Where to enjoy a coffee in Cornwall
Cornwall is well known for sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, but one thing you can also be assured to find is a decent cup of coffee. Whether you like a flat white, a milky latte or a strong americano, read our guide to find out the best places to enjoy a great-tasting brew, perfect for your next Cornwall Caravan Park holiday.
Relish Food & Drink
Any coffee-lovers don’t want to miss visiting Relish Food & Drink in Wadebridge. This café and delicatessen is a stone’s throw away from the bustling shopping streets, making it the perfect location to go and relax after a day exploring the Cornish town.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the owner, Hugo, is a coffee expert, he says: “I have a slightly obsessive nature so when I opened Relish in 2006 my mission was to make the best coffee. Learning by competing in the UK Barista Championships was a no brainer and in 2008 I won it and placed 10th in the World Barista Championships held in Copenhagen.”
Hugo continued to explain the secret behind the café’s great coffee: “I’m still striving to serve better coffee and the obvious next step was roasting. With my business partner Sean, we bought a state-of-the-art roaster Giesen roaster and installed it in the delicatessen. Calling ourselves Rising Ground, we source speciality grade green coffee, develop our own roast profiles and blends and, because we’re using it in the cafe, there’s instant feedback from the people who matter, the customers.”
108 Coffee
After wandering through picturesque streets of Truro you can replenish at 108 coffee house. The small, independent coffee house is located at the heart of this wonderful city. With its trendy interior and a friendly atmosphere, it’s the perfect spot for a relaxing break from shopping.
We spoke to 108 Coffee House to find out what makes this little café so great: “I think what makes our shop special is our community. We develop connections with our customers over years of serving them great coffee. These days, everybody has access to great coffee and equipment, but the feel of our shop is truly unique. Obviously, this alongside our delicious cakes, brunches and world-famous banana bread.”
108 Coffee House take coffee seriously, even their friendly staff members undergo continuous training so they can serve the perfect cup of coffee.
We asked the 108 Coffee House to reveal their secret to good coffee: “Consistency and a commitment to quality. Anybody can make one good coffee but being able to offer the same great product to everybody who comes through the door is vital.”
“We have invested in technology from Germany to deliver perfectly textured milk, a puqpress from Australia to tamp perfectly every time and brew on LA Marzocco’s flagship Strada espresso machine which ensures a consistently brilliant product.”
Potager Garden Cafe
Found nestled in the Potager Gardens in a converted greenhouse is a café that serves great coffee and delicious food; make sure you stop by at this hidden gem on the road between Falmouth and Constantine. Don’t forget to stop to smell the roses and wander through the beautiful gardens before settling down in the café to enjoy a treat.
We asked Potager Garden why their café is worth a visit: “When you visit the café at Potager Garden, you become part of a community and help to support our volunteer gardeners, community groups and local artists and makers – and get a great coffee.”
You can be confident that you’ll receive a great tasting coffee at the Potager Garden Café, we asked them to explain their coffee secrets: “We have a long-term relationship with Yallah Coffee, a roastery just down the road. They buy their beans direct from growers, roast them in small batches and work with us to ensure every shot is perfect.”
Apple Tree Cafe
With a log fire, bunting and a cottage style interior, the café gives a home away from home feel in the beautiful coastal village of Sennen. The Apple Tree Café attracts locals and tourists alike to enjoy tasty treats, great coffee, and their wonderful outdoor seating area.
Just one mile from Lands’ End, the Apple Tree Café is an unmissable place to stop by and enjoy a brew made from their own roast, Penmarace Coffee. We asked them more about how they came to produce great coffee, they explained: “We spent 8 years in Australia and did barista training before returning to England with the intent of bringing some of the Australian coffee culture home.”
“The secret is to have a great roast that is extracted for exactly the right time, whether that coffee is served at 10 am or 4 pm or any time in between. With the humidity and temperature changes in our part of the world, this means making fine adjustments to the grinder throughout the day. Then, of course, taking your time to really relax and enjoy some proper, quality ‘me time’ while sipping your choice of coffee!”
Moomaid of Zennor
Well-loved for its delicious ice creams, the Moomaid of Zennor is also the place for a high-quality coffee. You can find one Moomaid of Zennor’s parlours in the harbourside town St Ives, and it’s the perfect place in summer to sit with a coffee and an ice cream whilst avoiding the harbour’s seagulls.
We wondered if their great coffee is influenced by their ice cream expertise, they revealed: “As milk is our business, we are passionate about using the best ingredients to make the perfect cup of coffee. The secret to a perfect cup lies in the quality of the milk and the quality of the espresso. We use a brand of milk called Trink milk, which comes from a farm on the outskirts of St Ives. This milk is non-homogenised and from grass-fed cows, which makes it super creamy.”
They continued: “For the espresso, we use the Italian brand Carraro, specifically the 1927 blend. A full-bodied, well-balanced blend with afternotes of chocolate, it’s a match made in heaven once paired with the richness of Trink milk.”
Gylly Beach
Situated on the of Falmouth’s famous Gyllyngvase Beach, the Gylly Beach Café offers good coffee accompanied with wonderful sea views. We asked the team what makes their café so special: “Our beautiful Café resides on the Blue Flag sands of Gyllyngvase Beach, not many places in the country can say that. We offer a wide range of amenities from an award-winning beach café, restaurant and take-away, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and of course the stunning views of Falmouth’s bay.”
The goal of this lively beachside café is that every customer walks out with a smile and one way they achieve this is by serving up some great coffee: “we believe the secret to good coffee is attention to detail. Making sure the espresso shot is perfect and been extracted correctly, flawless silk-like milk, all that’s left is to enjoy!”
The Hub
Overlooking to beautiful harbour in St Ives is The Hub. You can enjoy a great coffee and maybe even one of their delicious burgers. We asked Miranda from St Ives by The Sea what café she recommends people visit when they’re in St Ives: “If I have my kids with me you really can’t beat The Hub. It is right on the harbour on Wharf Road and is a lovely, spacious café that is child-friendly.”
“The ambience during the day is perfect for a relaxed coffee with friends. It is a lovely blend of chilled warehouse style with children, dogs and wellies thrown in. I highly recommend getting a booth as you can really spread out and enjoy your coffee while the kids do some colouring. The coffee is always excellent, and they do the most wonderful cakes.”
We finally asked Miranda her opinion on the secret to a good coffee: “For me, the perfect cup of coffee is a combination of a big cup, beans that give a rich, earthy flavour, with just a splash of milk.”