September this year saw envoPAP embark on its first UK staycation to the South West of England. The trip, coined in Marylebone after work one evening, was an opportunity for the team to visit the Eden Project, enjoy a morning of coasteering and catch a breath of the fresh Cornish summer air.
Leaving London early on Friday, the team drove the five hour journey to Cornwall, stopping for a deliciously fresh, local fish lunch at Edie’s Kitchen in St Austell. The Malaysian vegetarian curry option for Kaushal wasn’t bad, either! The restaurant’s contemporary feel and open kitchen was an ideal way to get the trip started. Regan then drove the short distance to the Eden Project. The outdoor attraction, featuring two biomes, is set in a disused mining crater and houses the world’s largest rainforest in captivity. It provides an outlet for sustainability and conservation in the UK and provides critical research into rainforests and biodiversity, in addition to bespoke apprenticeship opportunities and school workshops for children. The biomes produce the exact climate and atmospheric conditions for over 5,000 different species of plants.
Visiting the Mediterranean Biome first, Ghida and Khaliun were quickly amazed with the variety of plants and flowers, some reaching over 15 meters in height… 13.5 meters taller than our Lebanese product owner. For the boys, however, it was the chillies which caught their eye. Nestled between citrus fruits and olive trees was the perfect habitat for habaneros, pimento peppers, scotch bonnets and the famous ‘ghost chilli’. The team spent a lot of time here, debating who could handle the hottest pepper on the Scoville scale. Kaushal and Sohail are yet to compete for the crown.
The Rainforest Biome was next. Significantly hotter at between 18 and 35 degrees, the 1.6 hectare biome is home to everything from bananas to natural rubber trees. Nilesh’s calming approach even enabled him to spot a small group of native birds grazing the undergrowth. Walking around, the team enjoyed the fact posts highlighting how the growing captive rainforest actively fights climate change by capturing CO2 in the wood, leaves, and roots of the many trees it hosts. Sohail was eager to pick up some useful marketing material, while Khaliun preferred to wander among the diverse tropical fruit plants. Stumbling across sugar cane (the first time most had seen them in the flesh) the team gathered for photos and reminded each other why our raw material is so special.
After a few hours of walking and a little dehydrated, Kaushal drove the team to our Newquay hotel for a well earned dinner, followed by a drink or two on the coast. After a slow start to Saturday morning, the team were up and ready for coasteering, certain the cool water and fresh air would rid any memory of the previous night’s events in the Sailor’s Arms. The team at Cornish Wave Coasteering were great, showing us the best spots along the headland for wild swimming and jumping ledges up to 10 meters. A long lunch at the Fistral Beach Stable in the sun then concluded a firmly insightful, enjoyable weekend in Cornwall. We can’t wait to plan the next one!’
