Rating
Appeals to:
Everyone. Its impressive size means Firebrand would make an excellent visit for hen or stag parties, work parties and big family occasions. That said, there are a couple of intimate booths, so it’s a real all-rounder; appealing to anyone keen on Americana.
The cuisine:
Americana/Tex Mex
In one word:
Soul
Firebranded
Cornwall, like many islands, has its own unique weather system. It’s not quite an island – when you look on the map, you’ll see it’s a peninsula. However, you can spend a morning (or take my word for it – I already did) zooming in to discover where tributaries of the River Tamar end and join us to England.
It becomes something of a maze after a while and appears that only about 100m at a time actually joins us to the mainland.
Anyway, close to the (brace yourselves: curse word coming) Devon border, Launceston is one of the towns surrounded by the confluence of criss-crossing tributaries of the gateway to Cornwall. Prominently perched on a hill, the town boasts a bloody battle history within its castle grounds, and previously held memories of hedonistic school days for me.
Which is why Firebrand hit the spot so well when we visited.
The starters
Never have I been so pleased to see something on the specials board as when I saw Succotash in Firebrand. I recall only heard the word “thufferingthuccotash” from Sylvester of Tweety Pie fame. Apparently it’s a depression-era vegetable dish, popularly flavoured with bacon.
I didn’t order it.
Instead, sticking with a Deep South theme, I ordered a Louisiana Chowder. With fresh Cornish crab and smoked haddock, it was warming, and well balanced with creamy potatoes and fresh corn. Served with locally sourced sourdough bread, I’m getting hungry thinking about it again.
The ‘tache had mussels, which were fat and bursting, caught in the River Fal. Recently mentioned by Raymond Blanc on Saturday Kitchen, the river Fal is home to some of the best mussels the UK has to offer. These were cooked in Firebrand’s own ale and fennel and leek.
The booze
So, er, shit yeah! The craft ales! These guys make their own range of ales just outta town. The best thing is that they are still experimenting so whilst the Graffiti IPA and the All American Pale Ale are standard, the beer menu changes as the brewers experiment with ageing, ingredients and hop mixes. The Graffiti was fruity and malty and packed a punch at 5.0%.
The mains
Particularly well priced, and a good match with a ‘something for everyone’ kind of range were the Mexican Tapas. The ‘tache had a pulled pork, which had been raised locally and fed on the hops used to make Firebrand beer. Now that is ace. As fuck!
He also chose shredded chicken, and lime-marinated plaice fillets, which came with soft flour tortillas, guacamole and sour cream. Perfectly seasoned and with a good measure of bang for your buck, this was a triumph. The fish was simple and yet incredibly tasty – chargrilled and seasoned well.
I chose a Fish Taco with lime marinated Lemon Sole. Similarly, this fish was incredible: delicate and melt in the mouth, but packing a serious flavour punch. I had no idea at this point that the chef Eddie Thompson trained with Rick Stein.
But when I did find out, it didn’t surprise me. The fish was the best of its kind I’ve tasted, and I recommend a visit to Launceston’s Firebrand from any corner of Cornwall. With sweet potato chips on its side, the Fish Taco was another filling choice.
We didn’t need but ordered anyway the Burnt End Beans, which were cooked with bacon, paprika and a tomato-y sauce. The flavour packed into these beans demonstrates well the purpose of the whole idea behind Firebrand: big flavours, big portions, big restaurant.
The décor
With Americana adorning the walls, there’s a good mixture of number plates, car parts and depression era photography, which also contextualised the restaurant within its Cornish mining setting.
The boutique
Whilst we opted for primarily regular menu options, the special should not be understated.
Deep fried oysters with crispy bacon and a bourbon aioli, whole seabass with baby potatoes and salsify slaw, or crab linguine with chilli and tomatoes are all ideas Eddie has brought to the menu, so there is always something new to entice regulars.
I know I’ll be going back.
The specifics
Open every day from 5-11.30pm
Tel: 01566 770722
Email: info@firebrandbar.co.uk
Web: http://firebrandbar.co.uk/
Address:
5-7 Southgate Street
Launceston
Cornwall
PL15 9DP