Sporting hero

All that fresh air has made me hungry so I round up the family and, ignoring Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver, head for another chef who might not be a household name but certainly should be. Kevin Viner, twice Britain’s Chef of the Year, was the first chef in Cornwall to win a Michelin star, at his former restaurant Pennypots, and now runs Viners in a 17th-Century farmhouse, some nine miles from Truro. Its informal style of dining using first-rate local produce has seen it awarded Michelin’s Bib Gourmand, an accolade handed out for “good food at moderate prices”, or meals that lead you to go home talking about the flavours, not the bill.

While we sit out in the garden, Kevin disappears into the restaurant kitchen to prepare something for us. Before we’ve finished reading the menu, he’s back with pan in hand and we’re tucking into one of the sweetest fish we’ve ever tasted. It’s megrim, or Cornish sole – a fraction of the price of lemon sole but equally delicious. So why have we never heard of it?
“Cornwall’s still very much a secret food wise,” says Kevin. “Not just the seafood. Did you know we have some of the finest game in the country? The venison is better than Scotland’s as the animals don’t have to live through such a harsh winter. The salt air adds unique flavour to our lamb and beef too. Local producers are so willing to grow new varieties of fruit and vegetables. And in recent years farmers have started supplying direct to customers. That has made a massive difference.”
Right on cue, Dick pulls up in his van with a delivery of potatoes and free-range eggs. We invite him over and soon he’s telling us about the Cornish origins of the line “I am the eggman” in The Beatles song I am the Walrus. According to Dick, it dates from 1967 when the band came to Newquay to film their Magical Mystery Tour. “The former owner of our farm walked into a bar where the Beatles were sitting and someone said: ‘Here is the eggman.’ So he became the inspiration.”
Tall tale or not, I like the idea of Cornwall’s local fare gaining some form of wider recognition, even if a little lost in the psychedelic mists of time. Fortunately, in 2009 our westernmost county has plenty of contemporary personalities to put it on the foodie map – and of course the incredible local produce sings loudly for itself.
Time to leave the many delights of Cornwall and head home. The new Insignia Sports Tourer has been a delight to drive – as tasty, in fact, as the food we’ve sampled. Cocooned in its comfortable leather seats as the miles pass, I reflect that life’s pleasures can be simple – good food, good people, the challenge of mastering a new skill. Add to that the peace of mind that comes with driving a car that delivers on every level, and you have perfection.

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