Inside Fowey's Small Businesses

Originally from Australia, Mandi’s background wasn’t in art but in the legal world. “I worked in the legal profession for years, with lots of client-facing work. You learn how to listen, how to notice what people really need,” she says. After a few years in London, where she met her husband Andy - whose family roots in Cornwall were a constant pull - the couple decided to make the move to Fowey in 2015. They settled into their home above the gallery, a detail that feels almost poetic now. When their daughter started pre-school, Mandi began working downstairs, learning the ropes from the former owners and taking on the role of manager. “Eventually, the opportunity to buy came up, and we just jumped; it felt right,” she recalls.

Today, the gallery unfolds across two distinct spaces. Downstairs is the gift shop: light-filled, welcoming and much more than a typical gallery boutique. “I want there to be something for everyone,” Mandi insists. “Whether you pop in for a postcard or fall in love with a hand-poured candle, it’s about finding something that genuinely delights you.” The philosophy is simple: art and beauty should be accessible, not intimidating.

Upstairs, the gallery itself celebrates fine art from Cornwall and across the UK - paintings, sculpture and fine jewellery, each piece chosen with care. The curation has a rhythm: coastal landscapes glowing in oil, contemporary abstracts, gleaming silver and organic ceramics. “We’re not trying to be grand,” Mandi says. “This is a space where people can pause, breathe and enjoy.”

She flips open a thick comments book filled with flowing handwriting from visitors near and far. “Reading through these still gives me goosebumps,” she admits. “People from all over the UK and beyond write the loveliest messages; it’s amazing how art connects people.”

For Mandi, the gallery isn’t just about selling art; it’s about creating moments of connection. “Sometimes people apologise for not buying anything,” she says, shaking her head. “But honestly, that doesn’t matter. If they’ve enjoyed the space, then that’s enough. I want everyone who walks in to feel comfortable; art shouldn’t belong to a select few.”

She tells the story of a young collector, just eight years old, who proudly owns two sculptures by Kit Johns. “That’s what inspires me - that spark of curiosity, the start of a lifelong love for creativity. If we can help foster that, then we’re doing something right.”

When asked what keeps her energised, Mandi doesn’t hesitate. “It’s Fowey itself,” she says. “Every morning, the river looks different. The tide, the light, the boats… it’s like living in a painting.”

Of course, the idyllic picture has its challenges, especially in the darker winter months. “January days can be tough,” she admits. “When the rain lashes down and the street is quiet. But now, with the website, the world feels a bit smaller. I can have a message from a far-off place with an enquiry or a purchase - and that makes even the gloomiest day brighter.”

In a world that moves faster every year, Fowey River Gallery is a reminder to slow down - to look, to feel, to connect. Mandi’s mission may sound simple - to create a space that everyone can enjoy - but in her hands, it’s also something quietly transformative.

“Art should make you feel something,” she says, as the afternoon light catches a glimpse of something beautiful on the shelf behind her. “Whether that’s joy, wonder, nostalgia or peace - if you leave here feeling just a little lighter, then that’s the best kind of success.”