After an absence of 10 years, the exciting and vibrant Looe Food Festival made its tasty return on September 10.  

Looe is renowned and celebrated for its fantastic food and drink and a jammed packed cast of local Cornish Chefs took to the stage and captivated visitors with cookery demonstrations during the festival which provided a fabulous fun family day out. 

Local chef, Ben Palmer and his team of young budding chefs, Charlie Walters, Dylan and Tom from the Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurant The Sardine Factory.  

Demonstrations also included Max Taylor from the Sea Kitchen, Fred Alsop from the Fish Market, Nick Hawke and Julian Bran from the Old Sail Loft, and Finn Johnson from Hevva Restaurant in Falmouth. They all created some spectacular dishes from the Cookery Theatre, wowing the audience who were eager to pick up some top tips from the local chefs. Visitors from across Devon and Cornwall, were also able to watch on the big screen sponsored by HBH Woolacotts in Plymouth, as the chefs produced mouth-watering delectable dishes. 

During the afternoon, Looe’s award-winning hand made gin and spirits, produced by Copperfish Distillery, presented a tantalising and intoxicating gin mixology demonstration, where showgoers were given a tipple to taste. 

A spokesperson said: “A big thank you goes to headline sponsors Cornish Collection Ltd and Tregoad/Waterside Holiday Group, who played an instrumental part in bringing back ‘Looe Food Festival 2023’ plus, huge thanks to the local Looe based React Scaffolding Ltd for building the Cookery Theatre stage.” 

Peter Gorton award winning chef and a fellow of The Masterchef of Great Britain, teamed up with The Sardine Factory’s Ben. Both took to the stage to compère the show, entertaining the audience with their charm, knowledge, and expertise.

Ben said: “Looe has the potential to be a great foodie destination as we hold some of the best ingredients in the world in and around our waters. What a great way to showcase this by bringing back Looe Food Fest 2023.  It is exciting, next year is going to be bigger and better and we look forward to seeing everyone there”. 

Ben worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring together the spectacular line up of chefs, who all demonstrated their amazing culinary skills to present some exciting food demonstrations, sharing their ‘tips of the trade’.   

As well as cookery demonstrations, there were an array of stalls that lined Buller Quay, the vibrant street was bustling with visitors eager to try the delicious street food, noodles, curries, loaded fries, doughnuts and freshly made lemonade, which helped quench the thirst of visitors on an extremely hot day. 

Show visitors were treated to some fantastic live music by the well-known Wreckers, whose harmonised tones have raised thousands of pounds for the RNLI, and the delectable dulcet tones of Blues and Roots based singer and songwriter Russell Sinclair. 

A spokesperson added: “Bringing back Looe Food Festival was a great achievement for Looe, especially as it was so well attended by local and visitors. for putting on a fabulous show.  Show goers tasted some spectacular food. The show promoted regional culture, creating a memorable experience for both residents and visitors alike. Plans have already started in creating the next Looe Food Festival in September 2024.”