We’ve worked with James Strawbridge on various projects over the years. He brings the food, we bring the cameras, and it always ends up being one of the more enjoyable days on the calendar.
This shoot was a chance to try something a bit different: a short, punchy piece of outdoor cooking content filmed on location around Fowey.
The concept
The idea was simple. James wanted to cook a dish that was properly Cornish, using ingredients sourced that morning from the water. We wanted to test some new approaches to short-form food content: tighter, more dynamic, built for social. The result is a one-minute film that covers a full day’s adventure in a way that feels immediate without rushing.
The day started on the water with Gary from Westcountry Mussels of Fowey, learning the ropes of mussel fishing in St Austell Bay. From there, we headed to Readymoney Beach where James set up his mobile kitchen and cooked a smoked mussel carbonara for friends from the Readymoney Beach Shop.
Why this kind of content works
There’s something about outdoor cooking that translates brilliantly to video. The setting does half the work: sea air, natural light, food being made in a place that matters. It feels honest in a way that studio cooking rarely does.
For us, this shoot was a chance to explore a style of content we’ve wanted to make for a while. Not the quick-cut, trend-chasing stuff that dominates social feeds, but something slower and more considered. Closer in spirit to old television: a journey, a sense of place, time to breathe. Honest and real, but still crafted.
With long-form content growing online and audiences increasingly willing to stay with something that rewards their attention, we think there’s space for more of this. Episodic food and travel content, shot in Cornwall and beyond, with the people and places that make it worth watching. This film was a first step. There’s more to come!
The recipe
James’s smoked mussel carbonara is worth making at home, even without the beach. Here’s how:
Smoked Mussel Carbonara
For the hot smoked mussels
For the hot smoked mussels
Working with James
James Strawbridge is a chef, author, and sustainability advocate based in Cornwall. We’ve collaborated with him on several projects over the years, and there’s an ease to working with someone who understands both food and how it looks on screen. If you’ve seen his work on TV or his cookbooks, you’ll know he’s the real deal when it comes to Cornish food and outdoor cooking.
We’re always looking for excuses to work together again.
If you’re a food or drink brand thinking about video content, we’d love to chat. Get in touch or take a look at more of our food and drink work.
