Festive screen-printing at The Sail Lofts…

With Christmas only five weeks away we’re beginning to get that festive feeling and with so much planned in St Ives throughout December we think it’s going to be one to remember.

Over the weekend of the 7^th & 8^th December the town is hosting it’s first ever Arts and Crafts weekend with various events and activities taking place.

As part of this weekend we will be hosting a fun hands-on screen-printing workshop, with local artist Dena O’Brien, on Saturday 7^th December in our boutique shop on Fish Street. Drop in throughout the day and you can pick from a range of Dena’s creative designs and screen-print your very own set of hot off the press Christmas cards to wow family and friends, or for something a little different why not print onto a fabric stocking.

Dena will be on hand throughout the day to help your create your festive masterpieces and this drop-in workshop is open to all ages (children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult).

This screen-printing workshop costs £12.50 per person for a set of 5 Christmas cards or 1 Christmas stocking and all materials are provided.

For further information please contact Sam, Kelly, Abi or Peter on 01736 799175.

This looks set to be a great fun day and we hope to see you there.

Kelly x

December fun in St Ives...

Once again the fantastic businesses, individuals and clubs in St Ives have pulled together to put on a brilliant calendar of events throughout December. This year looks set to top last years efforts and here at the Sail Lofts HQ we’re all really looking forward to what’s coming up.

Here is a selection of what you have to look forward to:

29^th November – The Christmas celebrations begin with a carol service at The Guildhall.

6^th December – Santa rides into town on the RNLI Lifeboat before leading a parade around the town and arriving at his grotto at The Glass Tree Gallery.

7^th & 8^th December – St Ives Arts & Crafts Weekend. A new event for 2014 which will see the lovely art and craft shops in St Ives host a number of special events accompanied around the town by a host of music and craft displays in The Guildhall, The Drill Hall and around the town. We’ll be hosting our very own Festive Screen-PrintingWorkshop with local artist Dena O’Brien where you can choose from a range of Christmassy designs and print your very own hot off the press set of cards or Christmas stocking.

7^th, 14^th & 21^st December – Christmas Party Train. Catch the Branch Line from St Erth (or the Park & Ride from Lelant) and join the Christmas Party where you will be entertained on a special train ride into St Ives.

7^th & 8^th December – Christmas Film Screenings. Enjoy some classic Christmas films at The Royal Cinema, St Ives.

21^st, 22^nd, 27^th, 28^th, 29^th & 31^st December – Dick Whittington Pantomime. The talented lot at Kidz R Us will this year be performing the classic tale of Dick Whittington.

There’s plenty for the adults too – we’re particularly looking forward to Tregenna’s December Wine Fair on the 1^st December which will showcase the best of Cornish produce alongside wines from around the world. St Ives’ newest bar, The Rum and Crab Shack, are hosting Burdett Wines Christmas Tasting on the 4^th December where there will be over 50 wines and beers form around the world and local story teller Shanty Baba will be leading a Comedy Walk around St Ives on the 21^st December, which promises to be a very funny event.

For further information about the events taking place in December please visit The St Ives in December website.

Roll on December, we can’t wait!

Kelly x

October half term...

We can’t quite believe that the summer holidays are over already and the kids are back at school – time really does fly when you’re having fun. We’re now busy planning the next school holiday – October half term – and we were over the moon to find out that there is so much going on in St Ives during the half term holidays. Here are just a few of the highlights:

St Ives Surf School

OK so it may be a touch chilly but with a good wetsuit the October surf can be loads of fun, so why not give it a try, or brush up on your skills, with a lesson or two from St Ives Surf School? Our wet room, with lovely hot showers, is only a short dash away so even if you do get a bit cold you’ll be toasty warm in no time.

Screen-printing workshops

Get crafty at one of our screen-printing workshops with local artist Dena O’Brien. On these workshops you’ll create you very own hand-printed Christmas cards that are sure to impress family and friends back home as well as learning the basic skills needed to become a screen-printing extraordinaire.

Tate St Ives

If sea creatures and monsters, whales, sirens, sailors and shipwrecks capture the imagination pop along to Tate’s ‘Aquatopia’ exhibition, which explores how the deep has been imagined throughout time and cultures.

Chocolate treats

If you fancy taking something sweet home for friends and family who not pop along to one of ‘I Should Coco’s’ chocolate workshops where you can design and make your very own slab which you can personalise with your own message.

Halloween

Halloween also falls within the October half term so it’s the perfect time to get dressed-up for a spot of trick-or-treating, or for a real spooky experience join acclaimed storyteller, Shanty Baba, as he takes you on a ghost walk around some of the most haunted places in St Ives.

If October half term in St Ives sounds too good too miss you can check availability here. Or give us a call and we’d be happy to help.

We hope to see you soon,

Kelly x

The Annual Raft Race

Friday 9th - St Ives Annual Raft Race

The day of the race and we still hadn't quite got ourselves organised with a raft and with the challenge of building it on the busiest day of the week, changeover day, things were looking bleak.
We were armed with 6 oil drums, 2 crates and 160ft of old fisherman's rope, and at 3pm we set to work (well Dave the handyman set to work).

2 hours later we had a raft fit for our eager team of 6 rowers, with a flag and all. The challenge was to now transport this beast to the harbour from the apartments, a challenge and all we can say is thanks to Australian Caz for directing the traffic couldn't have done it without her.

We launched the raft, got pelted with several flour bombs and finally got underway, and strategically we decided it was best to go the long way round.

At the lifeboat station we picked up our mermaid, Peter, who looked rather glamorous in pink. We met a seal, paddled to the other pier and then back to the slipway for more flour bombs and to get our finishing position - we're not quite sure where but it wasn't last and it wasn't first so we were happy.

Next year we will enter and challenge St Ives Sailing Club to take winning position, no metal drums, we're going light and aerodynamic and we may just think about building it more than a few hours before the race.

See you next year...

The Sail Lofts Style...

We are settling in very nicely to our new little Boutique located on Fish Street. It’s nice to be a bit closer to the town centre and we’re getting lots of interest in what we like to call the ‘Sail Lofts style’.

We have lots of lovely homewares and some fantastic artwork on sale, some items you may recognise from your apartment (if you’re staying with us that is).

We’ve recently had some lovely new items delivered and here are a few of the team’s favourites:

Abi is a big fan of these white washed wooden photo frames because they have a very subtle nautical theme and she loves the shabby-chic finish...

Kelly loves these ceramic tea light holders and thinks that they will be the perfect accompaniment to her newly decorated bathroom...

These lime finish bookmarks caught Sam’s eye, perhaps now he can get all those surf magazines tidy...

There are lots of other lovely things for your home in our new Boutique so please pop by next time you’re passing.

We hope to see you soon.

Kelly x

Sunny sun sun....

Well we weren't telling porkies when we said a heat wave was on the way a couple of weeks ago now, its been in full swing and looks set to continue for the moment (fingers firmly crossed).

Guests are going home bronzed, the water is at a mighty 16 Celsius - warm enough to swim without a wetsuit comfortably (honestly, the majority aren't wearing a wetsuit - an unusual sight!), and BBQs are definitely on the menus most evenings.

So we thought we should share a few photo's from the past week or so, and if you haven't had the chance yet we hope you manage to get out and enjoy some great British weather.

Gwynver looking mighty fine

For the first few days we had some great swell and offshore winds, now its flat, very flat but also very sunny...

The Harbour looking very still one morning

Beach time!

We couldn't resist popping this one in as we're really happy to have another one to add to the collection!

From the tower on the main pier - pretty good view!

Heat wave!

Just in case you hadn't heard already or didn't believe the weather forecast we think the heat wave is just about starting!

We are officially declaring a weekend on the beach, we don't mind where just get to a beach near you.

We're fully booked this weekend but if you want to take a holiday this summer in St Ives at The Sail Lofts we suggest you get booking quick as we only have a few gaps left...

Sail Lofts Cottage -19th July
Surf - 9th August
Sail Lofts Cottage - 23rd August

Win a 3 night break in one of our apartments...*

For your chance to win a 3 night stay in one of our 2 bedroom apartments simply head to our boutique shop on Fish Street, St Ives and sign up to our newsletter in store. We're located just off the harbourfront opposite The Sloop car park.

To celebrate the launch of our new boutique shop in St Ives we are offering a fabulous break in one of our 5* apartments next year*. 

Our boutique shop has a selection of homewares, furniture and artwork featured in our self catering apartments on Porthmeor Road.

Not in St Ives? Why not treat yourself to a break in the meantime and put yourself in with a chance of winning a break next year. We have some great offers and last minute breaks, find out more on our website

*Terms and conditions apply please see competition slips for details.

Beach and sun days - we love them...

It's been a while since our last picture post, but the photos are collecting dust on our hard drives and need to be seen, so here is a selection from the last month.

Tasty treats at St Ives Food & Drink Festival…

I really love food so I’m extremely excited that next month (Sat 18^th & Sun 19^th May) will see the fourth St Ives Food and Drink Festival get underway and with a brand new venue on Porthminster Beach it’s set to be bigger and better than ever before.

My favourite part of the festival is the producers marquee which houses an impressive selection of Cornish producers – the smells are mouth watering and most of the producers have plenty of yummy things for you to sample so it’s worth holding back on lunch – you don’t want to be too full! The producer’s marquee is open from 10am – 4pm during the festival.

There are lots of other events happening during the festival too, including cookery demonstrations from some of St Ives’ leading chefs as well as organised food foraging walks and fun pasty making workshops.

If you’re visiting during the festival you can found out all about what’s happening on the website www.stivesfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk.

All this talk of food is making me hungry now – think it’s time for a snack.

Kelly x

Screen printing fun this Easter…

This weekend sees our new booking office and boutique shop opening on Fish Street (we’ve moved the spa into the main Sail Lofts complex) and to mark the occasion we’re hosting a pop-up screen-printing workshop on Monday 1^st & Tuesday 2^nd April, called Pulling Power, in conjunction with Dena O’Brien of Kiwi Printmaking Studio.

Pulling Power is a fun and unique pop-up shop where you can print your very own T-shirt following four simple steps: Turn up, select a design, pull your print and wear it with pride.

These sessions are appropriate for all ages with a team of professionals to help you create your hot off the press design.

Doors open at 10am so please pop along and join us for what is going to be a really fun day.

Our new office address is 2 Fish Street, St Ives, TR26 1LT (we still have an office on-site too so don’t wory).

Hope to see you there!!

Kelly x

Knowing where your food comes from...

At The Sail Lofts we like to keep suppliers and produce local, and if you are staying with us we encourage you to do the same and enjoy the fantastic products produced in our county. We're here to help you do this as part of our concierge services.

We recommend online shopping deliveries from Cornish Food Market who are based in nearby Falmouth and will deliver to The Sail Lofts (which we can unpack for you!). They are proud of how they source their produce, importantly they know exactly where the meat, vegetables and fish they sell come from. Have a read of this newsletter...

We have the same philosophy with sourcing fish for our guests which is why we use Matthew Stevens Fish Merchant, based just up the road in St Ives. When staying at The Sail Lofts you can order fresh fish through our office which will be delivered to your fridge later that day. Knowing where your food comes from makes a big difference and it's fascinating following @Crystalseass118 on Twitter, one of the boats operating out of Newlyn who supplies Matthew Stevens. Hear about the storms they trawl through, the catches they are about to land and see how quickly it gets from the boat to your fridge. We'd also recommend following @MStevensFish.

When in St Ives, using the local butcher - Harvey Brothers is part of being in the town. The beef is home reared on their farm and fields in West Cornwall and is some of the finest around. When I first moved to town I remember asking them if the chicken was local, the answer "well not really, sorry", so I asked, "so where is it from?" to which he replied "Near Falmouth pard" - a mere 20 miles away!

We're lucky to have such wonderful produce on our doorstep and we hope you enjoy it as well, especially if we can make the process just as convenient as a visit or online shop from your usual supermarket.

Local treasures in St Ives…

With all the talk in the news lately about how our high streets are disappearing we wanted to highlight just how wonderful we think our little town centre is.

Not only do some of the more traditional, family-run shops such as butchers, greengrocers and bakers continue to thrive in the town, St Ives also offers an eclectic and exciting mix of independents that seem to be bucking the trend.

One of my absolute favourites is Pebbles, a jewellery shop on Fore Street, which sells a range of handmade jewellery from local and national makers. The jewellery is unique and every Christmas and birthday there is something from here on my wish list.

If you have little ones then Fabulous Kids is a little treasure trove filled with beautiful little outfits, quirky toys and games as well as a lovely baby boutique. If you need a gift for a newborn or a birthday present for a toddler you are certain to find something totally unique here, whatever your budget.

To add a touch of St Ives chic to your home take a trip to Gift St Ives. Here you’ll find a great range of lovely home wares including soft furnishings, candles, picture frames and individual decorations as well as a small range of stunning gift wrap that is simply gorgeous.

Of course no trip to St Ives would be complete without sampling some traditional Cornish goodies and if you’re looking for the best places to go, all of the office are in agreement that St Ives Bakery is the best for pasty’s, Ferrel & Sons cannot be beaten for their saffron buns and the scones from Pengenna Pasties are to die for!

Have fun exploring and choosing your favourite.

Kelly x    

Sinful Valentine's Recipe...

Some of you may already know this, but as well as the gorgeous Sail Lofts apartments and the calming Sail Lofts Ocean Spa in St Ives, we also own and operate two beautiful country inns in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, The Angel Inn, Stoke by Nayland and The Anchor Inn, Nayland.

The Angel Inn, with its 6 boutique bedrooms and delicious modern British cuisine, is a beautiful 16^th century building that is packed full of original features and character and is the ideal hideaway on a blustery winters day.  

Down the road at The Anchor you’ll find a chic village inn that enjoys a beautiful riverside setting. Here expect a selection of pub classics and more contemporary dishes as well as a good selection of cask ales from regional and microbrewers.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner we thought we’d ask Adam Pickard, Head Chef at The Angel Inn, for his favourite Valentine’s dessert recipe and this is the delicious treat he's come up… 

Hot Chocolate Fondant and Pistachio Ice Cream

Hot Chocolate Fondant (Makes 6)

200g sugar

4 eggs

4 extra egg yolks

200g butter

200g 72% dark chocolate

200g plain flour (sieved)

Line 6 dariole moulds, suitable for baking, with a layer of cling film and leave to one side

Over boiling water, melt the chocolate and butter together until completely blended

In a mixer, beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until pale in colour, turn down the speed to low and slowly add the melted chocolate mix

Once fully combined, slowly add the flour and leave to incorporate for about 2 minutes on a low speed

Once the mix is ready pour into a piping bag and split between the 6 moulds

If baking straight away, cook at 180’c for 9 minutes

If baking at a later stage, leave to set in the fridge and cook at 180’c for 11 minutes

Serve immediately with the pistachio ice cream, crushed pistachios and dustings of icing sugar

Pistachio Ice Cream

500ml milk

500ml double cream

200g sugar

12 egg yolks

2 vanilla pods

1 tablespoon of Pistachio Compound - (50g of Pistachios, 20g Water, 20g Sugar – Bring to boil, when caramel starts to colour blitz until smooth)

Combine the milk, cream and vanilla pods in a saucepan, bring to the boil and then remove from heat

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale in colour

Pour the cream mixture over the egg mix whisking continually to blend together as quickly as possible

Return the mix to the stove over a low heat and thicken until it coats the back of a spoon.

Pass through a fine sieve, add the pistachio compound and pour into an ice cream machine to churn until set

Doesn’t it just sound deliciously sinful? Enjoy!

Kelly x

Where has winter gone?

January, the month renowned for being cold, a bit miserable and the mood somber as the masses recover from the Christmas period, in St Ives this year we're not feeling like this!

We've had some lovely mild weather and sunny days, perfect for a walk on the beach, a stroll around town or for the budding photographers empty beaches and great light. The daffodils have sprung out of the ground and many are in bloom - one of the earliest seasons we have seen down here.

The surfers amongst us have had a great run as well, the mighty 'Meor' has been throwing clean peeling waves most days and with the water temperature a toasty 11 degrees, it feels more like autumn or spring than January.

So if your feeling a bit blue and want an easy escape to make January a month to remember check our availability and pop down to St Ives for a relaxing few days.

In the meantime lets hope the weather and waves continue and we haven't jinxed it with this post!