With a fresh bowl of lobster risotto to tuck into, we instantly felt welcome as we sat in Annie’s cosy kitchen and chatted about her fish cookery classes held at her home, and why she is so passionate about advocating for the Cornish fishing industry.

Annie was born and raised in Falmouth, and was brought up around fishing due to her father’s career as a fisherman - making her surname, Seabourne, very fitting indeed!

“I grew up with fish,” Annie said. “At 19, I started a fish round, where I'd go door-to-door delivering. My cousin is David Seabourne, who has a fish shop in Penryn, which is where I always purchase my fish.”

Her late father was one of the driving forces behind Annie's passion for food and cooking. As a fisherman, he would bring back plenty of goodies for the family. Annie reminisced: “It was always a treat when dad was cooking.”

On moving to Mawnan Smith almost 20 years ago, Annie invited friends for supper, who told her they had no idea how to cook a simple fillet of fish. Taken aback, Annie realised that many people were overcomplicating cooking fresh, simple fish - or were even avoiding it altogether because they didn’t know how to cook it!

With her knowledge and passion, she had a lightbulb moment: she wanted to give people the confidence to cook fish at home. No fuss, just fresh quality produce and simple methods. My Fish Kitchen was born, with Annie teaching quality assessment, filleting and simple fish cookery. After all the hard work, you get to eat it!.

Annie’s kitchen is where the magic happens. In this inviting space, anything from one person to small groups of budding cooks come together to chat over a drink and listen to Annie as she guides them through the cooking process. People travel from far and wide to Mawnan Smith to soak up the knowledge, excited to return home - often with plenty of leftovers - ready to plan their next meal.

“My underlying passion is to get people back in the fishmongers and eating Cornish fish,” Annie explained. “If you’re eating local fish, you’re not only supporting local fishmongers, but also the Cornish fishing industry. What could be better than doing that? Our fish is as good as anywhere else in the world.”

Fish has been a constant throughout Annie's life. “The only way a consumer can support sustainability is to diversify their choice of fish; this gives certain stocks a break.”

When Cornwall’s sultry summer evenings draw to a close and winter rolls in, Annie takes off to the South of France to teach at Les Petit Farcis cookery school. Having run fish camps here, she has been able to pass on her knowledge from Cornwall to people from all over the world.

“It really is a lovely string to my bow, because I get to travel and meet different foodies. We all have the same aim: to enjoy all food, including fish.

“My Fish Kitchen is one of the smallest cookery schools in the country, but people seem to love the authenticity and the focus on fish.”

Cookery days are available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year, but sessions can be modified to suit your schedule. To book a lesson, visit www.myfishkitchen.co.uk, call 01326 250 642 or email annie@myfishkitchen.co.uk

Don’t forget to visit Seabourne Fish in Penryn to find quality Cornish fish for your next meal.

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