New Novella Set in Porthleven Inspired by Viral Garlic Bread Meme

A quiet Cornish fishing village has been turned into the front line of a supernatural war in a new horror-romance mash-up inspired by a viral internet meme.

A Fictional Garlic Bread Shop Sparks Real Buzz

Porthleven, known for its picturesque harbour and historic buildings, is now the backdrop of The Little Cornish Garlic Bread Shop by the Sea, a freshly released novella now available on Amazon Kindle for £2.25. The story reimagines some of the village’s most iconic locations as gothic battlegrounds in an ancient war between humans and vampires.

The inspiration? An internet joke.

Earlier this year, a fictional “garlic bread shop by the sea” created by British author and journalist David M. Barnett gained worldwide attention when it went viral online. One of those captivated by the meme was Ben Henderson, a musician with UK alt-rock band Bôa, best known for their song Duvet.

“I thought it was hilarious,” Ben said. “I assumed it was just an anonymous internet joke, which I found hilarious — but I really wanted to read the book. When I discovered that the book didn’t exist, I wrote the book myself. Only afterwards did I discover that David is a real author — and a brilliant one at that! Go and read his books!”

Vampires Beneath the Cliffs

Although the original meme didn’t mention a location, Ben chose Porthleven, where he spent time as a child, as the setting for his story.

“It had to be somewhere rich with atmosphere,” he said. “And Porthleven, with its historic clock tower, The Ship Inn, the old library, and the tiny museum, offered the perfect gothic flavour.”

The novella introduces a hidden vampiric mythology, including underground tunnels and ancient creatures aiming to reclaim the village. Even the Trewavas Cairn, a real Bronze Age coastal site, becomes a mystical origin point for the unfolding threat.

Described by Ben as “cozy but creepy”, the story blends romance, dark humour, and horror in a tale that gives a new, shadowy life to a much-loved Cornish village.

You can find The Little Cornish Garlic Bread Shop by the Sea on Amazon Kindle now. Kindle is a free app for phones, tablets and laptops, so no e-reader is needed.