Cornish festivals to help you experience the joy of food

September is perfect for enjoying a quiet weekend in Cornwall. Warm days and chilly nights can be the perfect combination for a magical seaside experience. And, even better, there are some amazing Cornish foods to help you enjoy yourselves even more.

With beautiful holiday rentals across Cornwall, you will be able to enjoy a great weekend mini-break or spoil yourself with a week off in the South West. And these festivals can be a great part of that experience.

Newquay Fish Festival

In its 13th year, the Newquay Fish Festival is one the best attended food festivals in the county. From 11-13 September, it attracts more than 2,000 people each year. There will be a number of cooking demonstrations from the region’s top chefs. BBC MasterChef Winner James Nathan of the Green Room Restaurant, Jim Whatcott of the Carnmarth Hotel, and Christopher Archambault of the Headland Hotel are all scheduled to appear.

As an addition this year, there will be more live entertainment and organisers are hoping to focus on local seafood and produce. Chefs involved in the event will feature cooking with sustainable products.

Besides the seafood-related events, the festival offers a number of local stands promoting Cornish produce and crafts. There is a hospitality area and a range of entertainment from local choirs and bands. For the kids or the young at heart, there is a sandcastle competition and ‘fishy’ encounters organised by the town’s Blue Reef Aquarium.

Bude for Food

Further up the Cornish coast, a week later, the Bude for Food celebration takes place on the Bude Castle grounds. From 18-20 September, the event will showcase well-known eateries from the Bude area and more. The event offers tasting events with an artisan food market, cooking demonstrations and master classes in a kitchen theatre. There will also be a covered picnic area to enjoy.

Top chefs at the event include Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth from Padstow, Emily Watkins from the Kingham Plough, Martin Dorey the Camper Van Cook, and Sanjay Kumar, the leader of Slow Food Cornwall. On Saturday night, there will be live music from local rock and jazz bands.