Prawn on the Farm is Prawn on the Lawn’s answer to how do you run a restaurant in 2020. And, I am here for it!
The temporary ‘pop up’ at Trerethern Farm puts the restaurant in a much bigger setting, in a long marquee overlooking Padstow and the river.
The same chilled out vibe, local seafood and fresh produce from Padstow Kitchen Garden has transferred perfectly. And the only changes, except the location, is that there’s a lot more space, social distancing and hand sanitising going on.
Take a look at Prawn on the Farm…
The Prawn on the Farm Pop Up
Prawn on the Lawn is my favourite restaurant in Padstow, so when it created the pop up on Trerethern Farm I knew I had to visit it. I was thrilled to find out it was open during my trip to the town, and we could get a reservation for some dinner.
Top Tip – if you’re ever going to Padstow for The Prawn on the Farm or the Lawn, make sure you book in advance. It’s very popular.
As things in 2020 seem to change on a daily basis, I seized the moment to celebrate Mr Bright Lights Big City (Mr BLBC) and I’s anniversary by booking a reservation during our trip to Cornwall. Eight years is a long time and must be honoured with good food, a spectacular location and of course excellent company!
At The Prawn on the Farm there’s a long marquee that has a bar, seats 60 people inside and the kitchen is at one end. Outside there’s some more tables well distanced apart and some other seating for drinks.
The attention to detail is spot on, and so much consideration has been given to every aspect of the dining experience. At the time I went, during the pandemic, I cannot tell you how reassuring the extra measures were.
Menu
The menu is seasonal and depends on the recent catches from the river. The vegetables are fresh from the field next door courtesy of Padstow Kitchen Garden.
Dinner
We decided to share a selection of the small plates. On my last visit to Prawn on the Lawn I had the whole lobster and it was magnificent. But, this time I definitely wanted to sample the other dishes on the menu.
We tried a lot on the menu and this might leave you feeling a little hungry!
The small plates come out at different times, which means everything stays hot and you can take your time to enjoy each one.
The first to arrive was the Padron peppers and carabineros salt, which are just one of my favourite vegetables. The UK variety of the pepper are particularly hot, it’s meant to be that you get one very hot pepper per batch picked. But, the UK ones are known to be much more spicy for some reason.
The Szechuan prawns were very moreish and definitely the messier portion of the meal. If you follow this blog regularly you’ll know my love of prawns is real, these are particularly wonderful.
The seared tuna, soy, mirin and chilli was so fresh, and went well with our other choices. It was cut beautifully thin, and I’ll be honest, we had this on our last visit so we know we wanted to have it again!
My Favourite Dishes
We ordered from sourdough and seaweed butter to go with mussels, clams, manzanilla and garlic. You can’t order mussels without some fresh bread to mop up all those lovely juices. These were particularly sublime.
Also, seaweed butter, it’s a big thumbs up from me. It adds a slight saltiness, texture but also a real depth of flavour that works so well with the butter and bread.
I also have a confession to make, I’ve always avoided clams. They have never appealed to me but, I thought if there’s ever a place to try something you don’t think you’re keen on it’s Prawn on the Farm or the Lawn. It’s safe to say the clams were delicious – I’m a convert!
It’s a close tie between the mussels and the tempura fish and chilli dipping sauce for my favourite dish of the meal.
I cannot describe how tasty these were. That beautiful crunch, the soft white fish inside and the chilli dipping sauce that cuts through it all while simultaneously bringing it all together. What a treat. I could have easily not shared them.
This is the scallops with a Thai marinade and Thai Basil and it is up there with the mussels and the tempura fish. The Thai sauce channelled all those great flavours which the scallop took on so well.
You can tell we were having a good time because of the state of the table. I did try to cover it up with some careful placement of the scallops. But, I don’t think I got away with it.
Additional Small Plates
Accompanying these dishes we also had the baby gem, truffle oil and parmesan salad and the tomato and tarragon salad.
The fresh ingredients and the combinations of these latter two dishes were just the right things to have alongside the other plates.
Pudding
Yes, we ate a lot over several hours but we did still have room for pudding. We were celebrating after all!
After a caramel pot and an affogato to share, we were very full. We found ourselves taking a slow jaunt back to the beach by our accommodation and enjoying the rest of the afternoon and evening in the late summer sun. There’s nothing like good food and time together.
The Farm
What a meal. I’m trying not to get too gushy but it really is one of my favourite restaurants.
I couldn’t think of a better place to enjoy the best of Cornish and local Padstow produce. The marquee is thoughtfully laid out, the views across the fields to the river and harbour entrance are stunning and the food is exquisite.
The Prawn on the Farm is an exceptional extension of the The Prawn on the Lawn in central Padstow.
The Prawn on the Farm pop up runs until November 2020 but who knows what will happen after that. Keep an eye on the website to find out the latest updates.
Visit the The Prawn on the Lawn and The Prawn on the Farm website.
Let me know in the comments below what you think about The Prawn or the Lawn, or the Prawn on the Farm and if you’ll visit on your next trip to Cornwall.
If you liked this, you might like these posts too…
- A SEAFOOD FEAST AT PRAWN ON THE LAWN IN PADSTOW
- FRESH PRODUCE FROM PADSTOW KITCHEN GARDEN
- A PINT OF PADSTOW, PADSTOW BREWING COMPANY
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