The Hevva! range is one we’ve watched evolve from initial idea to finished product. When Hevva! first approached us for tips, we jumped at the chance to get involved. Today, we couldn't be more impressed with what Hevva! has created: pot-caught crab bisque, prepared and home-cooked on the Hevva! farm on North Cornwall's dramatic coastline. A West Country take on the famed Marseille-born fish soup bouillabaisse. Here it’s made from Devon crab, Cornish squid and Scottish (they’re more abundant there than in Cornwall) langoustines. Sustainably-fished, tender hake with lemon. Perfect salad beefer upper in a picnic-friendly sized tin. And… maybe the standout - you tell us… roasted Cornish mussels in a rich ‘nduja sauce made from Hevva!’s own home-reared Lop pork. Best beer snack bar none.
What does the word Hevva mean?
"Hevva!" means "Here they are!" in Cornish. It was the cry raised by Cornish huers (fishermen stationed on hillside lookouts above the Cornish coast) when a shoal of pilchards swam into view. This was the signal to man the small fishing boats and head out to sea. The small fishing boats remain; the other traditions have been supplanted by sonar and tech.
Is Hevva! fish sustainable?
Hevva! uses small batches of fish caught sustainably in UK waters. Like us, it uses the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide to determine which fish to work with. Hevva! uses Cornish hake because it is a sustainable alternative to cod, which has been overfished in UK waters. Hake is a more abundant white fish than cod or haddock, and can be fished in quantity here, a sustainable and delicious alternative to cod. The mussels Hevva! uses are rope grown. Far from harming the marine environment mussels actually improve it by filtering impurities from the water. Mussels, in fact, are one of the most sustainable sources of sea food, a low-carbon protein source. Hevva! uses langoustines from Scotland where they are more abundant than in Cornwall.
Where is Hevva! cannery?
The Hevva! cannery is located in Norton Barton Artisan Food Village on the 350-acre Norton Barton farm, in Bude on the North Cornwall coast. Other artisan food producers there include Cornish Charcuterie, where the ‘nduja that accompanies the mussels is prepared, a distillery, a dairy which produces small-batch cheeses, and a bakehouse.
