Cornish Dairy Co joins Padstow Christmas Fayre, and brings the cream

Clotted cream, sampled between the market tents on a December evening by the harbour. That is one of the promises as Padstow gets ready for four days of festive food.

The Padstow Christmas Fayre has named Cornish Dairy Co as its partner for this year’s event, which runs from Thursday 3 December to Sunday 6 December 2026.

Organisers say the fayre is all about celebrating the best of Cornwall’s food and drink community, from hardworking farming families to the produce that grows here. The dairy partnership fits squarely into that.

What Cornish Dairy Co is bringing

The fayre says having Cornish Dairy Co by its side means bringing “proper moreish, authentic, local dairy delights” to the heart of the festival.

That means velvety cream for festive bakes, rich milk for hot drinks, and proper Cornish clotted cream to sample while you explore the market tents. Organisers describe the company as representing the true provenance of Cornish produce, with deep agricultural roots and a passion for local quality.

They say it is helping make this year’s celebration “our tastiest one yet”.

Chefs on the harbourside

Around 50 chefs are hosting demos across the four days, including Rick Stein, Paul Ainsworth, Emily Scott and Mark Hix, and the chef demos are free. Highlights on the schedule include:

• Thursday 3 December, 12pm: Paul Ainsworth (The Ainsworth Collection)
• Thursday 3 December, 1pm: Guy Owen (The Idle Rocks)
• Friday 4 December, 3pm: Rick Stein
• Saturday 5 December, 4pm: Izzy Joselyne and Rick Toogood (Prawn on the Lawn)
• Sunday 6 December, 2pm: Matt Tebbutt

Masterclasses run daily from 11am at a pop-up venue in Prideaux Walled Garden, covering food, wine and regenerative gardening. These are ticketed and expected to sell out in advance, with tickets available online.

Markets, lanterns and fireworks

The artisan Christmas Market fills Main Street, open 10am to 6pm on Thursday, 10am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

Friday is the big night. A lantern parade sets off around the Harbour Front at 6pm, followed by fireworks. Elsewhere, singer-songwriter Daisy Clark plays Ruby’s Bar from 4pm to 7pm on Thursday, Paul Welburn is signing books at 1pm on Saturday, and there are carols, live music and children’s craft sessions through the weekend. The full line-up is on the what’s on page.

The fayre supports Hospitality Action, the Fishermen’s Mission and Padstow Lifeboat.

Getting there

Entry is free. The Chef’s Theatre, Market Hall and Community Tent sit on the Padstow Harbour Commissioner car park on Riverside (PL28 8BY). The fayre is open 10am to 9pm Thursday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

That Harbour Commissioners pay and display car park is closed to vehicles from 2 to 9 December. Main Road car park costs £5 a day per vehicle and fills up, so arriving early is recommended.

There is no official park and ride. The regular 57/57s bus stops outside Tesco at normal fares, the 11 runs from Bodmin via Bodmin Parkway and Wadebridge, and the 56 comes in from Newquay via Newquay Airport. Padstow has no railway station, so Bodmin Parkway is the nearest. From Rock, the Wave Hunters water taxi crosses from 4.45pm until 10pm (10.30pm on Friday and Saturday).

Dogs are best left at home, and aren’t allowed in the Chef’s Theatre or Market Hall marquees apart from registered guide dogs. Card is widely taken but Wi-Fi can be patchy, so bring some cash. More travel and access details are on the fayre’s contact page.

Severe weather, high winds included, could change plans on the day, and organisers will post any updates on social media.

📷Credit: Padstow Christmas Fayre