Trailing grapes and juicy figs. Oversized cheese wheels and generous drizzles of local honey... Have we painted a dreamy enough picture yet? The Cornish Grazing Company was established in 2019 when founder Samantha Heard returned to Cornwall after working as a chef in the yachting industry based out of the South of France, where she developed a deeper love for luxury cuisine. Her company was inspired by the Australian-born catering trend, grazing, which has snowballed in popularity thanks to the likes of Pinterest and Instagram. 'Once I saw that there was potential to create a sensational and unique catering experience for people within the South West of England, the idea of The Cornish Grazing Co. came to life and the hard work started,' she says.
With her grazing platters now available for delivery at modern hideaway, Nare's Yard, Samantha took the opportunity to visit her latest outlet for a couple's getaway with partner Tom, 'we were in total awe of the natural materials and spa facilities available, whilst finding endless surprises inside like the hidden kitchen facilities. We lit the wood-fired saltwater hot tub to ensure it would be warm an hour post graze,' says Samantha, who created a beautiful intimate grazing platter, which they enjoyed by candlelight, swiftly followed by a glass of Camel Valley under a starlit sky in the hot tub. 'There are plenty of activities located around Heidi, we walked into Portloe village and admired the small fishing heritage, whilst also visiting small local businesses such as The Old Garage, who sell a wide range of wines, deli delights and award-winning cheeses, and Da Bara Bakery, famed for their artisan bread.'
Cooking with the seasons and sourcing as locally as possible is a large part of The Cornish Grazing Co's ethos. 'I integrate a range of seasonal produce onto my platters, which includes bursts of different flavour and beautiful colour throughout. I am really excited as we head closer to summer as a huge variation of berries will be in season. I love offering the biggest, juiciest and sweetest strawberries I can find.' Samantha focuses on using local foodstuffs where possible, helped by building strong relationships with acclaimed niche suppliers such as Baker Tom, Lynherr Dairies and Mossel and Croust. 'I enjoy talking to my clients, leading them through my grazing platters whilst also telling a story or heritage, therefore having a relationship with local companies allows me to introduce these brands to my clients also.'
The Cornish Grazing Co. is now available to order during a stay at Nare's Yard.
