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Tregew Farmer’s Market

Tregew Farmer’s Market

A Foodie Must-Visit: The Food Barn at Tregew Showcasing Local Produce and Cornish Community Atmosphere

“A morning out getting fantastic food for the weekend, all with great views and atmosphere. Not your average market.”

One of those wonderful ‘it all began in lockdown’ stories, The Food Barn at Tregew has become a go-to destination and weekly event in Falmouth and Flushing life…

Tucked away on the top of the hill outside Flushing, this unassuming barn comes alive on Saturday mornings throughout the year, bringing together small local businesses, regular customers, and curious visitors exploring the foodie scene of Cornwall.

Welcoming everyone for a mingle, a bit of shopping, a coffee and a chat, the Food Barn hosts around twenty stalls which vary slightly each week, as well as a resident DJ adding to the atmosphere. The views over the Penryn River definitely elevate this from your standard shopping experience!

Now registered as a Community Interest Company, the market captures a sense of community that’s so often lost in our busy modern lives. An online supermarket shop offers no connection to the stories of where our food comes from, or who might have worked to grow, harvest, prepare or pack it for us. Having the chance to talk to local producers about their motivation and the realities of running a small business in Cornwall definitely offers a different perspective on sustainable shopping and supporting local suppliers!

Buying Local Ingredients During Your Stay

If you’re looking for foodie finds to take away with you and use in self-catered cooking during your holiday in Cornwall, some of our favourites are:

Soul Farm – Fruit and veg literally grown a stone’s throw from the Food Barn’s site in Flushing, using regenerative farming practices for nutrient-rich produce. A community-based project, Soul Farm embeds ethics and inclusion into everything they do.

Pavilion Bakery – Coming over from Newquay each week, this is the South coast’s chance to stock up on the best bread and incredible pastries (good luck getting them home uneaten!) Look for the longest queue and you’ll have found them…

Homage to the Bovine – Third generation farmers living and breathing the values of ethical meat production here in Cornwall, subscribing to the ethos of eating a smaller amount of meat, but enjoying much higher quality.

Sailors Creek Shellfish – Established in 2014 on the shores of the Fal estuary, this stall sells a truly local catch of mussels, oysters, shellfish and smoked fish. Fresh from the water and rich in nutrients, their products have caught the attention of both professional chefs and passionate home cooks.

Penny’s Pies – For a no-fuss approach to self-catering, pick up a couple of these delicious pies, handmade in small batches just over on the Lizard Peninsula. Perfect for a picnic lunch or light dinner with a fresh salad… delicious!

Cornish Chillies – Fancy adding a little spice to your holiday? These guys sell chillies grown in the heart of Cornwall, using sustainable farming practices. As well as the fresh chillies, their stall also sells sauces, jams and chutneys to effortlessly jazz up your cooking.

Cornwall Pasta – Another ‘simple cook’ idea for a holiday night in, this is pasta done to perfection. Making the pasta here in Mylor, experienced chef Nicholas Egan experiments with the finest Cornish ingredients and has an innovative range that you won’t see anywhere else…

And to drink, don’t forget to pick up something from Loveday Distilling who make craft gin and rum in their small-batch distillery, just a ten minute drive away in Penryn. For a non-alcoholic option, Jacks Kombucha is gaining a well-deserved reputation for being the best around. Slow-fermented and now in a variety of flavours, you can try Original, Raspberry, Ginger, Virgin Mojito (Lime & Mint), Masala Chai, or Blackcurrant. Let us know which you like best!

Tregew Farmer's Market - Loveday Distilling

Each of these producers has a wonderful story and genuinely passionate people behind the brand. If you have time, take a look at their online profiles in more detail to truly appreciate the quality that shopping at the Food Barn has to offer.

Eating At The Food Barn

If you’re hungry after all that shopping, the setup at Tregew has also been designed for visitors to stay a while so we can eat, drink and enjoy the view from the hilltop location. Deckchairs and communal picnic tables brighten the space and offer a chance to sit down and soak it all in.

There is plenty of outdoor and covered seating for enjoying an Origin coffee from the Tin Box van (so distinctive, you can’t miss it!) or something a bit more substantial from Bien Manger – french croques and moules made by Vincent – or Essen Street Deli who serve delicious sweet treats and savoury salads and wraps.

These are the regulars but different traders appear week-to-week so we always keep our eyes peeled for something new!

Alfresco Dining on Summer Evenings

If you’re visiting in the Summer months, the barn also opens up on Wednesday evenings in the school holidays to host local food pop-ups, live musicians, drinks vendors and craft stalls. Keep an eye on their Facebook and Instagram for updates on this year’s events and the latest news of which stall-holders will be attending each week.

All the Food Barn events are especially family-friendly, with children and adults milling around the space soaking up the atmosphere, even at the evening events.

Exploring Flushing Whilst You’re Here

Being dog friendly and with easy parking, a visit to the Food Barn is also ideal to combine with a walk once you’ve fueled up on coffee and pastries. If you can resist eating them for long enough, why not take your foodie finds down to the beach at Flushing for a picnic? The water here is swimmable year-round, and there is a wonderful level walk from Flushing Beach to Mylor Harbour which we’ve got directions for here.

It’s just a short drive from the Food Barn to the beach, and on-road parking is possible most of the time, especially if you go early!

Dog-Friendly Beaches near Falmouth - Flushing Beach

The Food Barn itself opens at 9am and starts packing up around 12.30 to close at 1pm. There are compost toilets on site and the access is level to the whole barn and outdoor seating area, except for a viewpoint over the estuary which the more adventurous can climb up to via some steps.

We hope you like the Tregew Food Barn as much as we do; it’s definitely one of our favourite weekend activities in Falmouth if you’re keen to see the local and laid-back side of Cornwall.

Send us pictures of your visit and purchases, or tag us in posts @creeksidecottages as we love to know what you’ve been up to during your stay.

Thank you to photographers for the images in this post, taken by The Food Barn -Tregew, Soul Farm, Pavilion Bakery, Penny’s Pies, Cornwall Pasta & Loveday Distillery .