Published November 27th, 2017
Final preparations are underway for the annual Padstow Christmas Festival which celebrates its tenth birthday this year.
The festival, which runs from 7 to 10 December, is one of the largest of its kind in the country, attracting tens of thousands of people to the picturesque harbourside town.
Cornwall’s culinary demigods Rick Stein, Paul Ainsworth, and Nathan Outlaw will be joined by a Who’s Who of gastronomic A-listers including Angela Hartnett, Michael Caines, Roy Brett, and Tom Kerridge.
Padstow bustles with more than 100 food, drink, and craft producers from across the West Country. There’s also live music, a lantern parade, Santa’s grotto, carol concert, and fireworks.
Opening the free-to-attend festival at 12.00pm on 7th December is Nathan Outlaw, whose Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Port Isaac was recently awarded the number one spot in the Good Food Guide 2018.
He said: “It really is unique, bringing together people who all have one thing in common: a love of, and genuine interest in, good food.
“Add to the mix the eclectic range of artisan crafts on sale, the music and fireworks, and the Santa fun run, and you realise you’re in for a rare treat.”
Compered by BBC Radio Cornwall, the two chef stages will feature more than 60 cookery demonstrations by local food heroes and celebrity chefs, as well as lively debate at the popular food forums, and chef ‘Q&As’.
Father Christmas arrives in the town at 6pm on Friday evening, joined for the first time by camels ridden by three kings and led by shepherds. Their parade around the harbour will be followed at 8.30pm by a huge fireworks display.
The Christmas Market will house a diverse range of crafts, gifts and artwork, and a selection of locally-produced food ranging from artisan breads and cakes, chocolate, meats, cheeses, and preserves. Award-winning craft gin producer Tarquin’s is a festival favourite, along with Sharp’s Brewery’s Secret Bar.
Organiser, Tina Evans, said: “This year’s festival is going to be really special. We have a fantastic line-up of incredible chefs throughout the four days, and we’re so grateful to them all for giving up their time to take part.
“The festival always feels like the start of Christmas, and it’s a brilliant opportunity to make a real dent in your Christmas shopping, not just in the market, but by exploring all the lovely shops in Padstow itself.”
This year sees the return of the Santa fun run and cycle, raising much-needed funds for Cornwall Hospice Care. Cyclists set off from Wadebridge at 10am on Saturday for the five mile ride along the Camel Trail to Padstow, arriving in plenty of time for the start of the 1.3-mile fun run at 1pm.
A special anniversary edition of the Padstow Festival Cookbook, featuring a mouthwatering selection of recipes and a chapter on beer pairings, penned by Sharp’s Brewery’s beer sommelier, Ed Hughes, is available to buy at selected locations around the town.
The Padstow Christmas Festival website (padstowchristmasfestival.co.uk) has detailed listings of all chef demos, Christmas market exhibitors, and information on how to get the festival, the park and ride, and lift sharing. For the latest updates follow @PadstowXmas on Twitter and Instagram, and @PadstowChristmasFestival on Facebook.
