Rating
Appeals to:
Families and lovers of nature. Anyone who enjoys knowing where their food came from and has a passion for good, local home grown vegetables and herbs. Visitors wishing to have a taste of the country or those on an eco-crusade will all love the fresh food on offer here.
The cuisine:
An emphasis on localism and knowing your food
In a word:
Natural
Something tasty this way comes
Ever have that thing where you realise you take where you live for granted? I don’t often, but it was slightly shamefully that I had to confess to the ‘tache that I had only been to Heligan previously at night. Granted it was to see the Kneehigh Theatre’s Asylum production of Hansel and Gretel, which is nothing to be ashamed of, but not having been and explored the ‘lost gardens’ in all their glory was very un-Cornish of me.
I did spend a lot of time getting lost in the woods near there when I was younger but that’s another, and pretty degenerate, story…
Anyway, despite the dramatic weather – all mizzle and high winds, the drive across to Mevagissey is a beautiful one. Following the Fal as it snakes its way to divide the peninsula I call home from another one directly opposite is all very Du Maurier. That said, winter has been far from bleak this year.
The festive
Arriving to find Heligan’s Christmas tree decorated with oranges, shallots, red onions and even garlands of Brussels sprouts made for an excellent entrance to one of the best meals I’ve had lately. Festive with a focus on all things natural, Heligan’s Tea Rooms are modest and comfortable.
Tables were laid with provincial farmhouse style settings and crackers made from recycled cardboard, containing wooden gifts. The message from Heligan was strong, and well suited to the ‘tache and his inner eco warrior.
The staff
In good spirits, the staff here were really friendly and welcoming, and made good judgments about how much interaction to have. And they just didn’t stop feeding us!
Game changer
Oh. My. Days. This starter changed my life. Having been baking camembert for years now, I am borderline obsessed with its gooey goodness. But this was local brie, baked in a sheet of filo. So simple and yet the crisp crust totally revolutionised this starter for me; adding texture and onomatopoeia!
Served with Heligan’s home grown leaves, the freshness of every mouthful indicated that said leaves may well have been in the ground this morning, and were on my plate now.
The veg
Again, grown in-house (well in garden), the veg was a meal in itself. From leafy kale and tender buttered sprouts to roasted carrots, parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes, everything had a noticeable depth of flavour.
The mains
The ‘tache ordered beef, and despite not having eaten the stuff in about 30 years, I have to say it looked amazing. Locally sourced for one thing, but also rolled in such a way that it came apart with the graze of a fork. He was deeply satisfied.
As a vegetarian (who is obsessed with seafood), I ordered the one choice – a squash wellington. Usually I bitch tirelessly when there is only one veggie option and recoil in horror if there’s no seafood, but I sat corrected on this occasion.
The menu didn’t ‘talk up’ what was in the squash wellington, but as well as tender squash, a Cornish blue cheese held together lentils, wilted chard and an impressive seasoning.
The drink
Although made by Skinner Brewery, Heligan supply the honey used to make Heligan Honey ale. Available all over Cornwall, it’s fitting that the tearooms sell it.
Dessert time
Finding it almost impossible to order something that is not chocolate I ordered a gluten free chocolate roll and K had a trifle. Both were pretty simple and not the star of this show, but since everything else was so amazing it didn’t matter.
And then we got bonus mince pies.
As we waddled through the misty moors back to the car we felt really spoilt and happy.
The Details
Within the grounds of The Lost Gardens of Heligan, entry is free to the tearooms
Pentewan,
St.Austell,
Cornwall
United Kingdom,
PL26 6EN
Tel/textphone : 0044(0)1726 845100
Web: heligan.com
Email: info@heligan.com