One of the most easily deduced things in the world (especially if you’re English) is the appeal of the south west. Many people leave home primarily for the purpose of warmer conditions, but on a good day the bottom of her majesty’s land is no slouch. Lostwithiel is one of those places. It also has bags of character. The craggy shores, stone buildings and abundant greenery make for both cosy and magnificent surroundings. We made our way to the pleasant town of Lostwithiel, no doubt auspicious about the friendly vibe. Our destination couldn’t have been much quainter, a four bedroom cottage which boasted an immaculate garden, front pond, cobbled walls and single oak tree. There to welcome us was an elderly quartet, all wearing broad smiles. One disappeared to make a few phone calls and 4 quickly swelled to 17. It wasn’t as warm as it looked, but that didn’t take away from setting up in a place that almost made you feel guilty for disturbing the grass with your feet. Everything was up and running by early afternoon which put us in favourable stead? with the remaining daylight. It’s not mandatory for a Lostwithiel chef to know such a thing, but the perfectionist inside understands that our sense of taste can and does dwindle, so it helps that our hog roast Lostwithiel food is rich in flavour. As the proverbial pig began its rotating journey towards bronzed perfection, it was good to see some of our lesser known offerings seize the lime light. You wouldn’t have guessed there were so many people as only a couple of conversations broke the silence created by a group that clearly valued stillness. As they began on the chicken satay skewers you could only hear the birds. The peanut dip wasn’t neglected and as a follow up they tackled that light-pastry goodness supplied by the wild mushroom bouchees. I eventually learnt that one of the gentlemen knew a lot about pork. At first he was little reticent about disturbing my duties but soon realised my love for roasts and began yapping for a while. There was definitely a greater appreciation for the aesthetics of the roast, and while they lounged in unison I made sure the consistency of the sauces were just right for the high possibility of pork sandwiches. Sure enough they figured, and with stuffed bellies everyone looked ready for a nap. As we prepared to leave I couldn’t repress an amused grin; today had felt like a holiday, not work.
Hog Roast Cornwall