How it started...

‘The Cornish Canning Co.’ has been a long project, in development since 2010, when Chris ‘Ranger’ launched a small bar snacks concept, harking back to days of pickled cockles in pubs and special visits to Hastings Seafront.

The ‘Shellfish Bar Steward Snacks’ were simply pickled mussels in small glass jars sold at his early ‘Pop Up Gatherings’. As a caterer he had the product tested and approved for short shelf life, but Ranger wanted a longer shelf life for more of Cornwall’s delicious, albeit very seasonal and very perishable, foods.

During the following years, he discussed the idea many times with his Port Health (Environmental Health) Officer, as well as many landlords, chefs, and shop owners. While he carried out some product testing in his ‘Pop Up Restaurant’ it was apparent that it needed a lot more work than he first imagined, as this flow chart explains:

Image Courtesy of: Institute of Food Science & Technology 

It was only really thanks to the ‘Co-op Foundation’s Carbon Innovation Fund 2022’, that he could present his concept, luckily, they supported the mantra “eliminating ‘low yield high nutritional value’ food waste, harnessing renewable energy in manufacturing and reducing carbon emissions in the delivery network” and they funded a few upgrades to the kitchen and a fantastic purpose made irregular can seamer. In addition, they have also funded a solar panel & wind turbine battery storage system, so the manufacturing is carbon energy free.

In 2022 we completed the kitchen (including new electric system), designed the ‘sardine style cans’, joined ‘Campden BRI’ Food Innovation and completed essential training in ‘Safe Production of Heat Preserved Foods’ with “distinction”… 

…So, incorporated formally in 2022, ‘The Cornish Canning Co.’ was given 'conditional approval' with the number GB CQ735 on 31st March 2023, making it the first approved in-house cannery in ENGLAND and therefore CORNWALL since the 1940s, we then went into final product development phase between April-July 2023, and had the first products on the market for the Rock Oyster Festival at the end of July 2023. 

It really is testament to the founding director that ALL this was achieved, and following the last bit of training, the 'Cornish Canning Co Ltd.' was officially Fully Approved on 16th August 2023, the first to do 'everything in-house' including food processing, Level 3 Food Manufacturing, canning, thermal validation, HACCP protocol, and finally product release!