Padstow Christmas

We recently held our annual celebration evening at The Old Ship Hotel, Padstow to distribute £8,000 worth of donations to local charities, schools and community groups. The funds were raised by the Friends of Padstow Christmas Festival during 2018.
The evening was also an opportunity to say thank you to the fantastic volunteers who help make the event such a success - we couldn't do it without them!
You can find out more by clicking below.
... https://barefootmedia.co.uk/…/padstow-s hares-success-chris…/
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For those who have been asking, Paul Ainsworth has shared his recipe for rice pudding with blueberry compote. If you make it, please send us your pics and let us know how delicious it tasted! ------ RICE PUDDING ------ Ingredients... ------ 500ml double cream 500ml milk 2 vanilla pods 180g pudding rice (washed) 12 egg yolks 160g caster sugar ------ Method ------ 1. Bring the double cream and milk to the boil and add the vanilla pods. 2. Add the rice and cook slowly. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together. 4. Add the whisked egg yolks and sugar to the rice and cook out as a sauce anglaise. ------ BLUEBERRY COMPOTE ------ Ingredients ------ 75g demerara sugar 1 sprig of thyme 1 lemon half a vanilla pod 625g blueberries splash of crème de cassis ------ Method ------ 1. Place 250g blueberries, the thyme, a strip of lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice. and the sugar, in a saucepan. 2. Cook gently together over a low heat until compote consistency, remove from the heat, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then add the remaining fresh blueberries. Cover with cling film and allow to cool in the fridge. 3. Finish with lemon juice and crème de cassis to taste. ------ Serve the rice pudding with a spoonful of compote on top.
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This year's Padstow Christmas Festival was a huge success, and we couldn't have done it without your support.
Did you have a good time? We're always looking at ways to make the festival even better.
We'd love to know your suggestions, so please spare a couple of minutes to complete our quick survey to let us know your thoughts. Click on the following link to take part: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/3LPQDBG< br>... Thank you, and we wish you a very merry Christmas.
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Here’s the recipe from this year’s brilliant demo by Rick Toogood (Prawn On The Lawn)... #turbotnotturkey

Yummy Padstow veg...

🎄🥂✨😊

Cornwall's largest food festival, Padstow Christmas Festival, is an annual celebration of food, drink and all things Christmas. Our twelfth event runs from Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th December 2019.
The event is FREE to attend, with a huge Christmas market, dozens of chef demos on two stages, wine theatre, lantern parade, fun run, firework display, live music, food stalls and more.
Park & Ride available. No dogs in the marquees please.
... For full details visit http://www.padstowchristmasfestival.co.uk /.
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That’s all folks! Save the date for next year’s festival: 5th - 8th December 2019.

As this year’s festival draws to a close, here are some of our favourite moments. We think you’ll agree, it’s been full of fun, food and laughter. Merry Christmas!

We all owe a big thank you to Tina Evans, who organises the whole festival. She’s easily spotted in her high vis coat, so if you see her today, give her a big smile! Thank you too to Tina’s team of volunteers and the organising committee. It’s amazing to think that so many people have given so much of their time in order to create four incredible days of festive fun, enjoyed by thousands of people for free. Happy Christmas from Padstow!

Coming up today in the Sharp’s Chefs Theatre.... 11.30am Angela Hartnett 12.30pm Mark Hix & Mitch Tonks 1.30pm Roy Brett 2.30pm Stuart Pate... 3.15pm Paul Ainsworth & John Walton 4.15pm Nathan Outlaw & Tim Barnes
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It’s not every day Rick Stein and Brian Turner serve the breakfast! HUGE thanks to all the chefs who cooked this morning’s charity Big Cornish Breakfast, and to the suppliers who donated ingredients. . . #dreamteam #toomanycooks #bigcornishbreakfast #charity #breakfast #padstowchristmasfestival #pcf2018 #celebritychefs #christmas #christmasfestival #baconandeggs #sausages #happychristmas

Happy birthday Mitch Tonks! From this morning’s Chefs Breakfast.

Please note that the PARK AND RIDE IS CLOSED TODAY due to the wet conditions.

Here are the festival and demo timetables for Sunday 9th December. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PARK & RIDE IS CLOSED TODAY DUE TO THE WET CONDITIONS. All information can be found on our website http://www.padstowchristmasfestival.co.uk /.

love Christmas time and this makes it even more special for me. great food and gifts for everyone cant wait.

We visit every year and it always marks the being of our Christmas. Parked easily and what a bargain £1 for the day. Lots of nice food to eat and take home . Lovely mulled Cider. Most shops open late so plenty of gifts bought. Fabulous atmosphere. Merry Christmas. ���

We made use of the Park and Ride. Glad we did because there wasn't any parking anywhere else. Great value and at only £2 per vehicle is a lot cheaper than the normal parking charges. The event was excellent with a variety of stalls to cater for all tastes. No liberties taken with stall prices. Plenty of free tasters on offer. My only concern was the overcrowding and a fair few ignorant types barging their way through or blocking aisles to chat. But, with the event this good there's bound to be a lot of people.

Visiting for the first time and great to see old and young having such a lovely time and raising money for good causes at the same time.

The biggest and best so far, this festival started a few + years back and we switched our holiday from New year to this event date, the tiny tent it started in is now transformed into a vast marquee in the whole of the lower car park. The chef's cooks and bakers along with their front of house support and behind scenes is outstanding, don't won't to bang on too much about its popularity because our accommodation is becoming extremely hard to procure, either the owners want to come back for the festival or they sell. Up side is many local cornish independent traders get exposure, the Restaurants are fantastic. Bars pubs and cafes all good quality, bin two a notable mention, let's not forget the side street shops away from the main stream areas, a little shop by the old cinema just before middle Street sells every gadget, DIY, camping and domestic. Bring on 2016 we are booked,thanks Harbour Holidays.

Second year we have been and had an amazing time again, great atmosphere, great food and lovely gifts to purchase. We already have next years date in the calendar.

Our first festival as well, absolutely loved it. Lots to do and see over the 4 days so well done to the organisers. Booked to come back next year.

Lovely event. We travel down from south Buckinghamshire to Cornwall for a weekend of Christmas shopping every year, it’s a great place to pick up gifts for loved ones that you wouldn’t normally find at home.



It’s often busy which isn’t a bad thing and there is always a good variety of stands inside the main tent including food and drink.

It's great, the chef's demonstrations and the food and craft tent are all amazing so much to see, eat and buy very well organised, this will get bigger each year I think

Had a wonderful first experience of the Christmas Festival. So many stalls with local produce and unique gifts. Very well organised especially the park and ride at £2 per car!!

First visit to this event, I really enjoyed the choice that was on offer from the stalls and the demonstrations, but I was not prepared for the amount of people who shared our desire to visit. It was very difficult at times to get though and see what was being sold/offered. The eating area needed to be double the size to hold the capacity of people who wanted to eat & drink. Could the both carparks be used to give the space you need and push all the cars to the park and ride? We did this and it was effortless. I will visit again next year but plan my timings better.

Excellent festival, the cooking demonstrations are really good, the whole atmosphere so friendly and the volunteers so helpfil and smiley. Just a brilliant experience.

Always a great selection of local food and craft suppliers with the added attraction of many famous chefs demonstrating their skills. Padstow cones alive at Christmas

3rd year in a row, still the best Christmas market 🎅🏼🎄

1st time visiting Christmas market.. Great day out. Lovely stalls with lots to buy. Beautiful setting so made it extra special. X definitely go again next year.

My wife and myself are regular visitors to Padstow. Needless to say we love this fishing port on the Camel Estuary that sits on the North Cornwall coast. Needless to say how special this place is to us.



The 2014 Padstow Christmas Festival is our 5th. Our first was in 2010. Each return to the festival we are reminded just how charming the town is as the nights draw in, the temperature drops and summer is some far away place. Despite all this, the town is as warm as it is lively. The line up in the Sharps theatre was a great pull, particularly Ready Steady Cook and the Food Forums, especially the Sunday morning item hosted by Brian Turner. However, let us not forget the engaging events in the Festive Kitchen at the back of the Marquee. The presentations from the brewers St Austell and Sharps were lively and entertaining as were the demos from Mark Puckey, Stuart Pate and the Stein Brothers. There even a certain charm in the rough and ready approach that Teri Walters uses for tarting up her Christmas. I dare say her 'no skill required here' decorations make interesting viewing in her humble abode on Xmas morn.



But I must not omit the lovely stalls in the Market itself with crafts people, artists, local novelists, bakers, cheese makers, pop up food stalls selling a huge variety of hot and cold food. The choice was endless.



In fact, of all the Padstow Festivals we attended, this was the most packed in in terms of things to do. My wife and myself had to make some tough choices. However, for me that is preferable to lack of things to do.



Then we must not forget the Santa Fun Run and cycle, the music from the bandstand, the fireworks and the arrival of Santa.



We don't normally capture that Christmas spirit at home, but thanks to the warm festival ambience here, we capture it in droves.



The existing businesses deserve some credit as they were brilliant namely Rick Steins Cafe, the very nice people at The Basement as well as The Cherry Tree.



The people connected with the festival, especially the volunteers in the theatres were all very helpful, friendly and good humoured.



So all this should amount to 5 stars you might think. So why 4? The one issue that needs to be resolved I'd the way ticketing is organised in the Sharps Theatre. Much as I appreciate you want to give as many people the chance to see as many acts as possible. The current arrangement whilst address to some extent the crowd issues previously encountered before this system is introduced, is far from perfect and creates problems for those who want to see two consecutive events. I would be happy to purchase tickets for say Rick Stein demo in advance and preferably online. The takings could go to a charity like The Fishermen's Mission perhaps.



To the organisers, you have an annual event at Christmas that showcases the best of Cornwall and The South West, that is very unique and very special that captivates the hearts of many, and that will no doubt continue. The visitors love and care about Padstow Christmas, as do the participants as do your good selves. Please reconsider the current arrangement and canvas the attendees as to what better system can replace it.



From a very loyal attendee who plans to be back next year.

Fantastic to visit at this time of year and Padstow was alive and buzzing. But there really wasn't enough seating space in the marquees to eat and not enough seats to get in and see the celebrity chefs. Maybe force everyone other than blue badge holders to use the park and ride and then use the extra space to create more seating and a bigger demo tent. Othe than that the flavours and things on offer were so varied and the demos especially from Aneeka were fantastic.

My first experience of the Christmas market had mixed feelings. Access with a pushchair was limited and restricted. The attitudes of people towards me with a pushchair was also made known. The pure amount of people crammed inside made it impossible to look at the stalls. Of what I saw it was lovely and great use of showcasing Cornish produce. I would of loved more room to explore properly and to accommodate the amount of people going and expected. I think it should run longer to enable everyone to have a chance.