Cornwall is revered for its excellent seafood, with its foodie capital Falmouth celebrating for the 19th year running one of the region’s specialties, the oyster.
Beginning on October 8, the event will be opened by Chris Eden of The Driftwood Hotel in Portscatho, who was the first Cornishman to be awarded a Michelin Star for a restaurant in Cornwall. An avid visitor of the festival for many years, Chris first got involved in the proceedings last year with his first demonstration, and this year will once again showcase his culinary skills using Falmouth-dredged oysters as well as the catch of the day, accompanied by Annie Sibert of My Fish Kitchen.
Over the four days, over 40,000 people are expected to visit Events Square, where the festival is taking place, to sample local produce, watch the experts at work and pick up some culinary knowledge.
A number of chefs both old and new are set to be part of the line-up, including head chef of St Michael’s Hotel Anthony Theobald. Arty Williams and Nick Hodges are set to compete in the popular Hot Chef Challenge, battling it out for victory in support of Shelterbox, on the Friday evening, and there will also be a competition for who can shuck oysters in the fastest time.
There will also be a series of talks given throughout the festival, including tales by local oyster fishermen and a talk on the sustainability of Fal Oysters and other Cornish seafood by Matt Slater of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
If you’re planning on visiting during the Falmouth Oyster Festival, or during any of the other fantastic food festivals Cornwall has to offer, you’ll find some great places to stay in Cornwall at The Valley resort.
Image: The Local People Photo Archive, available under Creative Commons