced and refreshing. Finally Milk and Oreos were again inspired by America as a take on the traditional bed-time treat for children, made as a vanilla milk panna cotta and homemade Oreo cookies, comfort food at its best, accompanied by a sumptuous fortified Grenache with deep blackberry and dried fruit aromas and slight sweetness on the palate. As a final touch, Claire produced six different petit fours to finish the evening, complemented by a ‘Mini Sloe Malbec’ cocktail from Damon that just rounded off the event perfectly.

It was a real pleasure to welcome Claire and André who were just such wonderful people as well as being incredible in the kitchen. With our chefs just as excited to be a part of the Master Class as our guests, everyone had a great few days together sharing experiences and being wowed by the extraordinary food and Damon’s remarkable wine matches. Our guests and team were all on cloud nine after seeing and tasting the great combination of beautiful fresh produce masterfully put together by Nathan and Claire, buzzing with happiness from the flavours, textures and sheer amount of sugary goodness.

See exactly what our guests enjoyed in Nathan and Claire’s menu from the evening.

Claire Clark & Nathan Outlaw Master Class

Guest Host, Daphne Skinnard

Canapés

Herring & Tomato Jalousie

Goats Cheese & Pistachio Sable

Henriot Blanc de Blancs NV, Champagne, France

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Bread

Wholemeal Sourdough, Olive & Thyme Fougasse, Five Seed

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Herring by André

Served with Light Rye Sourdough

Wyborowa Pure Rye Grain Vodka, Poland

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Turbot on the Bone & Lambs Belly, Smoked Mushrooms, Beetroot & Capers

Pinot Noir 2011, Newton Johnson Family Vineyards, Hermanus, South Africa

~~~

Cheese Soufflé

Served with Walnut & Raisin Bread

Demi-Sec NV, Nyetimber, West Sussex, England

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S’mores  

Peanut Butter Mousse, Caramel Ice Cream, Candied Peanuts, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Hot Chocolate Sauce,

Popcorn & Vanilla Marshmallows

Ratafia De Champagne, Domaine Dumangin, Champagne, France

~~~

Rhubarb & Camel Valley

Rhubarb and Champagne Jelly, Rhubarb Sorbet, Rose Cream, Rose Angel Hair, Strawberry Powder

Edible Flowers & Micro Herbs

Brachetto Rose Cocktail

 ~~~

Milk and Oreos

Light Vanilla Milk Panna Cotta & Homemade Oreo Cookies Sandwiched

with Cornish Clotted Cream Frosting

Banyuls Reserva, Domaine La Tour Vieille, Roussillon, France

 ~~~

Petit Fours

Sesame Chocolates – Bubblegum Macaroons – Vanilla Shortbread

Salted Cashew Caramel Marshmallows – Pistachio Éclairs – Clotted Cream Coffee Fudge

Mini “Sloe Malbec”

Here in Restaurant Nathan Outlaw our seafood tasting menu is looking fantastic. The fish are coming in from Looe, Port Isaac and Porthilly looking stunning; gleaming and bright eyed. We are proud that our own vegetables are now starting to spring up – we have spring onions, herbs and leeks now from our kitchen gardens in Porthilly, Trebetherick and even in Nathan’s own patch with radishes, snap peas, broad beans and potatoes currently ‘brewing’ in the ground. The menu’s delicate flavours take you through from Seaweed Cured Salmon with a Chilled Mushroom Broth and Port Isaac Crab alongside Pickled Kohlrabi, through to Cod with Wild Garlic Tartare Dressing with a finale dessert of Passion Fruit and Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich. As ever, the way the fish will be presented on the menu is considered day by day as it comes in and dishes are tweaked depending on what treasures the catch brings. Like people, no two fish are ever exactly the same and therefore individual attention is paid to each when filleting and preparing.

While Chris and his team have been kept busy, this week Damon challenged Stephi, Julia and I with a blind wine tasting. For this, we taste the wine without knowing what it is and the process involves defining the character and determining flavours, leading to deciphering if it comes from the Old or New World and then on to deducing the grape varietal. This is great fun as it has us reading Damon’s face and tone of voice to try and get hints; however he has too good a game-face and has us veering off just when we think we have it! The result was a delicious 2006 Chenin Blanc from Château de la Roulerie, from Anjou in France with full tropical and stone fruit flavours, a hint of caramel and refreshing acidity in the finish. While we loved doing this because learning about wine is one of our passions, it is also a fantastic training tool which makes us exercise our palates and connect taste with our memories and knowledge, as well as personally reminding me to trust my instincts!

In the same spirit of training, this month we were delighted to welcome Mark Pitts-Tucker, Head Cheese Grader for Davidstow to the Restaurants for a wonderful session with the whole team from RNO and Outlaw’s, Rock tasting their Cheddar at the different stages of ageing. The team learnt about the manufacture and grading then experienced how the flavours and textures change through the maturation process. As we are privileged to exclusively offer their special ‘Three Year Old Crackler’ to our guests it was great for everyone to learn the ins and outs of behind the scenes at Davidstow and of course, it was a brilliant justification for some mid-morning cheese.

With Easter almost upon us, the nights are getting lighter for longer and so the seasonal evening water taxi is starting up again from Friday 29th March until the end of October in addition to the year-round day ferry that crosses from Padstow to Rock. This means it is now easier to get to us for dinner from the other side of the Camel Estuary! With a romantic fifteen minute walk from the ferry point on the beach up to Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, it is a great way to get into the Cornish spirit and enjoy the scenery along the way. As the water taxi runs from 7pm (or 7.30pm from mid-July to September) up until midnight, it is a wonderful option for the return journey to Padstow; we love when guests walk in wearing wellies from the walk with back-up heels in their handbag! It’s well worth it for those views from the water taxi in the evening with the low sun climbing into bed over Padstow.

So if you’re pining for fresh air and are currently struggling with the snow or grey skies, flee for a few days to come and share in a little blue sky, the glistening estuary and our wonderful seafood tasting menu with us in North Cornwall.

Nozawa-San was really keen to sample, quote “the best of British Seafood”. Coincidently the majority of the guests, including Nozawa-San, who have dined with us opted to trust my choices of accompanying wines. So he first handily observed the reaction from the guests enjoying Sol Lucet Koshu 2011 with Squid, Mint and Coriander.

The wine is difficult to describe.  On its own it reflects pure volcanic minerality which is a characteristic hard to fathom. This is partly because it’s left up to imagination due to none of us wandering around and sampling volcanic soil. However with food, well…specifically Squid, Mint and Coriander, the minerality provides the backbone to the palate and it opens up like a flower bragging hints of aniseed, smoke and Yuzu (believed to be a hybrid of Mandarin and Ichang papeda).  The Yuzu element is another reason why it is difficult to explain because you will not find Yuzu readily available in the UK or anywhere else for that matter.

It is a pleasure to be able to offer guests such a unique wine, and makes the relationship between Nathan Outlaw Restaurants and Nozawa-San all the more special after our team were able to take part in a tasting with him in person. Now all we have to do is find the time to pop over to Japan to visit the winery ourselves!

Well, here we go again, the winter break is over and down in Rock we are raring to go for the new season.  Of course, the weather isn’t yet showing much sign of spring but we are ever hopeful; there are snowdrops and daffodils about and we have had a few glimpses of sunshine over the past week.

Just before we closed for Christmas we had a bit of a nightmare due to all the rain that fell.  We came in one morning to water bubbling up through the floor of our wine cellar!  Initial investigations for the expected burst pipe were fruitless and, as ever, Danny was called upon.  He spent the next few days bailing out the cellar and clearing everything that had been damaged.  Following further investigations, it was found that an underground spring, which no-one knew about, had become so full with rainwater that it burst its banks…and found our cellar!  Luckily, none of the wine was touched but we did lose the fridges and their contents.  Over the break, workmen have been busy refitting the cellar and we now have shiny new fridges and lovely new flooring throughout the kitchen areas.  My thanks to them for getting it done in time for opening night!

This year began well for us as at the Excellence in Business Training Awards we were awarded runner up in the Outstanding Commitment to Apprenticeships category.  We are immensely proud of this as it is the first year that we have entered and it reflects the commitment that my staff team have made to nurturing new young talent.  Education and training are, I feel, the key to increasing the standards we can achieve in the hospitality industry, one of the reasons why I agreed to be involved with Cornwall College to set up Academy Nathan Outlaw and, as we were up against some of the ‘big boys’ for this award, it means even more to have received it.

In addition, Outlaw’s in Rock received the Gold award at the Taste of the South West Awards, a real boost for the staff in there who work so very hard to bring our guests excellent standards of food, service and that special, relaxed atmosphere that the place is known for.

The rest of the year is going to be exciting too.  I am looking forward to building on the success of the two restaurants in Rock.  We have a great staff team here and Karen, who organises all the HR stuff, has organised several training sessions recently so that we now have a number of extra staff members, both kitchen and front of house, who hold Food Hygiene certificates and several have also completed a First Aid course too.  In addition, we had a ‘team building’ day during which staff went rock climbing and rode on very high zip wires whilst getting incredibly wet because of the rain.  However, as is their way, they all kept smiling and agreed it was a great way to bring everyone together to begin the new season.

I am also looking forward to further developing Outlaw’s at The Capital with Pete Biggs, my head chef and Sharon, Cesar and the team there.  The Capital has been renowned as a first class hotel for many years and my aim is to make it THE place to go for the best fish and most fantastic service in London.

As well as all this, I’m negotiating with chef friends for the 2013 Masterclass season.  First on the list is Claire Clark, a world class pastry chef (18^th March) who has agreed to come and create a 6 course tasting menu with me, focussing on fantastic fish and delicious desserts.  This will be a chance for me and the team to learn lots from her and for our guests to experience a unique opportunity to savour her exquisite work whilst also enjoying the usual mix of chat, demos and general ‘foodie’ fun.  Tickets for this evening are available now but keep checking in to see who else we line up.

Finally, I’ve just heard that my publisher, Quadrille, has agreed to me writing a second book.  Even though it is going to mean lots of hard work, I am really looking forward to it.  This time I’m going to focus on recipes which are simple and use only a few ingredients so that more people will, hopefully, be inspired to have a go at cooking fish.  At present, the recipes are in my head and or scribbled on scraps of paper but, with luck, they should be on the bookshop shelves next year!

Well, that’s all for now, as the nights begin to draw out and we can start looking forward to those long summers days, how about planning a trip to Cornwall or London?  It would be great to see you!

As a team we are refreshed and happily still regaling each other with holiday stories. When this industry is also your passion, it seeps into all areas of your life and so when planning a ‘break’ the ideal activity tends to be trying new foods, different dining experiences and seeing how other cultures do what we do every day. And of course, given that it is January, chasing the sun around the world.

I found my blue skies in Barcelona and California this year. In stark contrast to the busy but really beautiful city break of Barcelona, I got back to the sea in America, spending two weeks driving up the classic Highway One from Los Angeles via San Francisco to Sonoma. It was an unforgettable trip taking in scenery which was just stunning – very much like an extreme version of Cornwall! Waking up to enormous Redwood trees, a gushing river or blissfully peaceful beach was the perfect way to experience the county, and naturally it involved hearty eating…it might be almost rude not to try everything?!

I visited a couple of wineries in Napa, Sonoma and Central Valley and it was great to see the differences between practices and vineyard management depending on size, ethos and style of intended wine. It was obvious, however, the amount of sheer hard work and love that goes into a vineyard.

One particular highlight was catching up with Andrew Nalle in Dry River Valley, Sonoma. Two years ago I tasted and fell in love with the Pinot Noir from Nalle Winery which Damon lists, alongside their Zinfandel, at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. I knew they were not a large winery but I wasn’t quite prepared for quite how they produce such great wines in a small establishment. It became clear that parents’ Doug, Lee and their son Andrew’s expertise, skill and reputation harmonises with the huge amount of passion that they put into their winery, going a great way towards generating this result. It is a combination of constantly striving for quality through an incredibly personal approach to picking, destemming and production with knowing almost literally each vine and how it grows that produces these excellent wines.  There is so much that they do that I cannot justify in a few words so you may just have to try it for yourself!

Our hills in Cornwall may be more rolling than Big Sur’s steep peaks and the Camel Estuary slightly calmer than the breaks in Morro Bay but it remains a gorgeous place to return to. In the past couple of weeks we are also delighted to see many locals rediscovering Cornwall and eating out, sharing celebrations and revelling in the fact that dinner with us is a perfect excuse for a night away!

Looking forward in 2013 there is much excitement to be had, with our Master Class dates now being released and Head Chef Chris and the team busy filleting, developing mouth-watering dishes, and cooking up a great seafood tasting menu in Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. We hope to see you equally refreshed and hungry for dinner soon!