Taking Cornish shellfish on the road this summer

Chef Harry Bartlett is on a mission to spread the word about Cornish shellfish to far-flung parts of the UK, taking his @Home trailer all the way to Northamptonshire this summer for a unique inland shellfish festival.

This July Harry will embark on a round-trip of nearly 600 miles back to his home patch of Northampton for the 4th annual Crabstock festival – a celebration of cooking and eating Great British shellfish.

Harry grew up in Daventry – just a few miles from Northampton – and moved to Cornwall when he was 18, working first as a boat builder before following his real passion and training to be a chef.

His street food business, @Home, now has a cult following at Truro Farmers Market where he serves up a feast of global flavours every week; he also tours local campsites, food festivals and events using local produce to craft inventive menus.

Harry will be taking Cornish shellfish on the journey north for the weekend 25th and 26th July to The Obelisk Centre in Northampton, where he will join a huge selection of seafood stalls and vendors, with demonstrations, competitions and entertainment as the seaside is bought to the city.

Harry said: “Cornwall is such a massive part of the UK’s fish and shellfish industry that when I heard about this festival I felt it had to be represented – even if it is a long trip!”

He adds, “I never ate seafood until I moved to Cornwall; now as a chef I am taking the amazing produce of my new home back to where I grew up, so it has a really special meaning for me.”

Harry will be using crab from Kernow Sashimi and lobster from Dreckly Fish, creating a fresh and flavoursome menu featuring his signature Mexican burritos and tacos – with a Cornish seafood twist.

Both Kernow Sashimi and Dreckly Fish specialise in top quality sustainable fish and shellfish; Kernow Sashimi operates small day boats at Helford, Coverack and Cadgwith, while Dreckly Fish is a group of fishermen working out of Newlyn selling line-caught fish, pot-caught lobsters and crab with complete traceability.

At Crabstock Cornish seafood will be highly sought-after, as the festival organisers seek to highlight the health benefits of eating Great British shellfish as well as the social and economic importance of supporting the country’s fishing industry.

Festival founder Adrian Bartlett explained the reasoning behind an inland food festival with a coastal theme: “I fully believe that our shellfish is the best in the world and that we should do all that we can to keep all our wonderful, nutritious, sustainable shellfish on the menu. Crabstock is a fantastic opportunity to engage local inland communities.”

Part of the festival involves reaching out to schools around Northampton and teaching children how to enjoy the healthy and delicious bounty that the sea provides – and how it should be preserved for future generations.

Apart from during his epic journey northwards, Harry will be at Truro Farmers Market on Lemon Quay every Saturday, and will also be appearing at local food festivals over the summer. To keep up to date follow @HomeSTREETFOOD on Twitter or visit the website www.athometrailer.com.