Crocadon
St Mellion, Cornwall
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Set on a 120-acre farm in the heart of the Tamar Valley, Crocadon is chef Dan Cox’s passion project, his answer to regenerative, sustainable farming and the pursuit of pure produce. It's a work in progress from the former Simon Rogan lieutenant, who has put blood, sweat and tears into developing the soil-centric fields and pasture, establishing a diverse range of heritage and better-known varieties of plants and vegetables, and building up his flock of rare-breed sheep – all of which supply the restaurant at the centre of the farm. Launched in spring 2023, the bijou dining room (housed in an historic barn) is a Scandi-style space where ornate House of Hackney wallpaper at the entrance gives way to stone walls, beams, light wooden tables and sheepskin-clad chairs. Tasting menus (£75 or £105) which run for three evenings a week, are a culinary assault course – an adventurous trip highlighting what the land can produce while celebrating a tight network of best-in-class suppliers. In comparison, we found Sunday lunch (£45) to be a more accessible feast – and surprisingly good value, given the culinary wizardry coming from the open-plan kitchen. The main event centres around Crocadon’s lamb, perhaps a six-year-old Romney/Lleyn cross. Seamed-out leg meat is served tender and pink, while slow-cooked, melt-in-the-mouth shoulder is decorated with fruity Cylindra beetroot and pickled in shiso. Accompanying garden vegetables could include smoky barbecued carrots, a purée of pickled carrots and nasturtiums, a lasagne-inspired Kalibos cabbage layered with Crocadon’s fresh cheese, and a leguminous fricassée of flageolet beans, broad beans and runner beans blended with a delicious emulsion made with lemon pepper and topped with crispy kale. For dessert, Crocadon's play on Eton mess is a minty herb cream (using pickings from the restaurant’s garden entrance), blended with herb- and rose-flavoured meringues and served with an elderflower sherbet and gooseberry jam – proving that what grows together, goes together. The drinks list is short but perfectly curated: wines by the glass have a focus on soil health and agriculture, and there are delightful non-alcoholic pairings such as meadowsweet and lavender cordial. The on-site café and bakery are well worth a detour too.
