Author: gloversure

Choose Cornish this Christmas – #ChooseCornish

Looking for a Cornish foodie present or local ingredients to make your Christmas Day lunch extra special? It’s easy… choose Cornish on holiday this Christmas and get involved online #ChooseCornish.

From coal and logs for a roaring fire, to mince pies and mistletoe, fine wine and fantastic food – Cornish producers have everything you need for a truly local Christmas feast. Here’s our pick of local festive treats available through Cornish Food Market and Food 4 my Holiday, which many of our guests order from and have waiting for them on their arrival.

Fancy staying in a holiday retreat with a log burner? Check out our cottages with a log burner for a cosy getaway.

Cornish Cheese

Cornwall has some top notch cheeses. Lynher Dairy, just outside Truro make a great Yarg – a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese wrapped in nettle leaves. Helford White from Treveador Dairy, based on a French Reblochon, won gold at the British Cheese Awards 2011. Our pick, Cornish Blue from Knowle Farm just outside Liskeard – a soft, creamy and delightful cheese perfect for a festive fig salad.

Cornish Christmas trees

Grown locally, Noble Christmas Trees are thought to be the best variety for holding onto their needles and are available for delivery from Cornish Food Market.

Cornish Christmas Day lunch

Traditional White Turkey hand reared by Richard Banbury and his family just outside Padstow, or how about a change with roast pork, ham or bacon from Robinson’s Family Butchers in Bodmin? Every plate can be catered for.

Experience the magic of the season with festive nights at Watergate Bay.

Cornish Orchards’ Wassail Mulled Cider

Cornish Orchards products are available throughout the county including Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall Restaurant and Rick Stein’s Seafood restaurant. Wassail is a sumptuous and aromatic brew of cider and apple juice, infused with fresh oranges and hand-blended spices. Serve warm as a simple and easy option for festive occasions.

Cornish Smoked Sea Salt

The chance discovery in 2004 of an Iron Age salt works, tucked away in a remote cove on the south coast of Cornwall, planted the idea for The Cornish Sea Salt Company. Fast forward to today, and Cornish Sea Salt is going strength to strength. We love their range of flavoured salts – the Smoked Sea Salt tastes especially great on buttered bread or pork crackling.

If you’re looking for quality Cornish produce that can be delivered to your door of your holiday accommodation – or even the actual kitchen or fridge – we recommend using The Cornish Food Market and Food 4 my Holiday.

Explore our locations and retreats across North Cornwall.

Strong Adolfos | Cafe culture in Cornwall

What do you get if you cross a great coffee maker, a surf-board shaper and motorbike customiser? The proprietor of a sub-cultural café on Cornwall’s Atlantic Highway, of course.

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Take a trip on the Atlantic Highway – or the A39 as its less romantically known – from Newquay towards Devon and you won’t miss Strong Adolfos.

With its huge red ‘café’ sign on the roof, Strong Adolfos is Cornwall’s answer to cool Californian-cool café culture.

Mathilda and John Eldridge run the show, with the establishment recently celebrating a more than successful first year in business.

The interior is industrial but the food and drink is anything but. In addition to coffee there’s a great selection of smoothies – avocado and date had our vote – as well as a cold selection of drinks.

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These images from Strong Adolfos’ Instagram.

The kitchen serves freshly cooked breakfast and lunches with influence taken from around the globe. We spotted burgers, lentil dhal and tasty salads on the day that we visited with vegetarian, gluten-free and meat eaters all catered for across the menu.

Although the sandwiches and cakes here go against the grain, make sure to take a look at the daily-changing specials board for where it’s really at for lunches. For an idea of what to expect, check out a previous special’s board.

With its roots firmly planted in the art, surf and motorcycle scenes, you can also expect regular events along this theme; rallies for any number of wheeled machines, film nights and art exhibitions to name just a few.

Here, it’s the Strong Adolfos’ way, or the highway.

www.strongadolfos.com

Walk Through Falmouth, Cornwall

falmouth sunrise

Back on the South coast of Cornwall, we visited Falmouth, a port on the River Fal. Known for its vibrant culture, Falmouth offers visitors the best of food and drink, retail therapy and stunning views.

Starting on the high street we took in all of the shops and indulged in a little retail therapy. From traditional Cornish stores to art galleries and vintage clothing shops, Falmouth has something for everyone.

Interested in staying in our most luxurious holiday cottages? Check out our luxury coastal cottages.

After our fill of shops and cafes, we took a seat beside the harbour to watch the boats go by. Flanked on one side by the Maritime Museum it was the perfect place to soak up the afternoon sun.

The National Maritime Museum is a fascinating place to visit if you have time. It’s mission is to promote an understanding of boats and their place in people’s lives, and of the maritime heritage of Cornwall.

After watching the boats go by we wandered over to Gyllyngvase beach. It was slightly overcast but that never put the Cornish off a day at the beach. Families were building sandcastles, eating ice cream and looking around the gardens nearby.

Discover Swell in Falmouth, our staff pick of the month, where contemporary design meets coastal charm for the perfect Cornish retreat.

Chasing the sun we noticed a bright blue sky over Flushing, a coastal village opposite Falmouth. We raced around the bay and sat on the wall soaking up the summer sun with the best view of Falmouth.

Check out more of what Falmouth has to offer by staying in one of our bespoke retreats in Falmouth.

October 18 marks the return of Fifteen Cornwall’s popular Autumn Fayre.Autumn-Fayre

From 9.30am – 3.30pm Fifteen Cornwall and the Cornwall Food Foundation will be hosting it’s bi-annual Fayre in the Watergate Bay car park.

Bringing together local suppliers and growers to celebrate the Cornish harvest, the Autumn Fayre has a great line up of stall holders including:

Buttermilk Confectionery Co
The Eden Project
Cornish Country Cordials
Cornish Meadow Preserves
Rodda’s Cream
Skinner’s Brewery Co
Riverford Farm
Cornish Orchards
Da Bara Bakery

…and many more

Alongside the tempting stalls the renowned Chef’s Demonstration Kitchen, hosted by BBC Radio Cornwall, offers a line up of amazing chefs including Fifteen Cornwall’s very own Andy Appleton showcasing some delicious seasonal dishes for you to recreate at home.

And if that wasn’t enough, your children are also catered for (pun intended) as the Cornwall Food Foundation will be running workshops such as make your own smoothie and build your own breakfast.

See you there!

Christmas in Cornwall – top five must dos

Christmas in Cornwall

December is almost upon us, which means we can officially start to feel festive. Christmas in Cornwall is a truly magical time, with lots to see and do for the whole family. It was hard, but we’ve whittled down our top five Cornish Christmas must dos.

Find out why Christmas time is the best time to visit Cornwall and some of our holiday retreats to stay in at Christmas time.

Take a dip

Nothing shakes away the Christmas feeling of excess better than a Christmas or Boxing Day swim. And we’re talking about nothing more than a bikini or shorts and a string of tinsel. At a cool 10 degrees Celsius, it’s certainly bracing, but you’ll be surprised to find quite a few others getting into the spirit of things and taking the plunge. Organised swims take place at Bude, Gwithian and Sennen, but Watergate Bay is great for warming up with a hot chocolate afterwards.

Have a look at our Bude holiday properties & book your stay in Bude.

Ice skating at the Eden Project

Visit a rainforest and go ice skating all in one Cornish afternoon at the Eden Project. The covered ice rink is open until 22 February and costs £6 per person (in addition to an Eden admission ticket) for a 40 minute session starting on the hour. For little ones, penguin skating aids are available to lean on and hold on to.

Padstow Christmas Festival

The gastronomical delight that is Padstow Christmas Festival returns from 4-7 December, starring award-winning chefs and more than 100 artisans and producers. See Santa arrive on his horse-drawn Victorian bus, spectacular fireworks, live music, carol singing and a lantern parade, plus lots more. Over on the south coast at Fowey Christmas market from 6-7 December, you can expect BBQs, Cornish traders, mulled wine, Santa arriving on a boat and even a sheep competition.

Cornish gardens and the National Trust

Nothing feels more festive than wrapping up in a bobble hat and gloves and visiting one of the many beautiful gardens or old properties in Cornwall. At Cotehele, see the famous 60-foot flower garland in all its glory – and help if you wish. Meanwhile, Trelissick house and gardens will be illuminated and decorated during certain weekends in December, and the Elizabethan manor house Terice will be a craft heaven of Christmas tree decoration and mincemeat making workshops.

Santa Fun Runs

Don a red suit and white beard and take part in one of Cornwall’s many Santa Fun Runs in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care. Events are taking place across the county in Truro, Newquay, Padstow, Falmouth, St Austell plus many other locations. If you’re not feeling up to it, it’s still a great event to support and watch go buy from the comfort of the side lines.

 

Thinking about staying for the New Year as well? Find out the best way to celebrate and spend the New Year in Cornwall.

Walk Through – Padstow

Set on the North Cornwall coast, Padstow is a quintessential harbour full of fishing boats, boutique stores, amazing restaurants and smiling faces.

Padstow

Steeped in fishing history Padstow is a beautiful place to while away the day and watch the world, boats, go by.

Starting at the National Lobster Hatchery, Padstow’s traditional fishing culture is already apparent. At the heart of the hatchery is conservation, taking in pregnant lobsters that have been caught by local fishermen and nurturing her young until they are ready to be released back in to the wild. Over the course of a year, the Lobster Hatchery takes in up to 60,000 young and improves their survival rate in the wild up to 40%.

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Make sure you visit the hatchery and adopt your own lobster.

Walking towards the village centre the smell of Rick Stein’s fish n’ chips is alluring, but first it’s time for some elevenses

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We tuck round the corner of the harbour to BinTwo, an independent wine merchant and champagne bar. Prizing ourselves away for the vintage collection we ordered a coffee and cake and relaxed.

With our energy boosted it was time for meandering through the streets, ducking into the boutique shops, and taking lots of photos.

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Shells

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One pasty shop.

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Two pasty shops.

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Three pasty shops.

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All next door to the other. You certainly won’t go hungry in Padstow.

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Tracing back to harbour, the central hub of Padstow, the Jubilee Queen is filling up for her twice daily tour of the coast. But that’s not the only way to see the Camel Estuary.

Jubilee-Queen

Starting at Wadebridge you can cycle you way along five miles of coastal path towards Padstow along the Camel Trail. Or if you’re a bit of a thrill seeker why not climb aboard one of Padstow’s famous speed boats for a whirl wind ride.

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Jaws-the-Speedboat

As the sun started to set and after a day of shopping, snacking and sunbathing beside the harbour it was time for dinner.

Sunset

We headed to Rojano’s in the Square, a favourite restaurant to the locals serving the best of Italian influenced cuisine. We opted for burgers, which were so delicious we didn’t stop in time to take a photo, however, Rojano’s came to the rescue and lent us their image.

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See what we mean? Tasty!

Burger-Rojanos

The Beach Hut Autumn Events

There is always something to do in Cornwall, and there is certainly always something to eat. Throughout Autumn The Beach Hut, Watergate Bay, is hosting a series of foodie events that you won’t want to miss.

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Check them out…

LOBSTER FRIDAY

Friday 19 September

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To mark the end of the lobster season and for one night only, The Beach Hut is going lobster crazy. Work your way through a whole lobster with a four course feast. Expect cerviche, linguine and grilled lobster.

7pm – £50 per person.

BOOK ONLINE

Say goodbye to summer barbecue

Friday 17 October

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Barbecues, bonfires and a beach-side vibe, that’s what autumn evenings at The Beach Hut are all about. Join them to say goodbye to summer with the first of their famous barbecues. There’ll be music, laughter and plenty of delicious barbecue food.

7pm – £30 per person.

BOOK ONLINE

Welcoming the Winter

Friday 14 November

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To celebrate the arrival of winter The Beach Hut will be cooking up food which to make you feel warm inside. A bonfire on the beach will get the evening off with a bang and the barbecue will feature some ‘cowboy style’ cooking.

There will be a South American theme: grilled meats, vegetables and lesser known cuts slowly cooked, pulled belly pork and BBQ sauce, five spice honey chicken, grilled leg of lamb with flat bread and mint raita. Baked potatoes will be in the fire and cowboy beans will be served with Asian slaw and corn fritters. And Hennessey brandy along with big, bold reds.

Expect sparklers, American music and line dancing, don’t forget your cowboy hats!

7pm – £30 per person.

BOOK ONLINE

Christmas

12/13/19/20 December

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Celebrate the Christmas season at The Beach Hut with a beach bonfire and evening acoustic set and DJ.

MORE DETAILS

Walk Through – Fowey, Cornwall

We pronounce it ‘Foy’ to rhyme with joy!

Fowey marks the first, of many, walk-through we’ll be covering on the South coast of Cornwall. Halfway between Plymouth and Falmouth, Fowey is one of Cornwall’s hidden gems. Tiny streets, tall houses, bunting and boats sum up this quintessential Cornish harbour.

Sparkling blue water peeks through the houses as we walk down the steep slopes of School Hill.

Thinking about bringing your dog on holiday? Check out our dog-friendly holiday properties.

Trickling down into the town are a steady flow of locals and visitors, taking in the boutique shops and eagerly carrying their crabbing equipment, excited to get the best spot along the harbour.

In the town centre familiar shops like Sea Salt and Joules make you feel at home, whilst the boutique shops like Whistlefish Gallery entice you into the creative world of Cornish art and craft.

But once again it’s the great Cornish food that brings Fowey to life. Here is the home of the famous Sam’s Bistro and Lifebouy Cafe, along with the customary bakeries and fish n’ chip shops.

Wherever you chose to stop for food, chances are you’ll be looking out over the River Fowey, a haven for seafaring vessels. Over the centuries the River Fowey was hugely significant to worldwide trade, dating back to the medieval era when Fowey was a major port for trading Cornish tin. The Fowey harbour also participated in significant naval warfare, including the defeat of the Spanish Armada. But it’s in the 1400s when Fowey men were most notorious across Europe, for their piracy!

Experience unforgettable days paddleboarding along the Cornish coast, where crystal-clear waters and stunning scenery create the perfect backdrop for adventure and relaxation.

These days you can take a boat trip around the harbour and learn all about Fowey’s history, and take a ‘float’ by Daphne du Maurier’s holiday home where she wrote her first novel The Loving Spirit. 

Illustrator Mabel Lucie Attwell also took inspiration for Fowey, having lived in Polruan, opposite, and Fowey until her deal in 1964. Ferries run every approximately every 15 minutes to Polruan.

Discover coastal charm of Fowey, South Cornwall, with Beach Retreats.

Walk Through – Truro, Cornwall

Truro, the Capital City of Cornwall, and Britain’s most southerly city combines the best of cobbled streets, culture and Cornish cuisine.

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If you’re looking for a little retail therapy whilst on holiday, Truro is the place to go. Mixing well known high street brands, such as Jaeger, The White Company and Joules, with local cafes and boutique shops, Truro offers shoppers a cosmopolitan day out.

Starting in Lemon Quay in the centre of Truro, we took in the Georgian architecture of Hall for Cornwall, the historic theatre that shows everything from West End musicals to rock concerts to amateur dramatics. Basking in sunshine, you can sit outdoors in the Quay and enjoy a Cornish Cream Tea, or two, to muster up the energy to shop till you drop.

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Taking off down one of the many cobbled streets in Truro, it’s time to shop, with the beautiful Cathedral towering high above the roof tops. It seems from every angle in Truro you can see at least some of the Cathedral, proudly sitting as Truro’s most iconic landmark.

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After exploring the bustling streets of Truro we couldn’t resist a look inside the Cathedral.

Built over 30 years from 1880, Truro Cathedral was the first to be built on a new site in England since 1220. Built during the Gothic revival era using stone quarried by the people of Cornwall, Truro Cathedral resembles that of Lincoln Cathedral.

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Free guided tours run Monday- Thursday at 11am and every Friday at 11.30am.

Side-chapel

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Walking through the aisles, the monumental stain glass windows all tell a story and fill the Cathedral with subdued, elegant light.

Before we knew it lunch time was calling. Just outside the Cathedral is the brand new local ‘Midtown Deli & Café‘. We stopped off for a slice of flapjack and iced coffee, whilst sitting in the large window watching the world go by.

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Midtown Deli & Café serves and sells a great range of local produce. With huge sandwiches, homemade soup and extremely tempting cakes on offer it’s a great place to take a break and recoup for more shopping and sight seeing.

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Top tip: Duck down the many side streets and alley ways in Truro, you never know what boutique shops you might find.

A Walk Through Guide to Porth, Cornwall

Porth Beach, sheltered by headlands on either side, is a popular beach with families. Boasting one of the longest tidal drops of all the beaches in Cornwall it’s a spacious, safe beach to enjoy with the whole family.

Complete with crashing surf carving into the rocks, and an island accessed by footbridge, Porth is the perfect place to grab the camera and explore.

Here’s our guide to Porth, so you can make the most of this family-favourite beach.

Visiting with a large group? Discover our large holiday homes perfect for big families or friend groups.

Starting at Porth Island we tracked the path to the footbridge taking in the views of Watergate Bay and Whipsiderry Beach, North, and Newquay, South.

Fancy staying in Watergate Bay? Check out our luxury holiday properties in Watergate Bay, Newquay.

 

During winter, Porth Island is a great place for storm-watching. At mid-tide, at the end of the island, is a blow hole that, timed right, sends the Atlantic Ocean washing over it shooting up into the air.

Hungry for an ice cream we headed back towards the beach. As Porth has such a long tidal drop the sand levels remain high far out to sea. Taking care you can wade into the water enjoying yourself without getting your hair wet.

Spotting Roo’s Beach ice cream shop we stopped for a delicious tub of Moomaid ice-cream, which we recently made into a delicious cocktail with the help of Fifteen Cornwall.

Throughout the summer Roo’s Beach are also offering artisan coffee and running a pop up Kingsurf Shop, closely linking Porth beach and Mawgan Porth.

After a bit too much retail therapy the sun began to set, drenching the village in beautiful evening sunshine.

Learn about more areas of Cornwall, such as Portwrinkle with our blog filled with expert tips to making the most of Portwrinkle.

If you enjoyed our Porth, Cornwall guide, find a retreat on our special offers page. Or, browse our beach locations to explore more of the coastline.