FOOD & DRINK: Cranham House has a reputation for providing the best in food. We are always happy to cook dinner for you when you stay. What we don’t grow or produce ourselves we source locally and with the greatest care. We only use the best available whether the vegetables, herbs and salads are from our own organic garden, eggs from our own hens, or the meat, cheese and additional vegetables and fruit from local makers, growers and producers.
There are some very distinctive cheesemakers locally too and meat from local organic smallholders is plentiful and good. The butchers we use pride themselves on knowing exactly where the meat they sell comes from and how respectfully the animals have been treated. Good husbandry is of paramount importance to us here. There is always game available in season and we love to cook it. As well as this wild food we pick berries from the hedgerows and make cordials, jams and ice creams from the elderflowers and blackberries growing in our garden and valleys.
The ingredients of our food are either organic or locally produced and often both.
See our sample menu page for an idea of what to expect from our kitchen.
When you want to eat out we can recommend some fine ‘gastro’ pubs and restaurants in our part of North Devon and Cornwall. We have one of the them in the village - the Old Smithy Inn. One of our current favourites is The Castle Restaurant, Bude where Kit chefs having learned his craftat Bibendum in London.
We have lived here some time and know the good places from the mediocre. We can recommend them and book a table for you too.
Farmers Markets and Food Festivals abound in this part of the South West and we can give you details when you are here.
There are both Devon and Cornwall vineyard trails to explore. The Camel Valley vineyard is award winning and produces world class vintages.
The Tarka Line Real Ale Trail combines the beauty of the North and mid Devon countryside with fine rural pubs serving traditional real ales. Small scale brewers of both beer and cider are also very active here and we can tell you about them.
(Image: Pen & Ink Drawing by David McKinstry)