Porthminster Beach May 16th, 17th & 18th 2025

St Ives Food and Drink Festival 2025

tickets

Early bird tickets on sale now

The early bird tickets are now on sale for the 2025 St Ives Food & Drink Festival. The festival is free during the day but you will need tickets for the live music evening sessions.

16th – 18th May 2025

Traders

Applications for 2025 are now open.

Please go to the Traders information page to find out how to apply and join us as a trader for the 2025 Food & Drink Festival.

SUNSET SESSIONS

LIVE MUSIC

sunset sessions lineup

We’re stoked to welcome the legendary Norman Jay MBE on Friday, the incredible Ferris & Sylvester on Saturday and none other than The Scribes rounding off the weekend on Sunday!

CHEF DEMOS

Chef’s Fire Pit

Demos

Ashley Palmer Watts

The Devonshire, Soho

Ashley Palmer-Watts, a visionary chef celebrated for his culinary innovation, has expanded his expertise beyond the kitchen into the world of coffee and spirits. As the co-founder of ArtisanCoffee.Co, Palmer-Watts channels his passion for quality and flavour into creating exceptional coffee experiences, blending his refined culinary sensibilities with a dedication to craftsmanship.

His inventive approach to cuisine has earned critical acclaim and a devoted following. He has also redefined the pub experience by co-founding The Devonshire in Soho, a modern take on a traditional chop house and pub, featuring wood-fired cooking and in-house artisans such as butchers and bakers, celebrated globally for its excellence.

Most recently, Palmer-Watts launched Forgotten, a bold spirits brand focused on sustainability and flavour innovation, challenging conventional approaches in the industry.

With an unwavering pursuit of excellence, Ashley Palmer-Watts continues to influence the culinary, coffee, and spirits landscapes, redefining the art of savouring life’s finest offerings.

Chef’s Fire Pit

Demos

Ben Prior

Porthminster Beach Cafe, St Ives

Ben Prior formally of the multi award winning Ben’s Cornish Kitchen in Marazion now rattles pans and stirs pots at one of Cornwall’s most iconic restaurants, Porthminster Beach Cafe.

Ben continues the traditions and quality stamp of the last 30 years that have made Porthminster what it is today, taking advantage of the restaurant’s unique location helped by both the coastal kitchen garden and the local boats in St Ives’ still thriving harbour, as well as the fertile fields in the surrounding area.

Chef’s Fire Pit

Demos

Tom Brown

Pearly Queen, Shoreditch

Cornwall-born Michelin-starred chef Tom Brown honed his skills in kitchens across the South West, including Rick Stein’s, before working with two-Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw. Tom quickly rose to Head Chef at Outlaw’s St Enodoc Hotel in Rock before moving to London to lead Nathan Outlaw’s restaurant at The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, where he successfully retained its Michelin star.

In 2018, Tom opened his debut restaurant, Cornerstone, in Hackney Wick. The 46-cover eatery showcased his signature style of simple, seasonal, and produce-driven cooking, with a frequently changing menu and a central kitchen that doubled as a counter-bar for intimate dining. Cornerstone quickly gained critical acclaim, including awards for ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Observer Food Monthly Awards, ‘Breakthrough Chef of the Year’ at the Food & Travel Reader Awards, and a top-three ranking in the 2019 National Restaurant Top 100 Awards. Tom’s success on Great British Menu further cemented his reputation, with his dish ‘Poor Man’s Goose’ selected as the main course for the 2018 banquet celebrating 70 years of the NHS.

Cornerstone earned its first Michelin star in 2021, which it retained annually, securing a place in Harden’s Guide top 100 restaurants for 2023.

In November 2023, Tom opened Pearly Queen, an oyster bar and restaurant in Shoreditch, further showcasing his passion for seafood and innovative dining experiences.

Chef’s Fire Pit

Demos

Kathy Slack

Award-winning cook, veg grower and writer


Kathy Slack is an award-winning cook, veg grower and writer; a rat race escapee who worked in advertising agencies until burnout and depression forced a change and she found inspiration, and a new career, in the veg patch.

Her debut cookbook, From the Veg Patch (Ebury), was shortlisted for the Guild of Food Writers Award for Best Cookbook. Her forthcoming memoir with recipes, Rough Patch (Little, Brown), is set for release in 2025. Kathy began her food career at Daylesford Organic Farm before transitioning to full-time writing and presenting.

A regular contributor to Delicious magazine and Fortnum & Mason’s vegetable expert, Kathy creates seasonal, veg-centric recipes for magazines and brands, writes the Substack newsletter Tales from the Veg Patch, and gives talks and demonstrations on growing and cooking your own food.

Chef’s Fire Pit

Demos

Jude Kereama

Kota & Kota Kai

Born and raised in New Zealand, Jude Kereama trained under renowned chef Simon Gault before moving to the UK. With accolades in Auckland and London, Jude settled in Porthleven, Cornwall, in 1996, quickly becoming one of the county’s most celebrated chefs. His mixed Māori and Chinese Malay heritage shines through in his cuisine, which combines eclectic flavors with Cornwall’s seasonal bounty.

As Chef Patron of Kota, a fine dining restaurant with three AA Rosettes, and the family-friendly Kota Kai, Jude works closely with local suppliers to create inspired dishes. His achievements include representing the South West on Great British Menu, where he reached the banquet as a top-scoring runner-up, showcasing Cornish ingredients and innovation. Kota has earned numerous awards, including ‘Restaurant of the Year’ from the Cornwall Life Food & Drink Awards.

Beyond the kitchen, Jude is an ambassador for Hospitality Action and supports causes like Macmillan, Action Against Hunger, and the Fisherman’s Mission. His dedication to his craft and community underscores his reputation as a leading figure in Cornwall’s culinary scene.

Chef’s Fire Pit

Demos

Dorian Janmaat

Ardor St Ives

Dorian spent his early years living in Ibiza and Cornwall and spent several years schooling in Spain, a period which sparked his interest in food with fond memories of visiting markets in various beautiful coastal towns. His teens were spent back in Cornwall when the family returned here to live. Studying at Cornwall College and taking his first chef roles, at 23 he gained a place as a Commis Chef at the world-renowned, 2-Michelin-starred hotel and restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

In 2015, Dorian won the Annual Awards of Excellence, National Young Chef of the Year, a highlight of his career. Dorian went on to spend 9 years at Le Manoir, under the mentorship of Chef Patron Raymond Blanc OBE, and was promoted through the ranks, becoming Head Chef in 2016.

In 2020, Dorian returned to Cornwall as Executive Head Chef of the luxury Relais & Chateaux hotel, The Idle Rocks. During his time in St Mawes, Dorian won several accolades including Restaurant of the Year in the South-West Tourism Awards and 3AA Rosettes.

2024 sees the most exciting chapter yet as Dorian opens the doors to his own restaurant, Ardor, in the heart of St Ives.

Sunset Sessions

SunSet Sessions

Friday

Friday 16th May 2025

Norman Jay MBE

and support acts coming soon

Norman Jay is unquestionably one of the most respected and popular DJs in the world today. Co-founder of the legendary Good Times Sound System and London dance music station KISS FM, Jay fostered the ‘Rare Groove’ scene pushing the boundaries of the UK’s emerging club culture.

Awarded an MBE for services to deejaying and music, in 2017 he released ‘Mister Good Times’ capturing the true spirit of Good Times, and is currently taking his legendary Good Times party to selected venues around the UK, continuing to convert generations of clubbers to the cause, championing new sounds, yet never forgetting his musical roots, thus guaranteeing nothing but
‘Good Times’.

Norman Jay - Friday Night Headliner

SunSet Sessions

Saturday

Saturday 17th May 2025

Ferris & Sylvester

and support acts coming soon

Ferris & Sylvester are an English husband-and-wife duo known for their captivating blend of folk, blues, rock, and soul. Their 2024 album Otherness reached the top 10 in the Americana and Folk Charts, celebrated for its themes of connection through difference.

Their debut album Superhuman topped the UK Blues Chart and won ‘UK Album of the Year’ at the 2023 UK Americana Awards.

Praised for their “immaculate harmonies” (Rolling Stone) and electrifying live shows, the duo have shared stages with Robert Plant and George Ezra and performed at major festivals like Glastonbury.

SunSet Sessions

Sunday

Sunday 18th May 2025

The Scribes

and support acts coming soon

The Scribes are a multi-award-winning hip-hop act from Bristol, renowned for their unique sound that blends live instrumentation, sampling, and head-nodding boom bap beats. Their high-energy performances featuring beatboxing, freestyling, and crowd interaction, are festival favourites, gracing stages at Glastonbury, Wireless, Latitude, and more.

With collaborations alongside legends like Macklemore, De La Soul, and Wu-Tang Clan, The Scribes have released critically acclaimed projects on labels like Kamikazi Airlines and Quill Equipped Records. Their innovative releases continue to solidify their reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting hip-hop acts.

The St Ives Food and Drink Festival is a FREE event, but tickets are needed for the live music Evening Sessions.

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