Cornish restaurant launches gourmet delivery service

Chef Emily Brown of The Harbour Restaurant has launched a new service supplying cooked-to-order gourmet meals to holiday accommodation in Port Isaac and the surrounding area.

The meals are all freshly-prepared using locally-sourced ingredients, including fish and shellfish landed daily by the Port Isaac fishing fleet - and many of the recipes are favourites on the menu at The Harbour.

"We have occasionally been making prepared meals for delivery from the restaurant kitchen since we opened last year, and all the feedback we had was telling us that there is a real demand for this service," said Emily, who previously ran a successful outside catering company in the Home Counties.

"The dishes for delivery are all designed to be available when you need them, and because everything is cooked to order customers can be satisfied that the meals are completely fresh. I think it's giving people the best of both worlds: freshly-prepared restaurant food to eat where and when they choose."

The service is aimed at the large number of self-catering holiday properties in the area, and is ideal for those who don't want to eat out every night, but might fancy a night off cooking. The service will appeal particularly to those with small children who may not be able to find a babysitter to enjoy an evening out in an unfamiliar area.

Those entertaining large numbers of guests will find Emily's canapé menu invaluable. With a choice of over a dozen different hot, cold and sweet canapés, it is possible to cater for larger numbers with ease, or provide an indulgent starter for a three-course dinner.

More than 20 different starters and main courses are available in individual portions, while puddings range from whole cakes and tarts to individual crème brûlée. All the dishes come with cooking instructions, and most only need reheating in an oven.

"Our dishes are available for delivery within 24 or 48 hours from ordering, but we will always have a number of meals that are ready for customers to take away from the restaurant there and then," said Emily, a graduate of the Tante Marie Cookery School.

"We are even able to offer holidaymakers the facility to order food in advance so that when they arrive on holiday there can be a fridge full of meals waiting for them. And as some of the dishes can be frozen, it is possible that a single order can last for a week."

Canapés are priced at £8.50 for ten, and include Devils on Horseback; mini Yorkshire puddings with rare roast beef and horseradish cream; and tiger prawns marinated in garlic and lime wrapped in mangetout.

Starters, such as smoked mackerel paté with melba toast soliders, cost from £4.95; with main courses ranging from £5.50 per portion for caramelised red onion and goats cheese tartlets, to an individual ready-to-roast poussin with garlic, basil and lemon for £9.50.

Dishes are priced per portion, with a minimum order of four portions. Price per portion four to ten servings. Canapés are sold in a minimum quantities of ten of each type.

The Harbour Restaurant is open every day from 10am for coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. Tables for lunch can be reserved between 12 and 2.30 pm, and dinner is served every day (except Sunday) from 7pm.

Words: Clare Riley

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