This one-off event takes place on 27-29 August and, whilst retaining the Main Ring, Main Lawn, Woodland and Countryside Arena which visitors know and love, the organisers have also announced new features to enjoy.

Amongst them is Lakeside Farm, which offers interactive farming fun for the family. Lakeside Farm includes The Sheep Show, where visitors can learn about breeds of sheep and watch a sheep shearing demonstration; and the Dog & Duck Show, where a Collie Dog will put a group of Ducks through a course of tunnels and slides. Another new feature is Canine Corner which, along with a show from Pawsability, will host a Fun Dog Show. Bring your pooch and enter the show on the day!

The Food Hall is always popular, and this year visitors can buy delicious local produce from its new home at the Showering Pavilion. With roaming performers, fun photo opportunities, scrumptious street food and live music too, a fun festival vibe is guaranteed.

Alan Lyons, Head of Shows, said, “Everyone is delighted to see the Festival take shape, and we have planned the event with Covid safety in mind. That’s why we have reduced the number of marquees and will be using all of our permanent buildings, which are spacious and have plenty of air flow. We’re also currently limiting the number of tickets available per day, and there will also be plenty of hand washing/ sanitising stations across the Showground to keep everyone safe.”

Tickets are available here

From Friday 28 to Monday 31 May, Porthilly Spirit welcomes renowned chefs, artists, musicians and creatives to gather at Trefresa Farm, close to Rock, for three days of feasting, workshops, inspirational talks and adventure. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 19 March.

The first names confirmed for Porthilly Spirit 2021 include Simon Stallard, of the highly-acclaimed Hidden Hut; BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank; and Tom Kay, founder of ultra-sustainable outdoor brand Finisterre.

Porthilly Spirit founder Will Herrmann said: “After too many months of being apart, we’re so excited to kick off the events season by opening up the farm.

“This is an excuse to celebrate all the things we love, and the people who love doing them. We’re busy curating a wide line-up of activities so that we can deliver an unforgettable bank holiday weekend.”

Food and drink

Sublime food and drink and feasting tables sit at the heart of everything at Porthilly Spirit.

Simon Stallard, well-known for his wood-fired cooking style and sell-out open-air feasts at The Hidden Hut on the south Cornish coast, will host a feast on Sunday, cooking locally-sourced dishes over open flames. There will also be smaller feasts throughout the weekend.

Cornwall’s Yallah Coffee is bringing its sustainably sourced and freshly roasted coffee to a pop-up café throughout the weekend. Additional feasts are being announced in the coming weeks.

Music

Porthilly Spirit won’t feature a large main stage. Instead, intimate areas will be created in woodland clearings and bell tents, with the music carefully chosen to create the perfect atmosphere.



Details about musical acts and DJs will be released shortly.

Talks, workshops and wellbeing

An inspiring series of talks and workshops are planned for the weekend, with a strong focus on the environment and wellbeing.

Tom Kay, founder of sustainable Cornish clothing brand Finisterre, is delivering a thought-provoking talk on human resilience, drawing on his experience in business as well as personal achievements in the current landscape.

Hosting a discussion on mindfulness and mental wellbeing, as well as leading a guided yoga Nidra session, is BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank. Surfer and environmentalist Sophie Hellyer and nutritional therapist Grace Kingswell together will lead a wellness workshop focused on yoga and breath-work.

Additional speakers and workshops are being announced in the coming weeks.

Adventure

Porthilly Spirit is located on the north Cornish coast – a hotspot for outdoor activities, water sports, and adventure.

Partnering with local adventure experts Wavehunters, Porthilly Spirit visitors can participate in beach fitness sessions, stand up paddleboarding and surf lessons, and boat wildlife tours.

All activities will be run by the Wavehunters guides — with pick up locations on the event site.

Theatre

Immersive theatre is set to take place throughout the weekend, courtesy of award-winning Rogue Theatre, in an atmospheric woodland clearing.

Family friendly

Created with families in mind, Porthilly Spirit has plenty planned for younger attendees.

Wild Warriors, an outdoor adventure collective based in Cornwall, will run forest and bushcraft sessions to guide childrens’ curious playful nature, while encouraging risk taking in the great outdoors. Activities include target practice, den building, warrior headdress making, festival jewellery making, mud kitchen, whittling, and lots of fun and games.

Tickets

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 19 March, available from www.porthillyspirit.com.

Tickets are priced at £116 for adults, and Kernow weekend tickets, specifically for Cornish residents, are £85, with £1 from each ticket being donated to the St Minver Community Hub.

Local tickets for those who live in the village are £25 per day. Teen tickets are priced at £68.25, with free entry for children under the age of 12.

Tickets include entry to Porthilly Spirit 2021, and camping for three nights. Campervan passes are available for £50.

Staying safe

Steering away from a traditional festival, Porthilly Spirit focuses on creating an intimate experience for guests, and has limited the capacity to 1,500.

Will commented: “Everything we do here at Trefresa Farm is inspired by the land and coast around us. Whether that’s running our distillery or hosting events like Porthilly Spirit, we want people to be able to immerse themselves in the nature of our local landscape.

“The scale of Porthilly Spirit has been carefully considered. Rather than inviting as many as we can, we’re focussing on creating a small gathering of people who can safety connect through a shared love for great food, drink and the Cornish outdoors.”

Porthilly Spirit is not creating any large focal points at the event, such as a main stage. This will reduce large numbers gathering in one space, and instead keep people spread across the site.

The organisers have taken the decision to cap the event at under 50% of total capacity. When additional government advice is released regarding stage three of the roadmap, they are well prepared and equipped to implement any and all COVID precautions.

For more information, visit porthillyspirit.com.

The festival will be streamed live on YouTube this Sunday 3^rd May, hosted by River Cottage author and presenter Steven Lamb. As well chef demos, the live stream will cross to fishermen and farmers across the country and include conversations with Jack Stein and food historian Dr Polly Russell.

The brainchild of Ross Geach from Padstow Kitchen Garden, the first Virtual Food Festival was held on Easter Monday and organised in less than a week. With the support of Jack Stein, the not-for-profit initiative has now partnered with Crowdfunder and aims to make food accessible for people in these challenging times, connecting suppliers to customers, raising money for charity and offering virtual food events with cooking inspiration, tips and demonstrations along the way.

Jack Stein, Chef Director at Rick Stein restaurants, said “We’re so grateful to these amazing chefs for getting involved and supporting our initiative. Our aim is simple, we want to showcase the wonderful food and drink we’d usually use in our restaurants that is now available for consumers to enjoy straight from the suppliers. We’re also raising money for the National Emergencies Trust Appeal and St Petrocs Homeless Society in Cornwall – and I expect we’ll have some fun along the way too.” 

Speak to the Chefs!
Virtual festival goers can also book a front row seat for £2 allowing ticket holders exclusive access to be invited to speak with the chefs on the stream – all monies raised from ticket sales is being donated to St Petrocs Homeless Society in Cornwall.

Watch live on YouTube via the Virtual Food Festival channel

Find more information at www.virtualfoodfestival.org and book front row seats at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/virtual-food-festival 

Following the Government’s guidance press conference on 12^th March, it is clear that COVID-19 will still be very active within our communities during May and June so the three Shows feel it is the most responsible action to reschedule to protect their visitors, traders and exhibitors from the spread of the virus. 

Whilst the Boards of each show admit this is an extremely difficult decision to make and appreciate the disruption and disappointment the postponement may cause, it has been unanimously agreed that the Shows’ absolute priorities must lie, at this time of uncertainty, with the protection of public health. 

The three shows all of which were scheduled to take place in Spring, will be postponed until:

31^st July, 1^st & 2^nd August – The Royal Bath & West Show

28^th, 29^th & 30^th August – Devon County Show

10^th, 11^th & 12^th September – The Royal Cornwall Show

Each show would like to thank the public, traders, competitors and sponsors for their understanding and patience during this period of uncertainty and what is an unprecedented situation.

On the last Friday of every month, passionate plant-based chef, Kara cooks up a vegan storm. With a love of cooking and creating a friendly atmosphere, she serves up 3-course vegan meals packed with flavour. Held at a different Bournemouth venue each month, this is a truly special event!

Get in touch with Kara to book on karaboots@yahoo.com.

Kara’s Vegan Supper Club website

Inspired by the film’s key themes of friendship, wonder, magic and healing, the collaboration between the RHS and STUDIOCANAL will give people of all ages an opportunity to explore the many ways in which gardens and gardening can help us connect with each other, and improve our physical and mental wellbeing through the magic of growing.

“The Secret Garden is a wonderful story about the power of gardens to heal and bring people together – something all of us at the RHS truly believe in,” says Amanda Cole, Head of Marketing at the RHS. “When STUDIOCANAL approached us about this collaboration we knew immediately that it would resonate with our members and visitors, and we are delighted to be bringing the movie to life through our Gardens, Shows and campaigns. This biggest-ever brand partnership for the RHS will reach thousands of people and we hope that it will inspire them to discover a secret garden of their own.”

Young gardeners across the nation will be encouraged to unlock their imagination and try their hand at designing their own Secret Garden for the chance to have elements of their design recreated in their school or community. Details of how to enter will be available on the RHS Campaign for School Gardening website, at RHS Gardens and selected RHS Partner Gardens.

From 21 March to 3 May 2020 at RHS Garden Rosemoor in Devon, families can discover areas of the gardens they may never have visited before on the trail of six hidden keys. A range of inspiring workshops (30 March – 10 April) will encourage both adults and children to try out gardening tasks, arts and crafts and other creative activities and a range of branded books will be available to buy from the Gift Shop.

As part of Fernhill Farm’s Spring Open Day, forager, Dave Hamilton, author of Family Foraging will be guiding a session that truly helps you get back to nature. Together you’ll explore the farm, looking out for what’s possible to forage at this time of year, and learning ways the wild ingredients can be cooked and eaten.

Tickets starting from £8, www.fernhill-farm.co.uk

Image by Gem Hicks Photography.

Like many West Country success stories, The Shops at Dartington has grown from relatively humble beginnings. It all started back in 1925, when Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst purchased the 14th century Dartington estate. The grounds had suffered years of neglect, but the ambitious pioneers poured their resources into what would later be known as the “Dartington Experiment”. This lengthy restoration process saw the crumbling estate brought back into the limelight and led to the establishment of a host of farming, forestry and educational projects. Dartington soon became a magnet for artists, architects, writers, philosophers and musicians from around the world; creating an exceptional centre of creative activity. This experiment was formalised in 1932 with the creation of The Dartington Hall Trust, which to this day support programs in social justice and the arts.

As part of restoration efforts, The Dartington Trust opened a small shop on the edge of its 1200 acre estate. The shop was established as a means of selling the local produce that was grown and made onsite, and a handful of dairy products and local crafts grew over the years into the 15 shops and businesses that stand on the site today. The development brought a new lease of life into what was previously a hodge podge assortment of agricultural buildings and barns -many of which were glorified sheds not too long ago. Now, each building houses a myriad of local brands, as well as an onsite gin distillery, a craft centre, food shop and gallery.

Take a look at: https://www.dartington.org/visit/shops/ to plan your visit.

Unique Experiences

Of course, The Shops at Dartington aren’t just designed for a spot of retail therapy. Visitors who are feeling creative can now book lessons at its onsite pottery workshop (Crazy About Clay) and learn how to craft their very own ceramics with expert tutor, Mary Cutchee. Mary has been honing her craft for over 40 years and teaches students of all ages and abilities how to create pottery they’ll be proud to take home and treasure. Likewise, gin lovers can learn how to craft their very own personalised gin at the renowned Devon Gin School. Guided by expert staff, the onsite distillery offers visitors the opportunity to blend and distill their choice of botanicals and leave with their very own unique 35cl labelled bottle of gin.

For more information about booking a unique experience -visit www.dartington.org/whats-on.