When you think of childhood visits to the Cornish seaside there is something about proper Cornish fudge and tablet that evokes the most contented of memories. Bags of chewy, crumbly, brightly coloured or simply clotted cream flavoured deliciousness that creates a satisfying sugar-hit to fuel the building of bigger sandcastles.
When you are faced with such an assortment of bonbons my advice would be to play to the heart of the masses and begin with Buttermilk's two most popular flavours; clotted cream and caramel sea salt.
Something of a Padstow institution, Buttermilk began in 1964 when a small shop was opened by David’s mum Elsie, in fact you can still visit the same shop today – chock-full of fudge.
When David took over Buttermilk in 2010 he took Buttermilk online and continued to grow production. Originally all of the handmade fudge was produced just above the store however demand for the incredible edibles kept growing and the kitchen over the shop just wasn’t big enough! He recently opened new kitchens near Bodmin, however he still make the products in the same traditional ways in copper pans over open flames.
A day in the life of Buttermilk is really varied, making over 60 different and delicious products which are stocked in their original store, online and in artisan shops across Cornwall. When you are faced with such assortment of bonbons my advice would be to play to the heart of the masses and begin with Buttermilk’s two most popular flavours; clotted cream and caramel sea salt. Clotted cream is their classic product - a smooth Cornish fudge with Trewithen Dairy clotted cream. It has been a consistent favourite of customers for over 50 years. Edging up on the inside however is the 2014 launched crumbly caramel sea salt fudge, David says that it has fast become one of their most popular flavours. It isn’t all clotted cream and crumbly caramel, the innovative confectioners have created a Willy Wonka-esque chocolate-coated caramel with popping candy that is worth a sample.
Growing up surrounded by the sweetest of treats David is still passionate about new product testing and sampling! The team often get to create new products and flavours, most recently they made maple and bacon fudge, apparently surprisingly tasty. David’s favourite is rocky road (it’s the fudge version of his mum's chocolate fridge cake) put a few of those in your bag too.
Pay a visit to Buttermilk and see how it all began. Find them in Padstow, Port Isaac and Boscastle. Don’t be afraid to stock up either! This artisan fudge lasts from 2 - 10 months depending on the type of product.
Feeling inspired? Take a look at our fab retreats in North Cornwall.
Website | Buttermilk Confectionary, Padstow, Cornwall PL28 8AN | 01841 532542
