Boasting one of the most varied landscapes in the whole of the UK, with farmers’ lush pastures sitting just moments away from the coast, it’s no surprise that there’s a huge amount of fantastic produce coming out of Cornwall. Although the climate and geography of the county have big parts to play in this, it’s also equally down to some truly remarkable and forward-thinking people. Suppliers like Kernowsashimi are pushing the boat out when it comes to providing the highest quality fish possible, while butchers like Philip Warren and his son Ian are making sure that Cornish meat has just as good a reputation. However, if there was ever a man on a mission to make sure that produce from the South West continues to be shouted about, it’s Matt Chatfield.
After spending time away from his family’s Devonshire farm working in London at a publisher, Matt decided to return home and set up The Cornwall Project. The aim was to drive interest in Cornish produce and help set up connections between suppliers and restaurants. Over the years he acted as a middleman between suppliers, including Philip Warren Butchers and top London restaurants such as Kiln, Brat and Bao. These connections he created between Cornwall and London are still strong today and Matt was even instrumental in helping Ian Warren set up his celebrated ‘On the Pass’ range of chef-inspired aged specialist cuts during lockdown. However, the past five years have seen Matt shift his focus back to the family farm, where he’s doing something pretty special with sheep.
‘About four years ago, I spent two years on a houseboat learning about farming by watching YouTube videos and I just got so obsessive,’ says Matt. ‘If I saw a farmer I liked, I’d phone them up and go and visit them around the country. One day, I was thinking about what the best meat in the world is, and for me, it’s Jamon Iberico. There’s a particular supplier who I think is the best, so I went out and met him three or four times to learn how he produces the meat. The Iberico pigs he rears are quite small and they walk around a huge amount for the first eighteen months of their lives without eating much at all. What this means is that the muscle is really worked which gives the meat its flavour. At twenty months old the pig weighs eighty kilos, then the acorns appear and within four months it has literally doubled in weight. So, once they’ve walked around lots, it’s important to get a good fat cover on them at the end but through the decent quality stuff that it eats.’