Want to drive to Padstow to sample the various Rick Stein fare on offer? Here's a tip. Don't. Get on your bike instead. Go to Wadebridge (a pleasant enough place in itself), park there and then cycle down the beautiful, flat, and car free Camel Valley Trail along the river. There are ample bike hire places right by the trail itself, all with baby trailers, child-seats, kids' bikes (we took a three-month-old and a very excited two-and-a-half year old) and decent grown up bikes. Even for the seriously unfit/uncoordinated, it takes all of 45 minutes to amble into 'Padstein'. Once there, you avoid the six mile traffic queue and can securely park your bike for 50p in the many 'bike parks' at the end of the trail. And now you've worked up an appetite, Padstow is your oyster...

Another tip, avoid the hordes and head for the back streets - the Rick Stein Cafe (his 'third' restaurant) has his trademark great food, is very child-friendly, and doesn't take bookings. On the day we were there (a gloriously sunny August day) we had to wait for 20 minutes, which was a shorter than the queue for his fish and chips takeaway!

www.ncdc.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=13629

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Any mention of Rick Stein these days elicits groans - a visit to his chippy will surely leave us well-fed, but well-fleeced, too. I've travelled the country in search of the perfect fish and chips, I can honestly say I found it here - the fish was cooked to perfection, accompanied by beautiful, brown-mottled, crisp chips with fluffy insides.

Yes, perfection does come at a price - they're fried in beef dripping - but if you can forgive them this, then cod and chips is well worth the £5.50 price tag - which, incidentally, is cheaper than my local.

South Quay, Padstow
Tel: 01841 532700

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