St Ives Food & Drink Festival
Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall
Fast turning into the foodie Mecca of Cornwall's wild west, St Ives deserves to be a destination on every gastronome's wish list. Whatever time of year you visit, expect stylish seafront dining and menus crammed with produce plucked from the ocean and countryside flanking this artists' and fishing town turned chic seaside resort. But come here for the annual Food and Drink Festival in May and you'll be intoxicated by a heady mix of local flavours and lively celebrations. Good food has become synonymous with St Ives, and the festival offers ample opportunity to eat your heart out whilst also taking in the stunning coastal scenery. Dig your toes in the sand of Porthminster Beach and bite into mackerel fresh from the barbecue, or dine on oysters and champagne. From wine tastings to local market stalls and sandcastle competitions, there is something for every taste and age. Of course, you also can't leave town without sampling a local ice cream on the beach (our favourite is Moomaid, made nearby in Zennor) – just beware of swooping seagulls that can snatch it straight from the cone with military precision.=
