10 out of 10 for Fifteen

I've eaten in a few fabulous restaurants in my short life so far. Up there I would include Rocpool Reserve, Rogano and the Summer Isles Hotel but by far I think the best meal I have had so far was at Fifteen in Cornwall this week.

I went down to Cornwall with work this week to visit Social Enterprises - we spent the day at the Eden Project which was fantastic. Their social and environmental purpose is to reconnect people with plants. This covers nature and the environment too but many the importance of plants. Plants interest me greatly because so many of them are edible! After a day walking around admiring the various flora and fauna we had fair worked up an appetite and Fifteen is very close to the Eden Project so it was a natural choice. Fifteen runs an apprentice scheme for young people removed from the work market and I've never been to a restaurant that had staff with so much pride and ownership over their work. The menu was simple, 5 courses, 2 choices each course. So here is what I had:

Cornish hand-dived scallop 'saltimbocca, shaved florence fennel and loadsa herbs     

                                           

Aged Angus beef carpaccio, crispy capers, Newlina's wild rocket and Parmigiano Reggiano

Squid ink Taglierini, Carter's Cornish lobster, Amalfi lemon & chilli pangrattato

Crispy fillet of line caught sea bass, mixed beets, ruby chard and St Austell bay mussels

Amedei No'9 chocolate and fudge brownie slice, sticky toffee ice cream and mini Bourbon cream

The images don't even come close to capturing the meal and all it's flavours. I would go back to Fifteen in a flash. It was a great experience and I only wish Jamie Oliver would open one in the Highlands, I think a lot of young people up here could enthuse about the local produce in the same way our waitress did. All the young chefs in the kitchen were working so well as a team and the attention to detail was fascinating. Watching them cleaning up at end of service just showed how much pride they all took in their work, this wasn't just a job, it's a real experience and opportunity for them.


The only downside? Now I've been spoilt with this meal nothing seems to compare...yet....