Cornish lunch is fit for a Duchess

A DELICIOUS lunch supplied and sourced by Nancledra farmers was enjoyed by the Duchess of Cornwall when she visited one of most prestigious ceremonial regiments in the Army last week.

Steve and Bridgette Clamp, of Higher Trenowin, were asked by the commanding officer of the King's Troop of the Royal Artillery, to provide the all-Cornish three-course meal for 12 in honour of the duchess who was visiting the troop's barracks in St John's Wood.

Bridgette told The Cornishman she had thoroughly enjoyed getting all the ingredients for the lunch, comprising trout with quail eggs, cauliflower soup, woodcock and local cheeses, and had heard from the CO that the duchess had really enjoyed the food.

"The food was very easy to source," she said. "Everyone I contacted was so proud to contribute and generous with their produce; I think they all wanted to show how good our food can be in Cornwall.

"Since the meal, the commanding officer has called us and said the duchess was enthralled by the lunch and the CO is planning to send me a copy of the menu."

The request for the all-Cornish meal was made by the CO to Steve and Bridgette and they quickly contacted local producers for all the menu's ingredients – for example Drift farmer Geoffrey Reynolds supplied the potatoes for the Dauphinoise, John Hodge, of Fraddam, the rainbow trout, Jonathan Laity, of Millpool, red cabbage, and the Clamps themselves grew the cauliflower used in the soup.

A particular request, said Mrs Clamp, was for woodcock.

"We got hold of William Prowse, from Zennor, who we know is a very competent shot, and he was able to get the six brace of woodcock over the New Year period, just before the voluntary ban on shooting wildfowl was brought in because of the cold weather."

Jams and cakes

As well as the food supplied for the lunch itself, the Clamps also sent the duchess a goodie bag of produce from the Higher Trenowin farm shop including a selection of home-made jams and cakes.