Feedback with Rebecca Rickards

Celebrating it's 100-year birthday this year, Cornishware has really stood the test of time.

Through good times, bad times and a pandemic. Having gone into administration in 2007 it was bought by Charles Rickards, Perry Haydn Taylor and Bill Barlow in 2008, and continues to go from strength to strength with its trademark stripey kitchenware.

Charles' daughter Rebecca is the Brand and Marketing Director, and she shares with us her food likes, her passion for cooking, and how training for the London Marathon (4hrs 30 - only 6 months after being in a boot and crutches), taught her to rethink food and nutrition.

Do you cook?
I cook a lot and I love to cook for people, when you cook a nice meal for 6 people it’s like a present for them, which I love.  Midweek for me it’s that bridge from work to chilling out in the evening, you’ve still got a bit of energy and cooking just gets me to a relaxation stage. It plays quite a crucial part to de-stress because you are using a different part of your brain and getting away from the computer.

Do you have a signature dish?
My mother’s French and we grew up with a lot of garlic, onions and cream. A go to would be my chicken and mustard dish with caramelised red onions. I love anything creamy and white wine-y, I think that’s the French part of my DNA!

What food always reminds you of your childhood?
Recently I was asked to make some teas for a post-netball match, and at the time I didn’t think much of it. And then I started going back to when my dad played cricket in the local village cricket club, where the teas would be cucumber sandwiches, Victoria sponge cakes, orange squash and all those lovely things. When I was doing the netball teas I just found myself doing the exact same tea that I’d had as a child every Sunday in the summer with all the village friends. It totally brought me back.

Do you have a current favourite restaurant or type of restaurant?
Where Cornishware is, it’s really near a town called Bruton, where amazing restaurants just seem to keep popping up, we are really lucky. We’ve got Osip, The Old Pharmacy, Roth Bar and Grill and brand new restaurant called The Three Horseshoes. We are really spoilt for choice, but I’d say Osip is my favourite, it’s right to on our doorstep.
 
What food or ingredient could you not do without?
Cheese.  I love all types of cheeses, I think I’d really struggle to go vegan - everything else would be fine!  Cheese is so versatile and so crucial to so many dishes. I just love cheese and red wine

What was the most memorable meal you can remember eating?
About two years ago when we were all in lockdown, and sitting in a restaurant seemed a distant memory. It was the first time we were all allowed out, I was living in Cornwall at the time and there was this amazing, very small restaurant. It had no menu and they served eight tiny little courses, each course was like a work of art. Everything was grown on site and it just felt really special, and because it had all been taken away for us for so long, we really did appreciate it.

You ran the London marathon last year - how much did you change your eating habits when you were training?
I went into the training thinking this was running training, but soon found out it was much more. There’s sleep, there’s resting and there’s nutrition. I found this to be a new area of cooking and I really researched the nutrition side and learned that the night before a 10 mile run I should eat a carbonara - full of carbs, then afterwards to eat lots of protein. Before, I had no idea about this and it was really nice to learn the nutritional side of food. Even now, I still think about what should I eat before and after sport.

What was the first thing you ate after you finished…?
The biggest pizza in the world!  On my app it said I’d burned 3,000 calories and I’m pretty sure that pizza WAS 3,000 calories. Then I slept all the way home in the car.

Do you have a favourite Cornishware design you like to eat off?
Yes.  In the summer, the Yellow plates, they’re really lovely especially if you make a colourful salad. In the winter having a roast on the Adder Green plates is perfect. With Cornishware you can really match the seasons to the plates, it makes the food look even better. Especially Christmas lunch on the Red plates, it really looks great.

What do you prefer - a cup and saucer or a mug for your tea?
I think it’s an occasional thing.  If it’s a birthday tea party, then a cup and saucer is nice. But for every day, a mug.

Is there something particular you always keep in the fridge?
Whole grain mustard, it’s really useful it just seems to always be there from making dressings, to creating nice dishes.

What would be your last supper if literally anything was available to you and where would you eat it?
I enjoyed thinking about this one then I got a bid sad at the end! There’s a beautiful stoney beach called Grebe Beach on the Helford River. I think I’d pan fry buttered scallops, followed by a delicious lobster and a simple salad with bread and wine. All my family and friends would be there - and of course Bertie the dog!

CLICK HERE TO WIN A CORNISHWARE TEA FOR TWO SET