Porthleven Food Festival has got underway in brilliant sunshine today (Friday).
The weather could have not been better as the festival got underway with cooking demonstrations, stalls and shell painting with the Porthleven Mermaids.
The award-winning festival, which won gold in the Best Event category at the Cornwall Tourism Awards and silver at the South West Tourism Awards in 2020, is now taking place all weekend, from Friday through to Sunday, from 10am each day.
Porthleven Gig club selling homemade cakes
For the first time in the festival's history, there have been chef demonstrations on the Friday also.
This saw the acclaimed Michael Caines, owner of The Harbourside Refuge in Porthleven, taking to the mainstage at 1pm joined by his executive head chef Stuart Shaw, where they made steak tartare.
He was preceded on stage by Cornish chef Dan Bowden, the new head chef at The Bay Hotel in Coverack.
Dan Bowden of the Bay Hotel Coverack, ready to give his demonstration
Tomorrow will see festival patron Antony Worrall Thompson returning for his ever-popular cook off against Porthleven’s own Jude Kereama, owner of Kota and Kota Kai.
Jude has gathered the chefs together for this year’s show, taking over from his wife Jane, who sadly passed away just after the last food festival in 2019.
This year's line-up also includes Stewart Eddy and Bryok Williams from The Square in Porthleven, Mick Smith from the Porthminster Beach café in St Ives and Dorian Janmaat, who has returned to Cornwall as executive head chef at The Idle Rocks in St Mawes after an eight-year stint at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons with Raymond Blanc, all on the Saturday, with Sunday including Rock's St Enodoc Hotel executive chef Guy Owen, who has worked with Gordon Ramsay at his Michelin starred restaurant at Claridge’s and recently represented the South West on the BBC’s Great British Menu programme, and Michelin Bib Gourmand winner Ben Tunnicliffe from the Tolcarne Inn at Newlyn.
Graham Bradshaw sells some Cornish Sea Salt to Jan Haggarty
There is also a strong programme of bands and musicians each evening, with a range of tastings, workshops, discount offers and limited edition festival offerings in the Shipyard Market and family activities in The Family Zone on the Moors Field.
See the full festival details here: Parking details for Porthleven Food Festival: full event run down
Freya and Agnes meet the Porthleven mermaids
Pictures: Kathy White
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