THE excellence of Cornish food and drink will be a main feature of the Royal Cornwall Show next week.

With some 60 producers displaying their wares in the Cornwall Food and Farming Pavilion next Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the show acts as a shop window for all that's best in the county's produce.

Organised by the Cornwall branch of the Women's Farming Union, the pavilion is one of the most popular exhibits at the show.

Visitors get a chance to see and sample products ranging from sausages to ice cream – and they vote with their hard earned money.

Each year there is a sprinkling of newcomers to the pavilion and one that will be there for the first time this year is Kilkhampton-based Sargie's Cornish Kitchen.

Dave and Kirsty Sargent will be selling and promoting their range of pre-cooked puddings and meringues. They produce and sell the range to shops, cafes and restaurants. And they hope the show will help them attract new customers throughout the county.

Chef Dave wanted to work for himself and started producing a range of pre-cooked dishes and now concentrates largely on puddings and meringues.

Some 60 Cornish food and drink producers will be represented in the pavilion, with eight producers exhibiting for the first time and several businesses returning after a year's break.

Forging closer links between producers and consumers is a primary aim of the WFU.

A new type of link is demonstrated at this year's show with the debut of Community supported Agriculture (CSA).

The local Camel CSA, based just outside Wadebridge, with support from the Soil Association and the Plunkett Foundation, demonstrate how partnerships between farmers and consumer – with responsibilities and rewards equally shared, can really work.

Cornwall Guild of Smallholders will be highlighting a successful first year's trading for their shop at Liskeard.