Ingenious pub food at the Plume of Feathers is worth the detour off the A30 in Cornwall – Cornwall Live

Where have you been, asked my neighbour. I enthused about the pub meal I'd just enjoyed. "I'd forgotten about that place, it's been years since I went there." There was a time when the Plume of Feathers was renowned as one of THE pubs to dine in Cornwall. It's understandable why it may have fallen off my neighbour's radar.

Not because the standard has dropped, but because everywhere else has pulled up its collective socks in the past decade or so. Cornwall is now one of the best places to eat out in the UK, so the choice and quality has improved manifold since the Plume ran the roost.

However, it deserves to be talked up again among the very best dining pubs in Cornwall - the Three Pilchards in Polperro, Pennycomequick and Star & Garter in Falmouth, Rising Sun and Heron Inn in Truro, St Kew Inn, Gurnard's Head at Zennor and the Mariners in Rock all spring to mind.

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Situated a stone's throw from the A30, if Cornwall was the sort of place to have a commuter belt then Mitchell would be it - equidistant as it is from Truro and Newquay. The village once straddled the old A30 but has got a lot quieter since it was bypassed. It hides a lot of history - its first recorded mention was in 1234 and it was renowned for holding markets and fairs on the Feast of Saint Francis. Good piece of pub quiz action this - both Walter Raleigh and Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, were MPs representing Mitchell.

It became the place to be during the 1960s folk boom thanks to the legendary Folk Cottage, which played host to burgeoning big names including Wizz Jones, Jacqui McShee, Incredible String Band co-founder Clive Palmer, Michael Chapman and Ralph McTell, who doesn't live that far away to this day.

Now it's most famous for two things - Mitchell Fruit Garden, where you can pick your own strawberries, raspberries and more (believe me, it's a brilliant family day out on a summer's day) and the 16th century coaching inn. That olde worlde rural charm is still there but sympathetically fluffed up with some modern cool, including 20 rooms converted from the pub's original barns, stables and hen houses.

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One of the Plume's most unusual features is the ancient well in the heart of the pub which you stand on top of thanks to a glass section of flooring. Fresh spring water flows below. The pub itself is a mix of the old (huge, gnarly wooden beams and granite walls), the cosy (eat by an open fire) and the new (the light and airy conservatory dining area which is beautifully sun-kissed on a good day). There is a place for everyone - bright spaces for large family gatherings and special occasions, dark little corners for besotted lovers.

I had a sneaky peek at the menu online before visiting just to get the juices flowing and it's one of those where the choice is impressive and a bit overwhelming. On visiting, I asked the obliging waiter what he would go for - he chose well. 'Squid and bacon' may sound like a simple starter, but this is pub food with delusions of grandeur, though it's far from deluded.

Crispy crackling squid puts its friendly little tentacle around maple belly pork rasher and gives it a tweak with burnt apple puree, bacon jam, charred gem and sherry caramel. It's a beauty. Head chef Andrew Dudley and his team seek out the best local suppliers and this is a great example of Cornish produce at its best.

It's also a bit of a multicultural menu too - Korean fried tofu is a particularly popular starter as is The Nurse's choice, Mexican prawns - marinated prawns, chunky guacamole, charred gem lettuce, salsa, spicy Mexican mayo and cheesy breadsticks. I nicked some of the latter - deliciosa. Starters range from 6 to 9.50 and also include mackerel on toast, ham and cheese croquette, and the intriguing Walnut Whip - whipped goats curd, candied walnut crumb, frozen blackberries, torched fig, BBQ beetroot, watercress, honeycomb, burnt orange and honey oat crumble. See, this isn't your standard fish and chips gaff (though that's on the menu too).

Mains are priced from 16 to 25 and prove that 'something for everyone' isn't a clich. Want it vegan or veggie? How about a hedgerow risotto or spiced jack fruit and smoked tofu burger. Want it traditional? There's sirloin and rump steak and a range of burgers? Want it a bit more exotic? Malaysian chicken curry, Cornish homity pie or pan fried salt and citrus hake should see you right.

Even when it sounds pretty straightforward, Andrew is working his magic. 'Ham and egg' is a lot more than 'ham and egg'. Honey glazed ham is served with Scotch egg, cheesy ham hock and leek croquettes (again nicked by me and, again, excellent), pickles, onion relish and slaw.

I bowed down to the waiter's knowledge and chose the Mexican BBQ. Not for the fainthearted or small of appetite, this wonderful plate of food features smoked and spiced beef brisket (which manages to be both heady and delicate), Mexican pulled pork, charred corn, sweet potato fries, corn mole, fried chicken wings, guacamole, sour cream, tortilla and Mexican slaw. It's as good as anything you'll get in a traditional Mexican restaurant.

The food here's hearty so there was only room for one dessert but, again, what a choice (prices range from 2.50 for a scoop of ice cream or sorbet to 9 for a knickerbocker glory) . Every kid will be tempted by 'Paddington Bears marmalade sandwich', bitter marmalade sauce, candied zest, orange sherbet, caramel shards, orange biscuit crumble with a mango, and a lime and passion fruit sorbet. Then you might get pudding envy when you spot someone being served 'I love strawberries' - which looks like an explosion at a fairground; strawberry candyfloss and all manner of loveliness dedicated to everyone's favourite summer fruit.

I went for the relatively simple but effective 'coffee jar' - a jar of tiramisu alongside espresso ice cream, cranberry and pistachio biscotti. Bleddy 'ansum as they've been saying in Mitchell for years. This is ingenious pub food which needs to be experienced. It's definitely worth taking that detour off the A30 for - I've already told my forgetful neighbour to drive there.

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Ingenious pub food at the Plume of Feathers is worth the detour off the A30 in Cornwall - Cornwall Live