Coffee break with a difference

Down at Constantine Bay, there’s a coffee shop with a difference – the wonderful Coastal Coffee. This fantastic little van will brew you up a delicious latte, cappucino or hot chocolate to warm you after a bracing walk or dip in the sea.  In my opinion, it’s almost worth the trip on its own – just sit, enjoy your coffee and take in the sweeping views of this fabulous beach!

Enjoy a cappucino at Constantine Bay

If it's your lucky day, you'll find Coastal Coffee at Constantine Bay

Food and Drink, Hidden Gems, Our favourites

October 10, 2011 at 12:21 pm | No comment

Padstow Farm Shop keeps it local

Padstow Farm Shop offers an exciting range of local produce

Whenever we’re on holiday in Padstow we always go to the Padstow Farm Shop.  It’s become a bit of a tradition, and is only a short journey from our cottages in Padstow and Little Petherick, especially if you combine it with a trip to Hawker’s Cove.

The shop opened in May 2006 selling homegrown vegetables from the farm at Tregirls or in the old Prideaux Place Victorian kitchen garden, and traditionally reared beef and lamb. In 2008, outdoor pigs were added.

The emphasis is on fresh, seasonal, local and high quality produce, and owners the Watson Smyth family source all non-home produced items as locally as possible and mainly from within Cornwall.  The shop has grown to become a supplier to top restaurants such as Rick Stein’s, Fifteen Cornwall, The Eden Project, No 6 and Margot’s. 

But it’s also great for guests at self-catering holiday accommodation like us, whether you fancy a lunch of bread, local cheeses and chutney, cooking a lavish meal or just sampling the local cider.

Padstow Farm Shop, situated at Trethillick, Padstow, is open on Monday – Saturday from 10am-5pm and on Sunday from 10am-4pm.

Hidden Gems, Our favourites, People and places

July 25, 2011 at 9:02 am | No comment

Cornish beaches top UK resorts chart

Hawker's Cove, where the Camel Estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean

Three Cornish beaches have been named in the top ten list of UK beach resorts by the travel site TripAdvisor.  St Ives and Newquay came first and second, with Padstow a respectable eighth.
All three winning resorts share the fantastic scenery of the North Cornish coast with dramatic clifftops and great surfing.  St Ives is about an hour’s drive from our cottages and Newquay only half an hour away, with plenty to do in each seaside town to make a great day out.
It’s not surprising that St Ives and Newquay top the poll – but we’re sticking by our local beaches such as Hawker’s Cove, just minutes from busy Padstow Harbour but off the beaten track enough to be peaceful and deserted, even in summertime.

Hidden Gems, Our favourites, People and places

June 17, 2011 at 3:00 pm | No comment

Top Ten Days Out

Waves crashing at Madrips Rock, Trevone Bay, Padstow

Here are our Top Ten things we like to do - in future posts I’ll go into some of them in more detail:

1. Take the ferry across the water to Rock for a picnic among the dunes

2. Cycle to Wadebridge along the scenic Camel Trail (5 miles each way along the edge of the estuary)

3. Have a rugged walk at Hawker’s Cove and buy a yummy lunch at Padstow Farm Shop on the way back

4. Go surfing at Constantine – fantastic and sometimes scary waves 

5. Walk around the shops in Padstow then buy Cornish pasties to eat by the harbour 

6. Go rock pooling in Trevone followed by a coffee from Madrips cafe (named after the rock in the photo above) 

7. Take a day trip to St Michael’s Mount – well worth the journey 

8. Sample Rick Stein’s fare at The Cornish Arms – best value of his eateries

9. Experience the legend of King Arthur at Tintagel 

10. Visit Port Isaac – pretty fishing village and filming location for Doc Martin

Why not suggest other places for people (and us) to try!  Just add a comment below.

Hidden Gems, Our favourites, People and places

June 14, 2011 at 2:06 pm | No comment