Forgoing the fuel-guzzling speed of large-scale trade, carried by the wind and helmed by the New Dawn Traders, Bessie Ellen brings the finest cargo from across the sea. And, on 9 November, she’ll be dropping anchor in Falmouth, with a hold full of treasure for our delectation.
As one of the few remaining Westcountry trading ketches, the ship was built to carry cargo. This October she’s been sailing between ports in the UK, France and Spain, carrying delights produced sustainably by families of experts and artisans.
It’s a way of travel and trade that’s responsive to changing winds and the year’s rhythm.
When one suppliers’ chestnut harvest was late this year, New Dawn Traders wrote, “the chestnuts need the perfect symphony of sun and rain: sun, sun, sun, rain, sun, sun, rain”.
As the systems we rely on, the natural world, and the products we consume become increasingly disconnected, sail-shipped cargo joins back the dots: “with the weather becoming more and more erratic and unpredictable, we need supply chain systems that can adjust to this, with the wellbeing of the trees and the family farms at its core. These are the people on the front line, and in the best position to keep the land and its communities in their best health.”
So, from family farms to ancient salt marshes, New Dawn Traders is more than a supply chain, it’s a new (old) way of thinking. A trade in food that wears its provenance proudly. Slow-moving. Story-laden.
It’s the only kind of food, incidentally, that the team at The Kitchen (Falmouth) are interested in. So, when the ship arrives in town (the only other UK landing, along with Bristol) we’re joining forces to host a firelit feast in the courtyard that celebrates sustainable, local, and wind-carried cargo and the amazing people who produce it.
Book a ticket to see (and taste) what they conjure up, or join us after dinner for sail-shipped port & cheese, and a peek at The Kitchen’s new venture, The Larder.
Finally, be sure to get your orders in and stock up for Christmas. You’ll get a discounted price for online pre-orders, or can buy at full price on the night (stock is limited, so it’s first come, first served).
