As a wine merchant based in Cornwall, we get pretty excited when the Cornish food festival season kicks off! It’s a great excuse to head out to some beautiful locations, catch up with the inspiring chefs we work with from the region’s top hotels and restaurants, and generally keep up to date with the famous local food scene.
After a hiatus during Covid, the majority of our favourite food and drink festivals are back, creating a tasty smorgasbord of events from April right the way through until Christmastime. All showcase our great local culinary culture, with stalls, chef demos, workshops and street food to get stuck into.
You’ll also enjoy family-friendly entertainment, live music, and plenty of opportunities to get involved at each of the events we’ve highlighted below. So, why not get them in your diary too!
Porthleven Food Festival
Dates: 21st – 23rd April
Location: Porthleven Harbour
The Porthleven Food Festival is back for 2023! This spring event is like a breath of fresh air, heralding months of good times ahead. Cornwall’s finest chefs, food producers and crowds of festival goers gather on the harbourside in Porthleven for three days of well-fed revelry.
The chef demos are always extremely popular, with the likes of Anthony Worrall Thompson, Jude Kereama, Emily Scott and Andy Tuck taking to the stage. Meanwhile, local legends Ann’s Pasties are sponsoring the family field with the promise of fun workshops, music from local ska and punk bands, and a pasty cook off.
Find out more here.
-
St Ives Food & Drink Festival
Dates: 12th – 14th May
Location: Portminster Beach, St Ives
This Cornish food festival takes place in the ultimate location – right on the beach! Demos from top chefs take place against the stunning backdrop of St Ives Bay, with lots of cooking over live fire and a big focus on local ingredients.
There’s also a feast of street food to enjoy, and a drinks offering which covers every base – from cocktails to local craft beers, small batch cider to artisan gin. As you can imagine, things go up a notch in the evenings, as live music fills the dance floor with sandy-toed revellers.
Find out more here.
-
Rock Oyster
Dates: 27th – 30th July
Location: Dinham House, Rock
With Nile Rogers, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Groove Armada all confirmed for this years’ Rock Oyster, it’s sure to be one of the hottest tickets of the summer. However, food is still very much a focus, with chef demos, a live fire cooking corner, a workshop tipi and alfresco dining all weekend.
Families will be in their element, with circus skills, yoga, dance workshops and storytelling. Plus there’s plenty of activities to get stuck into if you can tear yourself away from the food and drink – including SUP, kayaking and even coasteering. We recommend booking a Bell Tent for the weekend to enjoy it all in comfort!
Find out more here.
-
Falmouth Oyster Festival
Dates: 12th – 15th October
Location: Church Street, Falmouth
The Falmouth Oyster Festival marks the start of the oyster dredging season, and this gathering of dredgers, traders, chefs and oyster enthusiasts is one of the highlights of Cornwall’s event calendar. Discover a dangerously enjoyable drinks selection at the real ale, wine, Champagne and gin bars, plus there’s the Working Boat Race, Grand Oyster Parade, and a shucking competition to watch.
Even if you don’t crave platefuls of the mighty mollusc, you’ll find this festival intriguing. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn why native Cornish oysters are so important, and how the community is keeping traditional methods of harvesting, using only sail and oar, alive.
Find out more here.
-
Other food festivals with dates TBC...
One of our favourite smaller local events is Enys Food Jam, which is held at Enys House near Penryn every June. Great for families, this friendly event features various food stalls and workshops scattered about the beautiful house and estate, plus theatrical performances and live music. Fingers crossed it will return again this year!
The Padstow Christmas Festival features food demos, top chefs, music, fireworks and entertainment. It’s a festive extravaganza which takes in the whole town, but centres on a tempting array of market stalls – the ultimate Christmas shopping experience for foodies. This year’s dates are yet to be confirmed, but it’ll be a weekend early in December. Keep an eye on the website for announcements.
-
And closer to home…
Truro Farmers Market has a busy calendar of seasonal markets, which are like mini food and drink festivals right on our doorstep! Keep an eye on their website for details of The BIG Easter, Summer, Autumn and Christmas Markets, which showcase local, seasonal food and drink alongside artisan makers.
For more top local tips, take a look at our blog on visiting Cornish vineyards.
