Looe Food & Drink Festival Returns for Flavour-Packed 2026

A roster of South West chefs, several of them familiar TV faces, will be taking over East Looe Quayside this summer for a one-day food festival that’s still entirely free to walk into.

Looe Food & Drink Festival returns on Sunday 14th June 2026, with organisers describing this year’s chef line-up as their biggest and most exciting yet. The action centres on the Chef’s Demonstration Stage on Buller Quay, curated once again by local restaurateur and TV personality Ben Palmer.

Who’s on the chef stage

Joining Ben as Festival Chef Director will be:

• James Strawbridge
• Jude Kereama (Kota and Kota Kai)
• Chris Eden, Executive Head Chef at Watergate Bay
• Stephane Delourme, formerly Rick Stein’s Head Chef
• Nikos Oikonomopoulos, Chef and Co-owner of YAMAS
• Charlie Walters, Chef Owner of Narla

Sharp’s Beer Sommeliers Ed Hughes and Sam Lyne will be hosting and compering throughout the day, with the demonstrations pairing each dish with a matching beer or drink. More chef names and timings are due to be announced in the coming weeks.

Beer, cider and Cornish producers

Sharp’s returns as a long-standing supporter, pouring Doom Bar alongside Offshore and Cold River Cider. The harbour will also fill out with artisan traders, street food and independent drinks producers including Cornish Sea Salt, Cornish Cheese Company, Cornish Chillies, Cornish Gouda, Sarah’s Cake Shop, Crepe Cornwall, Big Pan Parties and Mor Street Food.

The festival is run by local volunteers, with the chef stage and events on Buller Quay free of charge. Other backers this year include The Sardine Factory Restaurant, Cornish Collection and Reach The Sea.

Grape Vs Grain dinner the night before

The eve of the festival brings a curious little contest. On Saturday 13th June, The Sardine Factory hosts Grape Vs Grain, a six-course tasting dinner in which bespoke beer pairings are set against traditional wine pairings across the menu. Ed Hughes will host with Ffion Evans of Molson Coors, and Ben has masterminded the food.

Grape Vs Grain dinners tend to sell out quickly, with bookings going through The Sardine Factory directly. Other bars, cafes and restaurants around the double-harboured town are expected to announce their own festival menus and events too.

What the organisers say

Ben Palmer of The Sardine Factory and YAMAS said: “This is my home town and like everyone who is either from here, or who lives here, I know what an incredible location Looe is. This festival is an opportunity to celebrate not only the incredible food and drink culture we have here in Cornwall, but also the amazing community spirit that makes this town so special. We are incredibly excited about the chef line-up and all the brilliant local producers joining us this June.”

Sharp’s Beer Sommelier Ed Hughes added: “Looe Food & Drink Festival has quickly become one of the highlights of the Cornish food calendar and we’re delighted to once again be supporting such a fantastic event. Bringing together talented chefs, passionate producers and great local drinks in such a stunning harbourside setting creates a brilliant atmosphere for everyone involved. We can’t wait to return to Buller Quay this summer.”

Making a weekend of it

Festival accommodation partner Cornish Collection has a handful of self-catering properties still available for the festival weekend.

Further announcements on chef appearances, entertainment and traders will follow over the coming weeks. Updates are at looefoodanddrinkfest.com or via @LooeFoodAndDrinkFest on Instagram.