A Fresh Start

As we welcome in 2025, join me in a healthy kick start to the year. Words by Jude Kereama

Happy new year everybody! I hope that the festive season was celebrated with much gusto and you all had fun with friends and family. It’s always a time of over indulgence at Christmas, as we reach for an extra pig in blanket, some more cheese and crackers, or a top up of Port. The best thing is we can do this all the way up to New Year’s Day and I usually do. 

After days of feasting and drinking, it’s time to reach for the Rennie or Alka Seltzer and start my year with a bit of a health kick. Many of us will make a New Year’s resolution to get fitter and be healthier; I for one always make that promise and I tend to cook dishes with more nutritional value in mind to try and purge my body from all the over celebrating. I love to make winter stews and soups with all the organic vegetables I can find. I also love to cook fresh fish and eat it simply with some salads, vegetables or braised legumes.

Every year, like many of us, I like to set a new challenge, and it tends to involve charity work. This year, I am running the London Marathon for The Fisherman’s Mission charity which I fully believe in. Their work is really important to fishing communities like the one I live in and support. There is nothing more motivational than entering a charity race to get yourself into gear to make sure you are fit enough to make it. That means I will be hitting the coast path all through winter to get me ready for the race at the end of April. It’s been a tough start to training with my foot injury, but I know with steely determination that I will be ready for the challenge when it comes. I have an aim to raise £10,000 for them and I will need as much help as possible. You’ll find a link on my Instagram account (@chefjudekereama) if you would like to donate to an amazing cause. Also, you can follow my journey in my story to see how I start from my foot treatment for my injury to marathon fit. Wish me luck!

Many of us make resolutions of change or a difference in direction to give us an aim for the year, something to make us strive. We have plenty of changes afoot for the new year in both of my restaurants. At Kota we are opening with a new concept and a refurbishment. The bar area will now be open for wine tastings and a bottle shop for customers to take wine home. We will also be welcoming wine producers to Kota to talk to customers about their wines, with feast nights where we will match their wines with food. The focus will be on wine and dine matching with continuous changes of new dishes throughout the seasons. This will give customers the choice to have as many or as little of our matches depending on how hungry they are. But don’t worry, we will still have a chef’s tasting menu and there will be an option of a sharing platter or two.

At Kota Kai we have a huge change. We say goodbye to my long serving Head Chef and friend Marcus Houghton, who will be leaving after 14 years with us. We will miss him and wish him the best of luck for the future. We are delighted to welcome our new Head Chef, Ryan Venning, who has a fantastic resume with a host of experience from running restaurants around Cornwall, most notably at Porthminster Beach Café. We will be changing our menus to incorporate a collaboration between Ryan and myself which I think will be very exciting for all. Following on from our very popular Asian Nights we are very excited to announce a series of themed nights exploring the Flavours of the World, keep an eye on our socials for dates and menus. I’m looking forward to welcoming you all back in 2026 with all the new and exciting changes in both Kota and Kota Kai.

KOTA & Kota Kai
Harbour Head, Porthleven TR13 9JY
01326 562407 / 01326 727707
www.kotarestaurant.co.uk
www.kotakai.co.uk