The excellence of Cornish food and drink will be a main feature of this year’s Royal Cornwall Show this week.

With some 60 producers displaying their wares in the Cornwall Food and Farming Pavilion, 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.

Exhibitors in the pavilion report good business and often have to send out for fresh supplies mid-show.

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 started the business because he wanted to work for himself.

He started producing a range of pre-cooked dishes in January and now concentrates largely on puddings and meringues.

They sell to caterers and to the public through a growing range of shops.

For Kirsty and Dave, exhibiting in the Cornwall Food and Farming Pavilion at the Royal Cornwall Show is seen as an opportunity to open up markets deeper into the county.

“We know it is going to be hard work at the show but as long as it pays dividends, that’s OK. As far as we know, there is no other local firm with a product equivalent to ours so I think we are going to get a good reaction,” Dave said.

Main showcase The Royal Cornwall Show is now overwhelmingly accepted as the primary showcase for Cornish produce which is well respected for both its quality and diversity.

That’s the view of the Cornwall Branch of the Women’s Farming Union (WFU) which has found that, despite what are obviously difficult times, stand spaces for the Cornwall Food and Farming Pavilion at the 2009 Royal Cornwall Show have been snapped up. 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 (CGOS) will be highlighting a successful first year’s trading for their shop at Liskeard.

Funsize Food and Farming made an impact last year and it is back again, providing hands-on food and farming activities for the younger visitor.