St Ives’ annual gastronomic food festival returns to the golden sands of Porthminster Beach 17 – 19 September.
A foodie’s dream, this event which usually takes place in May, has been rescheduled to September and will be extended to three full days of celebrations.
In 2019, for the first time St Ives Food and Drink Festival was free to attend during the day and welcomed over 25,000 visitors to enjoy sunshine, music and food all weekend.
This year the festival will once again be free to enjoy in the day with a small charge for evening music performances.
Lee Bater, Festival Director said “After a very challenging year, which has had a huge impact on the hospitality industry, we are thrilled to announce the return of St Ives Food and Drink Festival. The family weekend which showcases some of the best chefs and local musicians here in Cornwall and beyond, and this year will be a much-needed celebration for everyone. It truly is one of the most beautiful festival backdrops in the country and we can’t wait to welcome you all back in September.”
The outdoor Asado Fire Pit will take centre stage as the main demo area with a full chef line up cooking over fire all weekend. The Asado Fire Pit brings the thrill of authentic fire cooking and invites top chefs to share their skills on this very different venue.
Audiences will witness a wide range of techniques for cooking seafood, meat and vegetables on open fire. Food lovers can take a delicious journey across Cornwall and the UK, learning from outstanding chefs like Emily Scott who recently opened her new restaurant overlooking Watergate Bay and is receiving rave reviews from the critics.
There will be plenty for seafood lovers with Rick Stein’s Group Head Chef Stephane Delourme joined by The Seafood Head Chef Pete Murt. Other seafood experts include Mike Warner with his ‘net to plate’ approach and Great British Menu finalist and outstanding chef Jude Kereama of Kota. Jude combines the best from land and sea, in a fused-Asian style cooking that he will be bringing to the Asado. Steven Lamb has been a lynchpin of the River Cottage operation for over a decade. He’s an award-winning author and teacher who specialises in curing and smoking meat. His fantastic presenting style will make this one not to miss.
Attendees will be treated to be an exploration of the very best locally sourced ingredients cooked over fire with the likes of Ross Geach of Padstow Kitchen Garden using ingredients grown or reared at the farm; and grow-your-own author Kathy Slack.
Sustainability is a passion amongst the many of chefs with Jeffrey Robinson of The New Yard being awarded Michelin Green Star this year with a no dig garden, regenerative agriculture, no options or a la carte menu and reduced waste and fuel. There’ll be a slot for Dorian Janmaat Executive Chef of The Idle Rocks with his emphasis on using produce from local businesses and fishermen for his culinary creations.
There’ll be tons more chefs and a host of different flavours and styles of cooking over the three festival days, with sessions taking a culinary tour of Cornwall and beyond. The full chef line-up can now be viewed at stivesfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk