Cornish Food Is A Sell-Out Success At Top UK Festival

Organisers of Wilderness Festival, which takes place at Cornbury Park in Oxfordshire each summer, chose two Cornwall-based food businesses to kick off proceedings this year and were rewarded with sell-out sales in minutes.

Woodfired Canteen and The Hidden Hut will collaborate on an opening night banquet at the four-day extravaganza of food, the arts and the outdoors, serving up a menu packed with Cornish produce to a hungry crowd of 350 festival-goers.

Tickets sold out within 40 minutes of release – evidence of the continuing allure of Cornish produce and culinary talent, and the promise of a fantastic food experience from this mouth-watering collaboration.

Woodfired Canteen were asked back for a second helping, following a rapturous response to their first Wilderness outing last year; Co-founder Ben Quinn is thrilled to be cooking alongside Simon Stallard on this occasion, and the two have devised a menu which unites all their favourite flavours of a Cornish summer.

The menu features a wealth of local seafood, meat, fruit and vegetables – all lovingly sourced and carefully prepared, and cooked over live fire by Ben, Simon and their team.

Ben said: “We can’t wait to return to Wilderness and cook alongside our good friends from The Hidden Hut. We are so proud to have been tasked with delivering a long table banquet on the opening night, as the organisers know we can be relied on to deliver an unforgettable experience.”

Simon added: “It will be my first time cooking at Wilderness and I’m really looking forward to it, as by all accounts the atmosphere is amazing. It’s very exciting to be able to take Cornish food, creativity and professionalism on the road like this.”

Other chefs appearing at the festival include Yotam Ottolenghi, Angela Hartnett and Tim Spedding; Tim is also now based in Cornwall having recently joined as Head Chef at Coombeshead Farm near Launceston.

Ben said: “It’s great that Tim will be at Wilderness this year too, as will many chefs and food brands we admire from across the UK. My team will have the chance to immerse themselves in all that – and I’m sure we will return to Cornwall overflowing with energy and ideas!”

Although tickets for the banquet at Wilderness are sold out, food lovers can enjoy a slice of the action closer to home.

Woodfired Canteen’s HQ is at Wheal Kitty, St Agnes; Canteen Cornwall is open every week day 8.30 – 5.00 serving breakfast and lunch, and regular events include Taco Tuesdays, Flash Feeds and Weekend Brunches.

The Hidden Hut is at Porthcurnick Beach on the Roseland Peninsula and is open every day 10am – 5pm; summer feast nights always sell out quickly, but you can now have a go at recreating Simon’s food at home with the publication of The Hidden Hut cookbook.