Experience real coastal culinary as St Ives Food and Drink Festival returns with a splash
Now in its sixth year, the hotly anticipated St Ives Food and Drink Festival, sponsored by Carbis Bay Holidays and Tregenna Castle Resort, is returning with an even better programme. To be spread upon the idyllic white sands of the iconic Porthminster Beach against the backdrop of the turquoise waters of the Atlantic, the festival will be celebrating all that is great about the region's natural resources. Set to run from Saturday May 16th to Sunday May 17th 2015, from 10am to 4pm, and with an early evening party on the Saturday until 8pm, the weekend event has been organised by a volunteer committee with extensive support from the recently established St Ives Business Improvement District (BID).
With Cornwall now leading the country as a UK foodie hot spot, and its ever increasing portfolio of award-winning local food producers, restaurants and top chefs, this fantastic festival will invite locals and visitors to experience the best of what this 'jewel in the Cornish crown' town has to offer the culinary world. The Festival will feature a plethora of local chefs cooking demos and an abundance of stalls selling quality Cornish produce, including popular traders such as Fussels Fine Foods, the Kernow Sausage Company, I Should Coco and St Ives Brewery.
The Festival will be sponsored by the Tregenna Castle Resort and Carbis Bay Holidays and supported by Cornwall's much loved Radio Station, Pirate FM, all of which will be running exciting promotional activities and competitions. Pirate FM's Managing Director and food lover, Mark Peters will also be hosting the food demonstration stage as part of an all-round entertaining show. There will be something for the whole family, including a light hearted, food themed paddleboard competition running on the Saturday and a music stage with performances from 10am – 8pm on Saturday May 16th and 10am – 4pm on Sunday May 17th 2015. A colourful array of local musical entertainers are also on the menu, which will add to the jovial buzz of the weekend.
St Ives BID Manager, Jess Golding says: “We are so proud to be supporting this vital event and with the provision of additional marketing and PR plans, we want to drive awareness and footfall to entirely new levels this year. St Ives is without a doubt a true gourmet mecca, perhaps most famous for such accessible abundant seafood that offers the freshest and best taste experience that the UK can provide. The Festival will, however, also see the showcasing of some fantastic local cheese producers, artisan bakers and handmade preserve companies amongst other food genres.”
Jess continues: “If, like me, you have a sweet tooth, you won't struggle to find a quintessentially Cornish cream tea on offer, or a stack of the finest chocolatiers, rapeseed oil producers, and an extensive range of fruit, vegetables and salad ingredients all brought from local farms. In terms of drinks, we can guarantee you won't go thirsty as West Country ciders and real ale and craft beers from the many independent and micro-breweries that are dotted across the region will be present. Freshly pressed apple juices and soft drinks will also be available for the little ones, as this is very much a family-orientated event. We're also very grateful for the sponsors and supporters, Carbis Bay Holidays, Tregenna Castle Resort and Pirate FM, as without them, organising this event just would not have been possible.”
Award-winning Executive Chef at Porthminster Beach Café, Mick Smith says: “I'm extremely excited to be heading up the chef demonstrations on our doorstep here for the amazing St Ives Food and Drink Festival. The whole chef team will be working together to create fun-filled and interactive demos tailored to all levels of cooking expertise. We're bringing together the best local food personalities in this beautiful, paradise-like location. What could be better than that?”
St Ives itself is an all year holiday destination that sees visitors returning time and time again. A network of pretty, elegant cobbled streets lead to the town's hub and the picturesque harbour, where visitors and residents alike can indulge in one of many of the finest eateries whilst watching the swirl of life going by below.
For more information on anything to do with the event or its sponsors, see: stivesfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk/ or for information on accommodation providers or transport links, see the official tourist information website at: visitstives.org.uk. The head chefs and musical performers will be announced shortly. Please also note that Porthminster Beach has a seasonal dog ban from Easter through to October.
