St Ives Food & Drink Festival Online Journal Interview: Rose Cant of Mum on Muddy Lane
This year at the St Ives Food & Drink Festival, we’re delighted to welcome Rose Cant of Mum on Muddy Lane – a passionate advocate for seasonal, family-friendly food and meaningful food education.
Rose will be joining Eddy Rains for a live demo on the Chef’s Fire Pit over the weekend, as well as hosting as our Fire Pit compere on Friday, and hosting some kid’s cooking classes. We caught up with her ahead of the festival to talk Cornwall, cooking, and creating memorable food experiences.
Rose, we’re so excited to have you at the festival this year. Can you tell us what you’re most looking forward to about cooking on the Chef’s Fire Pit with Eddy Rains?
I love cooking alongside my talented partner Chef Eddy Rains. We have toured the “cook and the chef” competition for two summers now and it is always a laugh. I’m most excited about cooking over open fire because it really is unpredictable and tends to go one way or the other… It sort of levels the playing field for Ed and I – anyone could win! The Cook or the chef!
You’ll also be compèring at the Fire Pit on Friday – what can visitors expect from that experience?
I’m really looking forward to compering at the fireplace on Friday. I’m always amazed by the amount of talent the chefs have when you see them working up close – I learn so much from them. But I must say I also love a good chat, I like to find out about the chef behind the dish- more of the day-to-day things – what is their guilty pleasure foods? Do they just love a pot noodle sometimes!
As someone rooted in Cornwall, where are your favourite places to eat and drink locally?
We are so lucky with food options in Cornwall – spoilt actually. There’s something for everyone, but for me – I absolutely love having brunch at the new Pl28 Padstow and then having a glass of fizz at Bintwo next door. I also love Fred at the Fish Market in Looe – on a sunny day, a glass of Rosè and a plate of whatever Fred’s knocked up is unbeatable. (He is also very funny!)
What would you recommend for families looking for great food experiences in Cornwall?
We’re lucky that most restaurants and pubs in Cornwall are family friendly – but I would recommend a day on the beach in Polperro, followed by a fish and chips supper in the Blue Peter. Or a mooch around gorgeous St Ives and supper at Porthminster Beach cafe. Lastly Padstow – get a takeaway fried chicken wrap from Ben’s crib box, a cake from cherry trees and sit on the harbour wall and do some crabbing. Kids love it. Just beware of the seagulls!
Oh and goes without saying – St Ives Food & Drink Festival! Come along to the Little Nippers Green the new family-friendly area with lots of fun activities all weekend long – plus on Saturday at 10am I’m hoping a kids cooking class ‘Little Chefs with Rose Cant’ which is going to be lots of fun!
You’re known for your work as a home cook – how would you describe your cooking style?
I’d say my cooking style is comforting, home cooked food with modern twists and the odd hack. Delicious, friendly, inviting food.
Cooking is my love language, whether it be cooking in a hurry on a busy school night for the kids or for a dinner party for friends at the weekend. I always want my food to be quick, easy, and unpretentious.
I am big on one pot wonders, if everything can be thrown into a pan together and cooked for the same amount of time yet still come out BURSTING with flavour, then we’re winning. I think it’s an art to make cooking feel easy and I love teaching that to people.
What are the biggest challenges of cooking for a family, and how do you approach them?
I think people get really stuck in the “weekly rotation meals” bolognese Monday, fajitas Tuesday etc. I like to help people look at what they have in the fridge and cupboard and go from there – less waste and nearly always a different dish. When shopping I recommend looking at what a cheaper or more seasonal alternative is – if you want chicken breasts but next to them are British pork steaks for half the price – then grab those and adapt your ideas to that. You’ll learn a new dish and discover something you might not have before. It’s about stepping outside your comfort zones and having fun!
Do you have any go-to meals that always work for family cooking?
I think a fail-safe meal with family is always good pasta dish. Plenty of veggies either roasted and whizzed up into a lovely tomato-based sauce so the fussy kids can’t see them – served with a big Ceaser salad and garlic bread… also a roast chicken does wonders. I love how you can roast a couple of chickens on Sunday, have it with your roasties etc then for the rest of the week you can have chicken curries, sandwiches, soups, tacos and more.
Finally, what does good food mean to you?
Good food means celebrating the everyday normal moments. It could just be a Tuesday, you could be stressed with work, the kids moaning, things not going to plan but when you all sit down round a table filled with home cooked food- there’s not a lot to moan about – that’s a little pocket of magic you can give your loved ones every day. It’s also incredibly good for your mental health – cooking for me = calm.