Eat with Ellen

[Disclosure: Our stay at The Old Quay House was complimentary as part of a review for The Telegraph. As always, nobody gets to approve what I write here and all views are my own.] Fowey’s got a special place in my heart. It was somewhere we visited on a post-Covid trip to Cornwall and despite the strange feelings we all experienced in that period of time, that trip in particular reminds me of how full of joy so many of us were at being out again and the promise of things improving.

[Disclosure: We paid for our meal. A few snacks and a drink each were kindly gifted to us by the team] There are certain towns in Cornwall that are well known as foodie havens – some in a more mainstream way thanks to big-name celebrity chefs and their restaurants. Others maybe more in a sort of ‘niche’ way because they boast a couple of lesser well-known yet really rather good restaurants.

[Disclosure: I was invited to a press dinner as part of the soft launch of MOR by Tom Sellers] When it comes to good restaurants, Cornwall isn’t exactly short of them, but there is always space for more. In a climate where we hear the doom and gloom of hospitality closures far more frequently than we’d like to, any opening comes with slightly more excitement than maybe it would in easier times. And safe to say, excitement is swirling around MOR by Tom Sellers.

[Disclosure: I visited Boringdon Hall twice for the purposes of this blog – once for afternoon tea and another as part of my experience of the South West 660 road trip route, which you can read about here.] As you weave your way through streets of houses on the outskirts of Plymouth en route to Boringdon Hall, you could be forgiven for feeling slightly sceptical about where you’re heading.

[Disclosure: We paid in full at Braai. They didn’t know I was a blogger] You smell and hear Braai before you see it, the unmistakeable aroma of fire and meat, and the upbeat music mixed with even more upbeat chatter of guests congratulating themselves on finding somewhere quite so unique. Unless you’re wandering aimlessly around the countryside on the eastern side of the Isle of Wight, you have to be looking for Braai to find it.

[Disclosure: This is a sponsored post] When planning a foodie trip, there’s usually a trade-off. You can explore France or Italy, the Balkans or the Baltics, but rarely all of them in one journey without spending half your time in airports. Now, imagine a cruise that changes all of that. On a Danube cruise, you experience the kitchens of half a dozen countries, from Bavarian bread to paprika-rich Hungarian dishes, without ever repacking your suitcase.

[Disclosure: I was hosted for two sections of the SW660 in order to review it] Gazing out of the window looking at the sea below, the coast road sprawled out in front of us with the nearest car a dot in the distance, I could almost be cruising the Pacific Highway, maybe even Australia’s Great Ocean Road. The vista is broad, the views spectacular. It’s everything you need from a road trip. But it’s not in some far-flung country with a flight between you and it.

[Disclosure: I was invited to The Dining Room for a complimentary meal. We paid for our drinks] Once upon a time – at least when I first started going to Cornwall – Rock was ‘that place across the water from Padstow’. As a child, it was where my friend’s family would take us to launch their boat from. It was where the serious boating people hung out.

[Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary meal at The Clover Club for the purposes of this blog. We paid for our drinks] There’s no shortage of places to eat and drink in Newquay – some great, some less so. But safe to say, there’s plenty of choice – much like the Cornwall food scene in general.

When I visited Ugly Butterfly for afternoon tea in 2025, it’s safe to say I was blown away. It remains the best afternoon tea I’ve ever had, from the ‘snacks’ with their own personal stories right through from savoury to scones and the most beautiful patisserie. Not to mention stunning views over its then home at Carbis Bay to great cocktails and special little additions like caviar and champagne.