For the next five days William Head – chef, co-founder of Beautiful and the Feast, adventurer and dad-of-one – will talk us through life with his young son, Kobe. Their largely outdoors life (hiking, lunch by the sea, living off the land) couldn’t sound more idyllic…
We interviewed William Head and Keda Hall-Farise about moving from London to rural Cornwall, and what it’s like running their foodie business, Beautiful and the Feast. Their philosophy is simple: good food, locally sourced, lovingly prepared. Here, William discusses how fatherhood is encouraging him to connect with nature in new ways, as he teaches his son Kobe about the land…
The land and the food
If you’re a cook, living in Cornwall is paradise. It is simple to find amazing ingredients grown on our doorstep. This has been the basis of our company since it started. It also plays an important part in the raising of our son, Kobe.
We want him to understand food and the path it takes to get on his plate. Since he was big enough to sit in a backpack I’ve been taking him on long walks across our Cornish landscape.
In rain, wind and sun we go out. He has never minded, and it’s been an amazing way for us to bond – sometimes in complete silence. He is an observant chap and loves the noise of birds and trees.
We walk up steep hills surrounded by wild garlic, across fields full of beautiful healthy cows and calves. We wander to our neighbour’s field to feed his pigs and collect fresh eggs.
We sit down and eat our lunch by the sea. He normally finishes first. I want him to understand the direct connection between his environment and what nourishes him. For me, there is no better way for him to learn, than to just walk amongst it.