Portscatho and the Hidden Hut


Small child running on a beach at Portscatho beach in Cornwall.

Once you’ve discovered the Roseland, you’ll wonder why you’ve never visited before. Relaxed and idyllic, this stretch of Cornwall’s coastline has a variety of delights to discover.

If you’re looking for a family friendly day out with a culinary twist, we’d recommend heading over to Portscatho, a picturesque fishing village in the heart of the Roseland. This was one of Nanny Pat’s favourite days out with Megs. They parked in Portscatho car park and went for a explored the harbour and village. There are some lovely galleries and an unusual vintage gift shop plus a pub, cafe and good deli and butcher.

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For lunch they went to the Hidden Hut, which shot to fame when it featured in Caroline Quentin’s Cornwall on TV earlier this year. Run by enthusiastic couple Simon and Jemma (he’s the chef, while she hosts), it’s a small, rustic beachside cafe which sits on National Trust land overlooking Porthcurnick beach – which also happens to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the area, with a large stretch of golden sand and great rock pools.

The Hidden Hut is just a short walk along the cliff from Portscatho. It’s a cracking place to go for lunch, and their Feast Nights are really something special (more on those later). The Coast Path runs right past the Hidden Hut, so it’s an ideal pitstop for walkers.

And it’s more than just another popular beach café – since they opened, they’ve been building a reputation for exciting, inspired food. Nanny Pat and Megs, as well as several of our guests who’ve been over the past few months and reported back have raved about it!

Don’t miss out on the cakes – made by Jemma’s mum Maggie, they’re simply delicious. Any you can always burn off the calories walking or running about on the beach with the kids or the dog.

Feast nights

In the spring, summer and autumn they run regular pop-up feast nights. Pat went with friends in August for her birthday treat. Here’s what she had to say about it:

“Each feast night has a different theme, and that evening it was Crabfest. The food’s cooked on vast pans in open air by chef Simon and helpers. There were 100 people there that evening. We were lucky to have beautiful weather. It was a magical evening listening to crashing waves, lone anchored yacht, great food, red harvest moon and galaxy of stars. We were last to leave, furnished with a hurricane lamp by Simon to navigate the coast path back to the car with instructions, ‘Leave it by the gate for us to collect in the morning!’ That’s Cornwall for you. Trust and respect.”

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Feast nights are ticket-only events. They sell out super fast, so we’d recommend signing up to the mailing list so you get an email when the next lot goes on sale. You can sometimes get returned tickets though, so it’s always worth having a look on the SeeTickets website. There’s only one thing on the menu each feast night (although vegetarians are always catered for too). Dogs and children are also given a warm welcome.

To get the most out of your feast night experience, you’ll need to take everything you would normally take on a picnic with you (minus the food!), including crockery, cutlery, rugs, camp chairs, etc and perhaps some wet weather gear just in case… A torch might also be helpful for the walk back to your car. Hot drinks, soft drinks, and more of that delicious cake will be on sale on the night. They don’t sell alcohol, but you’re welcome to bring your own.

Useful information

The Hidden Hut is open 7 days a week, 10am – 5pm (plus special Feast nights) from March to October.

From Bosinver, it’s a 25-30 minute drive to Portscatho. The best way to reach the Hidden Hut is to park there (look out for the Porthcurnick Beach Car Park) and walk the short distance along the coastal path. Take a look at the Hidden Hut website for further directions.

Porthcurnick Beach, Rosevine (Nr Portscatho), Truro TR2 5EW

There are free public toilets near the Hidden Hut. Dogs are welcome on the beach all year round.

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Action Nan and the rest of the team are always busy writing posts that we think you’ll like – from top tips on where to take the kids, to what’s likely to be going on in the local area when you stay – we’ve got it all in our blog!