Looe Food & Drink Festival Brought Sunny Flavour-Packed Celebration

Looe Food & Drink Festival returned to East Looe Quayside on Sunday 14th June 2026, bringing another vibrant celebration of Cornwall’s exceptional food and drink scene to the picturesque harbour town. Supported by Sharp’s, The Sardine Factory Restaurant, Cornish Collection and Reach The Sea, the one-day, free-to-attend festival was the biggest and most exciting line-up yet.

Centred around the Chef’s Demonstration Stage on Buller Quay, the festival was curated by acclaimed local restaurateur and TV personality Ben Palmer. Throughout the day, visitors enjoyed live cooking demonstrations from some of the South West’s most celebrated chefs, sampling and purchasing produce from an array of artisan food and drink stalls featuring local farmers, makers and producers.

Festivalgoers were also able to enjoy the very best of Cornish beer and cider from longstanding festival supporter Sharp’s, Doom Bar, alongside favourites such as Offshore and Cold River Cider.

Looe Food & Drink Festival is organised by local volunteers and the festival theatre and events on Buller Quay were all completely free of charge, making it all an affordable day out for local residents and holidaymakers alike.

This year’s chef demonstration line-up was the festival’s strongest yet. Joining Festival Chef Director Ben Palmer on the stage was TV chef James Strawbridge, Jude Kereama (Kota and Kota Kai), Andi Tuck (Surfside Polzeath), Chris Eden (Executive Head Chef at Watergate Bay), Guy Owen (Idle Rocks),  Stephane Delourme (formerly Rick Stein’s Head Chef), Nikos Oikonomopoulos (Chef and Co-owner of YAMAS), Charlie Walters (Chef Owner of Narla), Paul Welburn (Fern), Fred Alsop (The Fish Market), Ayesha Kalaji (Queen of Cups) and Tom Lodge (Crave Restaurants). All hosted and compared by Ed Hughes and Sam Lyne, Sharp’s Beer Sommeliers.

The chef demonstrations were once again co-hosted by Ben Palmer and Ed Hughes, bringing together outstanding culinary talent with expertly paired beers and drinks in front of the quayside crowd.

Alongside the chef stage, Buller Quay and the surrounding harbour came alive with artisan traders, local street food, independent drinks producers and live entertainment, helping to showcase the unique atmosphere, creativity and hospitality that make Looe one of Cornwall’s most exciting foodie destinations. Amongst others, these included Cornish Sea Salt, Cornish Cheese Company, Cornish Chillies, Cornish Gouda, Sarah’s Cake Shop, Crepe Cornwall, Big Pan Parties and Mor Street Food. 

Surrounding events included the sellout Grape Vs Grain feasting ‘contest’ that took place at The Sardine Factory on the eve of the Festival – Saturday 13^th June.  Hosted by Sharp’s Beer Sommelier Ed Hughes and James Hearn from Hallgarten Wines, this special dinner saw bespoke beer pairings being tested against traditional wine pairings, all accompanying a six-course tasting dinner, masterminded by Ben Palmer.

Ed Hughes Sharp’s Beer Sommelier said, “Looe Food and Drink Festival 2026 was fantastic. The back-to-back chef demonstrations were entertaining, the food and drink was exceptional, and the sun shone throughout, what more could you ask for?

Looe is a phenomenal place, and this festival brought the whole town to life. The Grape v Grain evening the previous Saturday at The Sardine Factory was equally memorable, with outstanding food, fantastic service and great company.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this all happen, especially the volunteers whose hard work make it possible. We’re already looking forward to returning next year.”

For further information, visit www.looefoodanddrinkfest.com or follow @LooeFoodAndDrinkFest on Instagram.