Special Edition
Inside Fowey Food Week

Fowey Food Week has traditionally taken place in March, giving locals and visitors a reason to eat out during one of the quietest trading periods of the year. In 2026, resurfacing works around the town mean the event is moving forward to 7–14 February – bringing a welcome burst of colour, creativity and custom to the depths of winter.

“We know February can feel long and grey for hospitality,” says Lucy Daniel, Chair of the Fowey Chamber of Commerce. “Fowey Food Week is our way of turning that into something joyful – a week where people plan to eat out, try somewhere new and be reminded how good Fowey is at food.”

So far, 14 host venues across Fowey and Polruan have already signed up, with more expected as menus are finalised. A handful of familiar favourites will sadly be on their winter break. Still, the line-up already includes an enticing mix of cafés, pubs and restaurants ready to showcase something different.

The theme remains a favourite: “eat your way around the world without leaving Fowey”. Each participating venue chooses a country and creates specials that sit alongside their usual menu, giving chefs the chance to play with new flavours, ingredients and stories.

The pricing is deliberately simple and accessible:

·       £7 – for cafés or for a starter or dessert

·       £14 – for a main or a small plate (fine dining)

·       £21 – for a main course (fine‑dining)

​The set prices are there to look after both sides of the table; they make it easier for diners to say yes to an extra course or an extra night out, and they help hosts design dishes that work for their kitchen, their margins and their style.

Fowey is already known for an impressive food scene for such a compact town, from fine dining and creative small‑plates to much‑loved traditional pubs and cafés. Food Week builds on that reputation, inviting venues to pair their Cornish produce – think locally caught fish and mussels, meat from local farmers, and local veg – with flavours drawn from across the globe.

One of the reasons Fowey Food Week works so well is that it builds on an already impressive food reputation. Fowey is home to everything from fine dining restaurants to cosy pubs, artisan bakeries and cafés that punch well above their weight. Visitors often talk about how much culinary variety they find in Fowey, with many menus built around produce grown or caught close to home.

A recent feature in British Travel Journal described Fowey as “a destination for the curious traveller… home to innovative street food, hip cafes and creative pop‑ups,” highlighting venues from Captain Hanks and Pintxo to riverside restaurants like North Street Kitchen and boutique stays like The King of Prussia. That kind of national attention underlines what locals already know: this is very much a foodie’s harbour town.

For hospitality teams, the week is also a chance to experiment. Many venues use Fowey Food Week to trial new dishes, drinks pairings or service ideas with diners who are actively looking to try something different. Feedback gathered during the week may well shape spring and summer menus, meaning the dishes guests fall for in February could reappear when the evenings are longer.

In previous years, visitors have booked specifically to coincide with Fowey Food Week, turning it into the centrepiece of a winter stay. Coordinated marketing across local press, tourism channels and Cornwall‑wide social media groups aims to draw people from across the county and beyond to experience the town’s food at its most playful.

When we asked what the long-term vision for Fowey Food Week is, the answer was simple - in the future, organisers would love to see every restaurant, café and pub in Fowey and Polruan taking part – each flying the flag for a different corner of the world while still showcasing what makes our food scene here so special.

For now, with 7–14 February circled in the diary, 14 venues signed up and more to come, Fowey Food Week is already shaping up to be a highlight of the town’s early‑year calendar – and a timely reminder that even in the quietest months, Fowey’s food scene never stands still.