Padstow Christmas Festival: Returning after two years off

Padstow Christmas Festival returns for its first appearance since the pandemic, from December 1 to 4

Tina Evans Rick Stein

Padstow Christmas Festival, one of the largest Christmas food events in the country, returns from Thursday, December 1 to Sunday, December 4. North Cornwall’s celebrity chef trio Rick Stein, Nathan Outlaw and Paul Ainsworth will host the four-day event, cooking alongside an array of A-list chefs in the Sharp’s Chefs’ Theatre.

This year’s stellar line-up includes: Clare Smyth, chef-patron of three Michelinstarred Core by Clare in Kensington; Angela Hartnett, former protégée of Gordon Ramsay and Michelin-starred chef-patron of Murano in Mayfair; Irish chef, cookbook author and TV presenter Clodagh McKenna; Matt Tebbutt, chef-presenter of the BBC's Saturday Kitchen; Glynn Purnell, aka the Yummy Brummie; Emily Scott, who cooked up a storm for G7 delegates at the Eden Project in 2021; and food and drink critic Matthew Fort.

Stallholders, street food traders and performers will be in and amongst the marquees throughout the weekend. Festive family-friendly activities will include a lantern parade, Santa’s grotto, live music on the bandstand, carol singing and a firework display over the harbour. Festival organiser Tina Evans and Paul Ainsworth - Michelin-starred chef-patron of Paul Ainsworth at No.6, Caffè Rojano, Padstow Townhouse and The Mariners public house in Rock – reflect on the past, present and future of Padstow and its blockbuster festive event. www.padstowchristmasfestival.co.uk

When and why was the festival launched? Tina: The first one took place in 2008. Its raison d’etre was to boost the coffers as we move into winter. At a time when things are traditionally quiet, it brings such a huge amount of revenue – the last one raised £5 million for local businesses. I think this year will be more important than ever, as winter is likely to be tough in the present circumstances. People are pulling their horns in because of the hike in energy bills – we have noticed that already in Padstow this year.

Paul: I’ve lived and worked in Padstow for 17 years. For the five years prior to the Christmas festival launching, things were very quiet between October halfterm and Christmas. The festival gained traction and earned a reputation as a festive foodie destination, bringing in up to 50,000 people over four days. It was a great opportunity to put money in the till and build up cash reserves, and we came to rely upon it. Guests in the Townhouse would book for the following year as they left, and people would take the ferry over to The Mariners in Rock.

What was the impact of not having it? Tina: I talk to businesses all the time, and they lost thousands. For accommodation, it’s the busiest weekend of the year, even ahead of August.

Paul: When the festival didn’t happen last year, we saw that reflected in our budgets. Cornwall’s a fantastic place to live and raise your kids, but it’s not plain sailing running a business here. Anyone will tell you that long before Brexit or Covid came along, it’s always been a bloody long winter. Our core team of 163 people is employed 365 days a year, so you have to be on it and run your business correctly. It’s a lot of responsibility.

Is it good to be back after the pandemic? Tina: Oh yes! The last festival took place in 2019 and was incredibly successful. It was disappointing not to run in 2020, due to the November lockdown; then in 2021, we didn’t want to risk getting shut down if there was a further spike. It costs a huge

Nathan Outlaw

Ed Hughes

Clodagh McKenna Paul Ainsworth

amount to put on an event like this, and we would have gone bankrupt if we’d had to pull the plug. This year, we made an early decision to run – there was a real demand from businesses.

This year, there’s an entry charge for the first time; why? Paul: It was either that or no festival. Having done the Travelling Feast last year, I know the cost of putting these things on is phenomenal – and it’s gone through the roof.

Tina: Exactly that. Costs have gone up 30%: generators, contractors, marquee hire. Fuel for the last event cost £3,500; this year, the estimate is nearer £12,000. In addition, sponsorship has dropped off because businesses are struggling in the current climate. So we’re making a small charge: £7 per day, £20 for all four, for a wristband that allows access across the festival site. We didn't make the decision lightly. We’re a not-for-profit company, so once we’ve covered our costs, any excess will go to local charities. But for the Friday night lantern parade, every participating child will be given two free tickets for accompanying adults, to be distributed through schools, and local organisations such as cadets and Brownies will be invited to the chefs’ marquee.

How much work goes into organising the festival? Tina: It’s a full-time job. I’m thinking about the next one before this one has even finished – I spend Sunday talking to stallholders for feedback. Come January, there’s a wash-up meeting, then you’re looking at sponsorship negotiation, finalising stalls, health and safety... It takes a week to set up the marquees, and everything has to be down again by midnight on the Monday, swept clean with not a screw in sight. Then I sit down and say: “I never want to do that again.” It’s a love-hate relationship! Fortunately, I have a good right-hand man in Andrew Stephens from the Old Ship Hotel, and a base of volunteers to deal with things like the ticketing system and sourcing ingredients for recipes.

Which chefs stick in your mind? Tina: The most professional demo I’ve ever seen was James Martin. It was a proper performance, and he cooked something I’d actually want to eat. Believe it or not, I’m not a foodie or a celebrity chef fan. It actually works well, as it means you have to really sell it to me, much like you do to Joe Public.

Paul: James is a real crowd-pleaser, as is Tom Kerridge. Clare Smyth is coming this year, which is really exciting. She’s a good friend - we worked together at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay many years ago, and she’s at the top of her game.

How has the cost-of-living crisis affected you? Paul: Personally, we had a strong summer – even busier than last year, which was really busy. But you could actually see the beaches this year, and some places still had vacancies where they would normally be full in August. Normally in Padstow, September still feels like summer, but this year definitely felt more autumnal, and not just because it went from heatwave to endless rain! I think it will see us going back to what we know in Cornwall: all or nothing. We need to make hay while the sun shines, which is why the return of the Christmas festival is great. l

Padstow Christmas Festival runs from December 1 to Sunday, December 4. For full programme details, visit www.padstowchristmasfestival.co.uk