A visit to Porthleven Food Festival and a dog walk on the way


Distance shot of 'Love Food' sign on walls of Porthleven harbour

Iโ€™ve hadย Porthleven Food Festival on my โ€˜to doโ€™ list for a while now and so pleased that I managed to fit it in this year. My friend Caroline and her dog Polly joined me so we decided to park in the free car park at Porthleven next to the lake and give ourselves and Polly a beautiful walk through the National Trust’s Penrose Estate on the way.

The footpath leads straight out of the car park into lovely green parkland, so Polly was off the lead most of the way, much to her delight. You exit the park to the side of the Penrose house and car park and turn left. There is a five-minute walk on the road into Porthleven with no pavement but you soon reach the village and the coast road into the harbour.

The whole village was decked out with food vans, stands, marquees, bunting and a carnival atmosphere, despite the rain. We were soaking wet when we arrived so dived in to the lovely Origin Coffee shop on the edge of the inner harbour. The cafe was dog friendly with superb barista coffee and delicious almond croissants which helped us warm up. They served coffee in stylish cups made of waste coffee husks which ticked my eco-friendly box!

Porthleven Food Festival has been running for 11 years and aims to celebrate the very best cuisine from all over Cornwall with a helping of street entertainment, music and cookery demonstrations with local and celebrity chefs.

The town is closed to traffic with a one-way system and some closed roads, so we were glad we had left the car at Helston as it looked pretty busy. There is camping on offer should you wish to stay for the whole three days and a range of holiday cottages and B&Bs in the town.

We had a lovely mooch around for a few hours, grabbed some breakfast from the lovely Amy at Punk Thai, watched cookery demos and listened to live music on the two stages. It is fabulous to experience the festival buzz as well as the glorious views around the harbour.

Polly was getting fed up as the day wore on and it got busier, so we headed into Annโ€™s Pasties for a pasty for lunch to eat on the way home.

This time we went east along the coast path but kept straight on to Loe Bar where we munched our pasties. We then turned inland back into the Penrose Estate, which offered freedom for Polly along the scenic woodland path. The National Trust also has a seasonal cafe here, if you’re in need of refreshments.

The whole walk is about eight miles and easy. But if you donโ€™t want to walk that far there are buses from Helston to Porthleven, so you could walk one way and catch the bus back.

Useful information

Porthleven is a pretty harbour town approximately an hour’s drive from Bosinver. There’s a variety of interesting shops and galleries to explore, plus plenty of cafes, restaurants and pubs.

Porthleven Food Festival takes place towards the end of April each year. It’s a three-day celebration of food, drink and music. the festival is free to attend, but you’ll need tickets for some performances.

Penrose offers a variety of options for walks for all ages and abilities, including woodland and coastal walks. Download walk details and a map of the estate from the National Trust.

Festivals and events in Cornwall

Cornwall has a wealth of festivals and events all year round. So whenever you choose to visit, there’s usually something happening, from food festivals to bands on the beach and literary festivals. There’s also a variety of events celebrating traditional Cornish culture, such as Golowan, Penzance’s midsummer festival, which is not to be missed!ย Find out more about upcoming festivals and events in Cornwall.

Ready to plan your next trip to Cornwall? Bosinver has a range of luxury self-catering cottages to sleep 4-12 people (including dog friendly cottages).ย If you need any help planning your perfect break, justย give us a call on 01726 72128.

Check availability and book your next holiday in Cornwall>

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