What to eat when you visit Cornwall
FoodCornwall is famous for many things, beautiful scenery, stunning landscapes, brilliant beaches and of course, wonderful food. For those that visit the shores of Kernow, there are a plethora of delicious foods that you can try to offer you a traditional and authentic Cornish experience. This article looks at some of the very best foods to try whilst exploring Cornwall on a wellness break at St Michaels Resort. With quotes and recommendations from Cornish locals and those who have visited the area, let’s tuck into some of the best foodie options.
What to eat when you visit Cornwall:
· Cornish pasty
· Cream tea
· Saffron cake
· Crab sandwich
· Oysters and mussels
You can’t visit Cornwall without trying a Cornish pasty! The true foodie gem of Cornwall and known across the country as the food of the true Cornish. This meat and potato-filled pastry pocket is a wonder and should always be tried warm for an authentic experience. Trying a Cornish pasty is something Elizabeth Dale, blogger and Cornish local at the Cornish Bird Blog highly recommends to anyone visiting the area:
“If there is one particular topic that Cornish people can get really passionate about and debate for hours, it is where to find the best pasty. So, for anyone visiting Cornwall hunting down some of the smaller family-run bakeries, such as Gear Farm Bakery near Manaccan on the Lizard or Pip’s in Penryn and trying what I would consider a ‘real’ homemade pasty is an absolute must.”
Many pasty and bakery shops in Cornwall will also offer a selection of different flavour pasties to suit everyone’s tastes. You will find options like cheese and onion, roast chicken, and lamb, but for those wanting an authentic taste, then beef and potato is the best choice.
A common topic of controversy, the cream tea is a popular food choice in Devon and Cornwall and is one you should definitely try when in the Southwest area. A cream tea is traditionally a pot of tea served with a scone, cream and jam and is the perfect mid-afternoon snack.
Scones are traditionally served sweet with either fruit or plain and are topped with delicious berry jam and Cornish clotted cream. The question is do you put the cream or the jam on first?
Saffron cake or a saffron bun is a traditional Cornish sweet treat and is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. Saffron buns are spiced and contain yeast, dried fruit, and plenty of saffron.
Saffron cake is notorious to Cornwall as it was first introduced and traded in the harbours and markets around many of the Cornish villages and towns. First recorded in the 14th century, saffron was often traded for copper and tin from local mines.
For those looking to seek out this sweet dough will be able to find it in almost every Cornish bakery and should try it alongside a cup of tea or coffee.
Seafood is one of the most common foods in Cornwall due to it being surrounded by wonderful fishing villages and towns, so when visiting the area this is something that needs to be tried. The blog The Wild Flours comments on how delicious Cornish crab can be, saying:
“I still remember the first time I had a crab sandwich, made by my cousin who happens to be married to a Cornish fisherman (another benefit to now living beside the Cornish seaside) It was a very humble, very fresh lunchtime crab sandwich and it was glorious.”
Crab is a delicious and rich seafood and can be served so many ways, from in a sandwich with mayo and salad to in pasta, on a jacket potato or served in a salad. This versatile food is best served freshly caught from the sea that day.
Similarly to crab, mussels and oysters are another food that are commonly served out of Cornish waters and tastes much better when freshly caught. Seafood restaurants like Rick Steins in Padstow offer some of the very best seafood dishes including mouclade of mussels, hot shellfish with parsley and fruits de mer to name just a few.
Oysters and mussels are both commonly found in British waters and are a delicacy that many love. Mussels are traditionally served in a white wine sauce or in past and Oysters can be served with garlic or a squeeze of lemon.
If you’re planning to visit St Michaels Resort soon and want to get a taste of traditional Cornish cuisine, then hopefully this article has given you a little inspiration. For more articles like this, then head to the St Michaels blog.
Eat, drift, feel good
Foodie Spa Days
Delight in delicious ocean-view dining and grab a little Cornish wellness with a healing hydrothermal experience.
Our selection of foodie spa days:
• Relish in bliss with our Twilight Spa Evening including a 2-course dinner
• Enjoy a tranquil Saturday afternoon with Afternoon Teatox including afternoon tea
• Experience a revitalising afternoon with our Detox Retox including 2-course Lunch
• Chill and chow down with our Feel Good Feast including Pizza & 2 Bites
Exploration and relaxation
Coastal Walking Break
Entries to the 2023 Walking Break are now closed. Fill out the form below to find out when our next break begins.
Each place in Cornwall has a unique DNA, made up of layers which are the geology, the flora and fauna, mining, maritime and farming heritage, Celticity and the language, myths and legends and of course the beautiful views served by 2400 miles of footpaths, 300 of which are along the South West Coast Path. Enjoy a luxury base for exploration at St Michaels as you take in the stunning rugged coastline on our doorstep.
Highlights include:
• 3-night stay in a Classic King/Twin Room
• Full Cornish breakfast daily
• Dinner every night
• 2-hour Hydrothermal Experience in St Michaels Spa
• Complimentary use of Health Club swim and gym facilities
• Guided walks with local expert Paul from WalkitCornwall
4-day sanctuary
Coastal Yoga Break
12-15 Jun 2023 | 10-13 Sep 2023 | 17-20 Nov 2023 | From £689 per person
A special group experience with likeminded souls. Explore flexibility and inner wellbeing by the Cornish coast, with the beach a few footsteps away, our award-winning spa available for deep relaxation and our yoga experts ready to guide you through your tailored yoga retreat. Highlights include:
• 3-night stay in our luxury wellness resort
• Daily Cornish breakfast
• Daily guided yoga and meditation sessions
• Dinner on every evening
• 2-hour Hydrothermal Experience
Click below to see your daily itinerary.
Take the plunge
Cornwall Wild Swimming Break
18-21 Oct 2023 | From £745 per person
Invigorate the senses, improve technique and become immersed in the mental and physical benefits of cold water swimming during an unforgettable wild sea swimming retreat at St Michaels.
Your Cornwall Wild Swimming Break inclusions:
• 3-night stay in our luxury wellness resort
• Dinner every night
• Full Cornish breakfast
• Expert sea swim tuition
• Yoga session
• Gyllyngvase SUP experience or St Michaels Spa Hydrothermal Experience
• Complimentary Health Club swim & gym access
Add to any 3-night break
New Year Reboot
January & February | Add to your stay from £415 per person
Kick start your new year and add our Reboot package to a 3-night bed and breakfast stay throughout January and February 2023. Push the heartrate with crafted fitness sessions then enjoy a little Cornish wellness as you sample the best of our luxury coastal Resort. Highlights include:
• Add to a 3-night bed and breakfast stay at St Michaels Resort
• Dinner on each night of your stay
• Daily Cornish breakfast
• Expert tuition from St Michaels fitness instructors and personal trainers
• Body analysis session
• Your choice of 2 classes per day
• Studio and gym-based strength and cardio sessions in St Michaels Health Club
• Hydrothermal Experience and wellness treatment in St Michaels Spa
• Bespoke training plan to take away
Paddle south Cornwall
Cornwall Paddleboarding Break
2-5 Oct 2023 | From £745 per person
3-night paddleboarding break with The Long Paddle at St Michaels Resort
Hop on the board and cast off from one of the UK's best paddleboarding beaches on the Cornwall Paddleboard Break, led by Brendon Prince from The Long Paddle. Discover secret beaches and hidden coves from the comfort of our luxury beachside Cornish wellness resort, then kick back, relax and take in the surroundings.
Included
• 3-night stay in our luxury wellness resort
• Daily guided paddleboarding sessions plus water safety and sea swimming
• Shore-based coaching sessions
• Beach yoga session
• Daily Cornish breakfast
• Dinner every night
• Garden Kitchen grill/bbq on one night
• 2-hour Hydrothermal Experience
• Complimentary Swim & gym Health Club access
Learn about water safety and sea swimming basics and work on your technique with Brendon Prince of The Long Paddle, who has paddled every inch of the British coast. Then wander back up to our Falmouth hotel from the beach, dry off, and enjoy everything the resort has to offer: stretch it off with our yoga team, drift in the spa, and tuck into the best of Cornwall's farms, fields and seas in our ocean-facing restaurants.
3 nights of coastal bliss
Yoga Reset
7-10 February 2023 | From £775 per person
The perfect start to a new year by joining a special group experience with likeminded souls. Explore flexibility and inner wellbeing by the Cornish coast, with the beach a few footsteps away, our award-winning spa available for deep relaxation and our yoga experts ready to guide you through your tailored yoga retreat.
Highlights include:
• 3-night stay in our luxury wellness resort
• Daily Cornish breakfast
• Daily guided yoga and meditation sessions
• Dinner on every evening
• 2-hour Hydrothermal Experience
Expert-Led
The Wim Hof Break
3-Night Wim Hof Break
Train your mind, harness your body
NO SPACES AVAILABLE
When you think of the Wim Hof method, you might envisage plunging into icy waters. But that is quite literally the tip of the iceberg, there's so much more to learn about your mind and body on our 4-day journey.
Learn how the power of breathwork, mindfulness and cold water endurance combine to bring about a lasting, positive change in the way we live our lives, under the expert tutelage of Level 2 Wim Hof instructor Cat Paterson.
Your break includes:
• A 3-night stay in a Classic King/Twin Room
• Daily Cornish breakfast
• Introduction to the Wim Hof method
• Wild swimming and ice baths
• Dinner every night
• 2-hour Hydrothermal Experience on two occasions
• Yoga, breathwork and meditation
Includes Triathlon entry
Wild Swimming Triathlon Break
22-25 September 2023 | From £845 per person
Invigorate the senses, improve technique and become immersed in the mental and physical benefits of cold water swimming during an unforgettable wild sea swimming retreat at St Michaels.
Want to put practice into performance? This break falls over the weekend of the Falmouth Tri which starts on Gylly beach, footsteps from St Michaels. Entry into the Tri is included within the break and you'll work on acclimitisation swims and preparation work with your expert Salim in the lead up to the race.
Highlight include:
• 3-night stay in our luxury wellness resort
• Dinner every night
• Full Cornish breakfast
• Expert sea swim tuition
• Yoga session
• Gyllyngvase SUP experience or St Michaels Spa Hydrothermal Experience
• Optional Falmout Triathlon entry
Improve your technique
Swim Training
27 Feb - 1 Mar 2023 | From £519 per person
Improve technique under the expert tuition of Swim Lab's Salim Ahmed in this intense 3 day swim training break, in the luxury surroundings of St Michaels Resort.
Your Swim Training Break inclusions:
• 2-night stay in our luxury wellness resort
• Dinner every night
• Full Cornish breakfast
• Expert swim tuition
• Yoga session
• Complimentary Health Club swim & gym access