MEMBERS of staff at the National Trust's Cotehele Estate had their 15 minutes of fame recently by being part of a BBC cookery programme.

Cotehele Quay and Great Mill manager Anthea Whalley, and general manager of the Cotehele Estate Toby Fox, joined tenant farmers Kate and Andy Redwood from Haye Farm, in attending the Great British Menu Final Banquet that was shown on BBC 2.

Flour from Cotehele Mill's working watermill and lamb from Haye Farm were used by chef Nathan Outlaw on the show.

The banquet, hosted by Prince Charles, was to celebrate the work of local producers.

Anthea Whalley said: 'It is wonderful to be recognised for the work that we do and to be part of such a fantastic show.'

Cotehele is also part of a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) funded project called Eat into Green Living. Vegetables are being grown on the estate that will be used in the restaurant, making the menu at Cotehele as fresh and local as possible.

Events will be held throughout the year to encourage visitors to have a go at growing their own vegetables and learn about cooking with home grown produce.