Dan Cox has not made life easy for himself with Crocadon, the 120-acre Cornish farm he took over in 2017. Just outside Saltash close to the Devon border, the enormous site is multi-faceted comprising a restaurant, café and bakery alongside livestock, arable land, a large market garden and a brewery.
The former Simon Rogan chef’s blood, sweat and tears have paid off. With so much control over the ingredients he uses - Crocadon is not quite self-sufficient, but a very high proportion are homegrown and reared - Cox is able to deliver some of the UK’s most distinctive and exciting farm-to-table cuisine.
According to Cox, each plate of food is ‘as rooted in nature as it can be’ delivered by way of a ‘pared back yet technically-complex cooking style’ that draws on elements of his classical training (prior to Rogan he worked for the Roux family and celebrated Catalonian restaurant Can Fabes). Based on either produce picked that day or ingredients that have been expertly preserved, expect vibrant and unexpected flavours from (usually) unremarkable ingredients like parsley, squashes and radishes.
The 25-cover restaurant itself is set in a restored barn that’s framed by the rolling hills of the Tamar Valley. In keeping with its farm location, the space is rustic and relatively low-key in feel - especially given the ambitious nature of the project overall - with design details including exposed wooden beams, light wooden furniture, stone walls and sheepskin throws.
The former Simon Rogan chef’s blood, sweat and tears have paid off. With so much control over the ingredients he uses - Crocadon is not quite self-sufficient, but a very high proportion are homegrown and reared - Cox is able to deliver some of the UK’s most distinctive and exciting farm-to-table cuisine.
According to Cox, each plate of food is ‘as rooted in nature as it can be’ delivered by way of a ‘pared back yet technically-complex cooking style’ that draws on elements of his classical training (prior to Rogan he worked for the Roux family and celebrated Catalonian restaurant Can Fabes). Based on either produce picked that day or ingredients that have been expertly preserved, expect vibrant and unexpected flavours from (usually) unremarkable ingredients like parsley, squashes and radishes.
The 25-cover restaurant itself is set in a restored barn that’s framed by the rolling hills of the Tamar Valley. In keeping with its farm location, the space is rustic and relatively low-key in feel - especially given the ambitious nature of the project overall - with design details including exposed wooden beams, light wooden furniture, stone walls and sheepskin throws.
