And its reputation for blending the finest cups was confirmed at the beginning of 2013 when a panel of experts placed Espressini in The Independent’s 50 Best Coffee Shops in the UK, describing it as a“coffee beacon”.

“Salvage chic” would probably be the best way to describe the decor in Espressini and the adjoining KilliBrew Room, with artfully mismatched tables and chairs, statement light fittings and piles of newspapers and magazines creating a space that invites lingering but doesn’t detract from the star attraction – the coffee. Rupert and his team have sought out new blends and single farm coffees from around the world to tantalise their customers, and the resulting menu covers a huge blackboard. If the choice feels a little overwhelming the friendly staff will happily talk you through the options and make suggestions – they may take their beans seriously but there’s not even a whiff of caffeine snobbery here. They’ve even thoughtfully provided tasting wheels to make notes on the flavour and aroma of your coffee, so you’ll feel slightly more expert on your next visit.

Delicious hand-made cakes and sandwiches are all locally sourced and Espressini supports home-grown talent too, with a range of exhibitions and other events. A place to cherish.

25 / 26th May - The Espressini weekend brunch sessions 9-1. Expanding their food and bringing their casual Weekend Breakfast  to Falmouth. Great things on the menu include: European Continental buffet and Banana bread with date jam, espresso mascapone and pecan.

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Hundreds of eager feet, from this world and the other, animal, human and faerie (and half way between), patter along the path in time with the beat of the wings of butterflies and birds.

Even the breeze dances, as it makes its way through trees, carrying stories and shimmering magic to the heart of the woods.

For this is the summer and a great celebration is under way; The Wild Woodland Summer Ball, and you are invited!

Wild Woodland Summer Ball is a family adventure with an immersive journey through the trees of Tehidy Woods with a gathering of storytelling, song and dance.

There will be live music, stories, performance, acrobatics, dancing, free face painting, and the chance to create something wild and wonderful in a free woodland craft workshop.

What to wear & Bring

Woodland creature costumes, faerie Dress, other-world outfits, party frocks, animal masks, funny hats, forest finery, frippery, feathers and fancy hairdos are encouraged though not essential. (Adults & Little GCGers)

• A picnic
• A picnic blanket
• A warm and waterproof coat
• Shoes for adventure – ie wellies
• A torch for the evening

Where

Tehidy Woods North Cliffs Entrance Near Portreath.

Tickets – £7.50 per person.  3 years and under are free. & include everything: face painting, parking, woodland craft making

When

Wild Woodland Summer Ball gathers twice a day on the following dates:

The first at 2.30pm (The Sunlight Ball)

And the second at 7.30pm (The Twilight Ball with candle lit path to leave)

August

21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th. 26^th,

28^th (only Twilight Ball at 7.30pm), 29^th, 30^th, 31^st

September

1^st and 2^nd.

The post Rogue Theatre’s Wild Woodland Summer Ball appeared first on Good Cornwall Guide.

Which is exactly what Denzil Monk thought, so he created the St Ives walk-about app. Not only does it give you right up to date info as you walk around the town, it also allows you to scan and see what the town would have looked like way back when. Perfect for history buffs, St Ives visitors and for garnering that extra bit of Cornish cultural know-how.

Next time you get the itch make sure to download the handy app here, especially if you are staying in one of the holiday cottages in St Ives. Get walking and let the GCG know what you discover!

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Usually a Catch & Cook is three generous courses. The first, such as sashimi or ceviche, is served on the boat then back to the cottage for the mains and dessert: GCG recommends the Sea Thatch in St Agnes, but Ben is super flexible and can cook up a storm anywhere. With no mess left to clean up and hassle free good time guaranteed it is easy to see why Ben is becoming quite popular!

Catch him whilst he’s hot: It’s the perfect way to start a weekend!

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The Late Vernon Herschel Harley is a legend of stage and screen who died at the age of 114 just last Thursday. He has worked with everybody in theatre and cinema and describes himself as “Quite lively for a dead chap.” and “An annecdote Gatling gun.”

The Late Kurt Schiffer was the ‘Korvettenkapitan’ of the U42B out of Hamburg part of the German Navy’s ‘Wolf Packs’, which were the scourge of the Atlantic shipping lanes. He died in 1944.

The Late Phill Jupitus died on June 24th 2052 on the eve of his 90th birthday.

Leave your preconceptions at the door but don’t forget to bring your curiosity. Grab your tickets here. Or be the first to email the GCG to win a pair!

The post Phill Jupitus in St Ives Saturday 4th May appeared first on Good Cornwall Guide.

Do you really know how much you’re paying in the supermarket anyway? If you’ve been picking up the same items week in, week out, you may have lost track of prices and could be surprised how well the smaller shops compare.

Be prepared try all the different non-supermarket options in your local area and not give up at the first hurdle.  It might take a little while to hit upon the one that’s right for you.

Ask shopkeepers and stallholders for help and they’ll be your friend for ever. Every butcher or fishmonger, for example, loves to talk about their trade and will be only too glad to guide and advise you on what to buy and how to cook it. Become a regular customer and you’ll be well rewarded with exceptional service and their best produce.

The post Ruth Huxley’s Top Tips for Locally Sourced Food appeared first on Good Cornwall Guide.

We’re not starving yet, Ruth says as I ask how it is going so far. Ruth has been blogging religiously about the joy and frustration; however one of the most interesting things to come out of the challenge thus far is that it hasn’t actually taken any more time to shop this way and it hasn’t actually cost anymore, or less, than supermarket shopping. “This was one of the main concerns people seemed to have when considering shopping only locally”.

Whilst Ruth has added an extra element to her challenge setting herself the task of covering different areas of Cornwall and what it has to offer she has found that seasonality is key. At this time of year she has noted that you really cannot get good fruit, the veg is so much better than the supermarkets offer when you work with the seasons you are limited. Her solution to getting a really good apple has been the Cornish Food Market, that was superb and Ruth is prepared to sacrifice a few food miles for her love of fruit.

“You have to be so much more relaxed about having less choice, Dave is much more pragmatic than me and we really haven’t gone without anything. In fact we have probably saved time shopping locally, which was a surprise”. Ruth and Dave have been encouraged to cook more from scratch and have said that Cornwall excels in the fresh stuff.

When asked if she will continue to shop locally after her challenge has come to an end Ruth said “Yes, I was thrilled by how much more enjoyable it is to shop this way, very sociable and ultimately great for the Cornish economy”. The statistics are an eye-opener; and it is simply astonishing how small changes like buying local milk can have an effect.

Inspired? Read Ruth’s top tips here. Or go right ahead with our GCG tried and tested the Cornish Food Market and Cornish Food Box for super easy locally sourced fodder.

The post Breakfast with Ruth Huxley appeared first on Good Cornwall Guide.

Polzeath Beach, Polzeath
Polzeath beach is a perfect for newbie surfers, it is pretty cool territory with Blue Flag status and a lifeguard on duty within the season, don the wetsuit to try out your white water skills. The beach is sheltered by much of the elements but still gets the crashing big surf from the Atlantic.

Pentire, Newquay
A whole world away from Newquay’s super surfer competition beaches like Fistral. Think rocky and craggy headland with soft sand dunes, it has wild romance written all over it. A great dog-friendly beach in Cornwall too; check out the Fern Pit Café for some really special seafood after a brisk run.

Go West for wild, artisan and maritime fodder:

Kynance Cove, Lizard
So worth the journey down, Kynance Cove has the most gorgeous long sandy stretch, get the spirit of adventure and make sure you hit the coastal path with or without your D-of-E compass. The National Trust have a sweet café for necessary cake and tea post walk.

Porthkidney Beach, St Ives
A hidden gem in St Ives, long sandy stretch, perfect for dog-running, barefoot running and saltwater paddling. Head on along the coast path in St Ives for some seriously delicious food at Porthminster Beach Cafe.

Smuggle south for pirates ships and tall stories

East Looe Beach, Looe
A family-friendly beach perfect for the Little GCGers. Swim in the calm water, build sandcastles, get the crab nets for rockpooling and bounce on trampolines, super cleverly built into the sand.

Lantic Bay, Fowey
A sand and shingle cove mix, Lantic Bay is dog-friendly beach all year, hound-tastic fun. Perfect for secluded picnics and contemplative walks. Foodies check out Sam’s Fowey for great atmosphere, or Lazy Jacks for Moomaid of Zennor ice-cream at its best.

The post Brave the bikini for Cornwall’s best beaches appeared first on Good Cornwall Guide.

Safe on land, the most difficult task is taking on board the safety briefing, as the distraction of the landscape is so inspiring on the eye. Everything sounded so straightforward as I was assured that no one capsizes on a river, which was a confident start considering my balancing skills are not my strongest trait. If you are looking for elegance then kayaking is certainly not the obvious choice but once seated all your inhibitions just seem to flow away with the tide.

My only experience of kayaking previously had involved a cold wintry day on a lake during my college years, hardly the most inspiring memory but one which needed updating. Fast forward fifteen years and this was what kayaking should be all about, gently launching off a private creek with the only ripples in the water created by my erratic paddling. I was in entirely safe hands as my tour guides, Hetty and Tom, have that natural skill of simply putting you at ease. Whether it’s a story of wildlife encounters or pointing out the tree where Kylie planted her pert derriere for a music video shoot, everything is done at such a tranquil pace that you barely feel like you are moving and that epitomises what this whole trip is about.

Funnily enough, this is actually our back-up plan as the original schedule to head out along the coast from Trevaunance Cove at St Agnes had been scuppered by heavy surf. Disappointment soon turned to delight though as instead of the rugged cliffs and fresh sea air of the raw north Atlantic north coast, I was transported to the calm and tree-lined pleasant waters of Frenchman’s Creek and the Helford River on the south coast and just a short drive away. The perfect alternative and one which Hetty and Tom display just as much enthusiasm for promoting and for very good reason.

As any adventure seeker will tell you, there is often the moral dilemma of sharing your experience with the world or keeping that secret place to all to yourself. Well I am privileged to be writing this and sharing the wonders of Koru Kayaking with each and every reader out there.

Although it is easy to wax lyrical about the obvious passion both Hetty and Tom achieve from their tour guiding; the biggest testament I can bestow on my guides is their openness to share a piece of their world with anyone and everyone regardless of the ability. From beginners like myself, families, couples, groups or even the more mature clientele, everyone is truly equal as any egos are left on the shore. There must be something in the water, as last year a proposal even followed soon after a trip and it’s easy to see why.

The beautiful thing about kayaking is that no two adventures are ever the same as although the sights may be familiar, the experience certainly isn’t and that’s what keeps you coming back for more. I am still in search of that elusive kingfisher perched on the river banks so that alone is enough to entice me back into the water. If you seeking escapism away from the maddening crowds and an experience which gives you a whole new perspective of Cornwall, Koru Kayaking with leave you with a grin as wide as the river mouth you are paddling.

The post Taking to the Waters with Koru Kayaking appeared first on Good Cornwall Guide.

Eleven days of cultural heaven are set to follow with music, drama, literary greats and films combined with walks, talks and excursions. Highlights include double MOBO Award-winning saxophonist YolanDa Brown and her band, comedian Tony Hawks presenting his film Playing the Moldovans at Tennis, an afternoon with War Horse author Michael Morpurgo and Scottish trio LAU, recent winners of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Live Act, for an unprecedented fourth time.  There’s also music from Bond, the original electric string quartet, last seen in the UK playing in the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.

The tented Festival village will see an eclectic mix of acts including up-and-coming comedians Seann Walsh and Josh Widdecombe, electric string quartet Bond, Jonathan Dimbleby’s Any Questions, and spirited political commentary from Ken Livingstone – all running alongside stunning literary-themed walks and talks with that daughter of Fowey, Daphne du Maurier, at their heart.

Fancy winning tickets and a stay in Fowey? Click here to enter.

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