Paula Woodward, Author at The Beach Hotel | Boutique Hotel & Restaurant in Cornwall

We have recently launched a great new cocktail menu in our bar, which has a great selection of delicious blends, along with some classic favourites too. We thought we’d give you a slice of the cocktail action and let you in on how to make some yourself at home, with an easy-to-follow video tutorial from our talented bar manager Rudi West.

Watch the video of how to make an espresso martini cocktail, then give it a go yourself.

Ingredients

– 50ml Absolut vanilla vodka
– 25ml creme de cacao
– 25ml Kahlua
– 25ml vanilla syrup
– One shot of espresso
– Coffee beans to garnish
– Ice

Equipment

– Rocks glass
– Boston shaker
– A spirit measure
– Strainer

Directions

1. Chill your serving glass by filling it with ice and setting aside.

2.Place all ingredients in the glass half of the Boston cocktail shaker, fill the glass with ice, place the lid of the shaker on firmly and shake.

3.Remove the ice from the serving glass. Separate the Boston shaker, place the strainer on top and pour into the chilled serving glass for a lovely frothy finish.

4.Top with three coffee beans and serve.

Enjoy!

There are some great independent shops in Bude to pick up a gift, souvenir or treat for yourself, specialising in all matter of items. Whether you’re looking for homewares or streetwear, we’ve rounded up the best places to go in Bude where you’re sure to find something.

Spencer Thorn Bookshop

This lovely little shop isn’t just for the bookworms; you’ll find something for everyone here, from books on cooking and upcycling furniture, to fiction and classic novels. There’s even a selection of book categories that are signed by the author, for a more personal and unique gift. You’re bound to find something appealing, but Spencer Thorn also has an online shop, stocking lovely smelling cosmetics, stationary, and decorative items for the home.

Find it: Spencer Thorn, Belle Vue, Bude, Cornwall EX23 8JS, 01288 352518

Sweet P Confectionery

Using only the highest quality Belgian chocolate, this small, family-run business creates an array of chocolatey products that are made right in front of your eyes, as their kitchen is attached to the shop. They have a great assortment of goodies, with handmade truffles and filled chocolates in beautiful boxes, gourmet chocolate ‘slabs’ with various toppings and flavours, and various shapes of chocolatey goodness. There is also a selection of items that can be personalised, such as a completely edible chocolate photograph in a chocolate frame. If you have something in mind or can’t find what you’re looking for, they also have a bespoke service. Just get in touch to see what they can do for you.

Find it: 11-12 The Strand Shopping Centre, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8QT

Airculture

Drawing inspiration from the seaside lifestyle and a love of streetwear, Airculture supplies a wide range of items including clothing, footwear, skateboard accessories, art prints and vinyl records. You’ll also find a selection of sweatshirts and t-shirts in Airculture’s own designs, which would make a great gift or souvenir. If you’re on the way to the beach, grab some necessities here, like buckets, spades and the all-important frisbee.

Find it: Airculture Ltd, Belle Vue, Bude, Cornwall EX23 8JS

Bleujen Florist

Aptly, the word Bleujen comes from the Cornish word for flower, and whether you’re looking for a decorative floral arrangement, a blooming bouquet, or a plant for the garden, this is definitely the place to go. If you’d like a bouquet, they can put together a bespoke combination of stems based on your preferences, or provide advice if you’re not entirely sure what to choose, and there are hampers available with wine, chocolate and a rose plant for the last-minute gift-giver. They also offer seasonal, hand-tied combinations which will be the highest quality flowers available at the time, and can deliver any orders within a 12 mile radius of Bude, but will go further afield if necessary.

Find it: Bleujen Florist, Unit 1, The Lower Wharf, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8LG

Dolly Rockers

Discover this little boutique, specialising in shoes, with a wide range of collections from stiletto heels and pumps, to flip flops and knee-high boots. They also sell an extensive range of bags, patterned skirts, scarves and accessories, with new ranges arriving all the time.

Find it: Dolly Rockers, 1c Princes street, Bude, EX23 8AT

Spencer Thorn Jewellers

Family-owned and run, Spencer Thorn Jewellers specialise in contemporary silver jewellery with elements of copper and gold. You will find a beautiful hand-made collection of individually created jewellery, which is all completely unique. They also offer a selection of watches for every taste and budget. If you’d like something a little personal or have something in mind they can also create bespoke jewellery pieces, and have a lovely Cornish themed range including charms and rings.

Find it: Spencer Thorn Jewellers, Belle Vue, Bude

Bude SurfCabin

With a great selection of wetsuits, surfboards, clothes and footwear, Bude SurfCabin is the shop of choice for surfers in Bude. With ladies’, men’s and children’s departments, you’ll find the perfect present for a beach-lover, with a great selection of surfboard accessories like fins, leashes and tail pads too. They also provide wetsuit and board hire to give surfing a go.

Find it: Bude SurfCabin, 7A Morwenna Terrace, Bude EX23 8BU

Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes are home furnishing specialists stocking a great supply of items that would make perfect gifts, like scarves, bags, smelly candles, trinkets, tea towels, mugs and clocks. It also stocks beautiful blankets, which would be great to snuggle under on a grey day, with a lovely selection of driftwood products that to bring the magic of the wild coast inside.

Find it: Kittiwakes, 1 Princes Street, Bude, EX23 8AT

We have recently launched a new cocktail menu, brimming with exotic blends and delicious tipples to sip on in the bar. We thought we’d give you a slice of the action and let you in on how to make some, introducing our King of cocktails, bar manager Rudi West.

Watch the video of how to make the cocktail, then give it a go yourself.

Ingredients

– The white from one egg
– 50ml Disaronno
– 12.5ml sugar syrup
– 25ml lemon juice
– Lemon slices to garnish

Equipment

– Rocks glass
– Boston shaker
– A spirit measure
– Strainer

Directions

1. Place the egg white in the Boston shaker glass, discarding the yolk.

2. Add the disaronno, sugar syrup and lemon juice into the glass, place the lid of the shaker on firmly and shake.

3. Fill two thirds with ice and shake again.

4. Place cubed ice into your serving glass and strain the contents of the Boston shaker into it.

5. Garnish with the lemon wedges and serve.

Enjoy!

We are in a great location for the festivals and live music events that take place in both Cornwall and Devon throughout the year, with some incredibly popular events located a very short driving distance from our hotel. Whatever genre of music or type of festival you enjoy the most, you can take your pick from laid-back acoustic music on the beach, lively gigs in a transformed quarry surrounded by tropical plants and DJ sets in a cliff-top field.

Port Eliot Festival – 26 to 29 July

Described as a literary festival, but much more like a garden party, you name it, this festival has it. With live music, fashion shows, yoga sessions, comedy, food, science demonstrations and even rentable hot tubs. The festival is popular with locals, tourists and celebrities alike, drawing a swarm of creative and talented people to one location over the summer. There is also an array of really interesting workshops to get involved in, from mixology and advice on which cheese to pair with which cider, to working with botanical inks and writing beautifully in a calligraphy class.

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26 – 29 July 2018 in St Germans, an hour and fifteen minutes drive from Bude – porteliotfestival.com/

Sundowner Sessions at Lusty Glaze – all summer

Held weekly throughout the spring and summer months, the free Woodburner Sessions on Lusty Glaze Beach, Newquay are the perfect way to spend a sunny evening, with great music, food and drink, served in a relaxed beach setting. In the peak summer months, there are also larger scale ‘Headliner Sessions’, with past performers including Ben Howard and Newton Faulkner.

Each year, the North Cornish beach also welcomes the 37 piece Cornish Sinfonia Orchestra for a ‘Symphony By The Sea’, an evening of classical music, performed in Lusty’s very own natural amphitheatre, and the entertainment coming to a close with a spectacular cliff top firework display. Note before, there is only one access point to the beach, and this is via 133 steps, which may be difficult for less able guests.

For line-ups and dates, go to www.lustyglaze.co.uk/events100/. Lusty Glaze is an hour’s drive from Bude.

Eden Sessions – June & July

Set within the amazing grounds of the Eden Project, amongst the exotic plants and towering biomes, the Eden Sessions bring people from far and wide to see some world famous acts, previously hosting Elton John, Paloma Faith, Spandau Ballet, Ben Howard and Amy Winehouse, to name a few.

This summer welcomes Madness and Bryan Adams to the stage, along with Manic Street Preachers and Jess Glynne, adding to the amazing line-up that the Eden Project has managed to secure every year. More than just a music venue, with yummy food and an incredible atmosphere, the valley in which The Eden Project is nestled truly comes alive.

To purchase tickets and keep an eye on the ever-growing line-up, visit the website – http://www.edensessions.com/. The Eden Project is an hour’s drive from Bude.

Into the Wyldes / Leopallooza

The Wyldes is a festival, event and party venue hosting an array of exciting music and comedy events this year. The prime location near Bude has been home to Leopallooza Festival for the past 10 years, a critically acclaimed and multiple award-winning festival known as ‘The Greatest House Party…in a field’. The music event has drawn numerous international artists including Bastille, Seasick Steve, Crystal Fighters, Kodaline, Jamie Lawson, Izzy Bizu, James Vincent McMorrow and many more. This year the event will be taking place from the 27 – 29 July, and will be celebrating its eleventh year of live music and care-free fun.

The Wyldes, a 25 minute drive from Bude – http://www.intothewyldes.com/

Boardmasters – 8 – 12 August

This summer welcomes Boardmasters back to Newquay, with some of the biggest names in music gracing the multiple stages throughout the festival, which sit atop Watergate Bay’s cliffs, boasting unspoilt views over the sea.

The festival also hosts multiple skating, surfing and BMX competitions, which are held at another venue, Fistral beach, and are completely free to attend. The festival is hugely popular for locals and visitors alike, and the headline acts get bigger and better every year. This years acts will include James Bay, the Kaiser Chiefs, Foxes, Example and plenty more.

8 – 12 August 2018 in Newquay, an hour’s drive from Bude – www.boardmasters.co.uk

Bude Jazz Festival – 29 August to 1 September

Centred in Bude and with every venue within walking distance from our hotel, the annual festival takes over the town for four whole days, bringing some talented jazz singers, bands and solo musicians together to celebrate everything jazz. This will be the 39th year that the festival has come to Bude, and the line-up is pretty impressive.

28 – 31 August 2018 – http://www.jazzfestivalbude.co.uk/

Bringing great vibes and even better music, we can’t help but get excited when we know DJ Jinx will be in the bar, providing us with his signature blend of house, funk and soul, supplying guests and locals many evenings of fun. The man behind the decks had a few minutes in his busy schedule to answer some questions for us, as well as recommend some great tunes to kick start any party.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO DJ’ING?

I grew up around London then studied music in Birmingham, two hives of activity and music. I found myself wanting to DJ like so many others after being inspired by watching incredible talent and thinking to myself ‘I want to be up there doing that’. I bought myself two turntables and a mixer and started gathering music together to try and find a sound I loved. Starting off small, I approached a local bar and asked if I could set up one night and play for free. The bar was just down the road from the famous Gatecrasher nightclub, and I managed to gain experience, skills and respect whilst working my way through venues until I finally ended up as a resident at Gatecrasher, and many others years later. I have my signature sound of funk, soul and house music and I can’t wait to bring this to the Beach at Bude.

WHAT AND WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES?

My biggest influences are the pioneering DJ’s and producers who shape and form music instead of just copying others. Classic DJ’s such as GrandMaster Flash, MixMaster Mike and the new wave of talent such as JFB and DJ Yoda. Producers such as Sasha, A Skillz, Dj Format and Aphex Twin are also really influential.

WHICH TEN TRACKS WOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR THE ULTIMATE PARTY PLAYLIST?

IF YOU COULD ETERNALLY BE STUCK IN ONE YEAR’S MUSIC SCENE, WHICH YEAR WOULD IT BE?

For sure 1990. It was a fantastic year for so many genres of music. One of the pinnacle years for the Hacienda nightclub in Manchester and the dance music scene in London was really exploding. So many producers we now call legends were working their way through the ranks and new music was coming out thick and fast during that time.

WHAT’S THE BEST AND WORST GIG YOU’VE EVER DONE?

WORST: I toured once with Calvin Harris as the support DJ and all I ever got were requests for his tracks, which of course I couldn’t play. Plus Greg James from BBC Radio One was on the tour and every night he told the crowd I was Chris Moyles, so people kept bugging me. In the end I gave in and just started signing autographs. You can keep your famous.

BEST: I’ve been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to play some classic Ibiza clubs and let loose at some incredible festivals but a couple of years ago I got to DJ for Public Enemy after they played an incredible live set at NASS festival, and whilst I could not have been more nervous to DJ for such pioneers, it was such an honour.

To find out when DJ Jinx will be getting the party started in our bar, keep up to date with our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Sometimes fluffy teddies and heart-shaped chocolates just don’t cut it on Valentine’s Day, and coming up with activities to make your beau or belle feel special can be a daunting task. So to help you win some serious brownie points, we’ve rounded up our favourite alternative Valentine’s dates. Here are our suggestions for a romantic and fun-filled day…

GET WET
Book a couples’ surf lesson with Raven Surf in Bude and learn to ride the wave of love with your other half. The sea temperature may not be very hot but the sizzling chemistry between you will make it feel warmer, and appearances will have to be put on hold while you’re clad in rubber head to toe. The instructors are all qualified in lifeguarding too, so there’ll be no pressure to perform a knight-in-shining-armour moment.

JUMP OFF A CLIFF, OR CLIMB UP IT
Add a little thrill to your relationship by scaling a cliff, or jumping off it into the sea. Book a coasteering or rock climbing session, during which trained professionals with an in-depth knowledge of the local area will guide you across, up or off cliff faces. Excursions along the coastline can be booked with Shoreline Extreme Events, who can tailor the experience to your preferences.

GET CREATIVE
Make a unique gift for one another at one of the multiple creative hubs based in Bude. Recreate Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore’s clay wheel scene at The Pottery Box, where you can make a selection of clay-based crafts, from terracotta pots to kitchen tiles. The Kitchen Front also has opportunity for crafts, offering kitchenware painting sessions, lino printing and much more, with tea and cake in plentiful supply too. For glass workshops, Beau Nidol will take you through the steps to creating your own fused glass items, from sculptures to wall art.

TOUR AND TASTE
Head to a brewery, distillery, vineyard or cider orchard and sample the delights made on-site. Cornwall has a wealth of independent brewers that allow guests to watch the process of real ale, craft beer, wine and cider-making, with the chance to try it too. Watch the staff collecting the fruits, stirring the barrels, and, most importantly, pouring a drink for you to try. Choose from nearby Bude Brewery, Winkleigh Cider, Camel Valley Vineyard, or Southwestern Distillery, or you could make it a road trip through Cornwall following this map. You’ll be sure to discover a new favourite somewhere.

FEEL LIKE ROYALTY
Pretend you’re the King and Queen of the estate with a tour of a local manor house or castle. The National Trust and English Heritage maintain a number of properties nearby, including Penhallam Manor, Launceston Castle, Lanhydrock and Tintagel Castle, the supposed birth-place of King Arthur. Tours can be booked in advance, or you can wander around yourself and wear crowns without judgement.

TAKE A SCENIC DRIVE
Make the journey across the Devon-Cornwall border to Clovelly, a privately-owned village only 30 minutes drive from Bude, complete with harbour and traditional cottages. No public cars have access down through the village and donkeys were once the main form of transport, however they have since been replaced with a much more modern Land Rover, which acts as a taxi service for visitors daunted by the walk back up the hill. In the opposite direction along the coast into Cornwall, the National Trust harbour of Boscastle is a great day out, and the drive there from Bude is one of Visit Cornwall’s most scenic drives in Cornwall.

HIT THE BULLSEYE
Have a go at Cupid’s favourite sport: archery. With Shoreline Extreme Sports, you’ll master the art of shooting a bullseye and impress. Learn your ‘nock’ and ‘pile’ from your ‘quiver’ and ‘fletchings’ in what can be a fun and friendly session with your other half, or a competitive past-time for a competitive couple.

BOOK TICKETS TO A FESTIVAL
Show your commitment and book something you can both to look forward to, like a weekend ticket to Leopallooza, a ridiculously fun grass-roots festival held in July near Bude. It may not be a pastime for Valentine’s Day, but we’re pretty sure a ticket to Leopallooza will be on every festival-lovers wish-list, and the promise of a weekend of fun together is a winner for any relationship.

RIDE A STALLION
Channel your inner Ross Poldark trotting across moorland, or race your other half across a sandy beach on horseback. Broomhill Manor Stables offer horse-riding excursions, with tuition if you’re not so confident taking the reins. The romantic movie moments you could re-create are endless, just avoid Runaway Bride…

ADOPT AN ANIMAL
If you’re not quite ready for kids, keep the pressure off by adopting an animal that you don’t have to take home. For only £3 a month, you could adopt and visit a monkey baby at Wild Futures monkey sanctuary. You’ll receive an adoption certificate and regular photos of your adopted monkey to frame for the mantelpiece.

BOOK A STAY WITH US
What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than taking a trip to the beautiful north Cornish coast and spending some quality time with your favourite person. To book a stay with us call 01288 389800 and speak to a member of our friendly team.

The Beach Bar cocktail menu has been shaken up and refreshed by our talented mixologist, Rudi, who’s used his extensive cocktail knowledge to create delicious blends, individually designed to stir your imagination and satisfy your taste buds.

Not only has he provided us with a preview of what’s on the new cocktail menu landing on the bar in early 2017, he’s also shared some easy-to-follow recipes for you to try at home, to help anyone feel like a cocktail connoisseur. You know it’s going to be a good night when it starts with a cocktail, so come and get your party started…

Grey Goose Cranberry Mule

This cocktail is Rudi’s twist on the classic Moscow Mule, with added cranberries for a little zest and fiery ginger beer providing a real donkey kick.

What you’ll need:

– 50ml Grey Goose vodka

– 50ml cranberry juice

– 10-12 fresh cranberries

– 1 lime, quartered

– 50ml ginger beer

– Ice

– A cocktail shaker

– A muddler (a thick handled rolling pin will do)

– A sturdy serving glass, around 12oz in size

– Cocktail stick for serving

How to prepare:

1. Squeeze the limes into the glass and a drop the remains in.

2. Add eight of the cranberries and muddle the mixture, ensuring the lime and cranberries are crushed but not completely pulped.

3. Add the vodka and cranberry juice and stir with a drinks stirrer.

4. Add two or three ice cubes and top the mixture with the ginger beer.

5. Garnish with the remaining cranberries pierced onto the cocktail stick and serve.

Raspberry Mint Fizz

A refreshing and zesty blend guaranteed to quench anyone’s thirst, with one of your five-a-day thrown in for a guilt-free tipple… almost.

How to prepare:

– 25ml limoncello

– 1 scoop of raspberry sorbet

– A mint leaf, finely chopped or torn

– 50-75ml prosecco

– A coupe glass or something similar.

– Six fresh raspberries, keeping one aside to garnish

– Ice

– A cocktail shaker

– A muddler

How to prepare:

1. Place the raspberries, limoncello and sorbet into the cocktail and muddle the mixture to crush the raspberries and break the sorbet up.

2. Add a handful of ice, secure the top of the cocktail shaker and shake for about ten seconds.

3. Carefully drain the mix into the coupe and top with prosecco.

4. Garnish with a sprinkling of the mint leaf, a raspberry and serve.

Give Rudi’s cocktail recipes a go and show us your pictures of them by hashtagging #beachatbudecocktails on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Our Head Chef Joe Simmonds will make a special appearance at Padstow Christmas Festival, to demonstrate his fantastic culinary skills on stage this year, sharing the spotlight with Rick Stein, Nathan Outlaw and Clare Smyth, along with plenty of other talented chefs.

Ingredients

2 mackerel fillets
30g feta cheese
Half an apple
Quarter of a cucumber
2 shallots
100ml white wine vinegar
100ml water
50g caster sugar
50ml cassis
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 teaspoons wasabi paste
1 lime zest and juice
A small amount of cress or pea shoots to serve
Salt and pepper
A splash of cooking oil

Method

Make a pickling liquor by heating the white wine vinegar, water, sugar, and cassis in a saucepan. Bring to the boil.

Take the pickling liquor off the heat. Slice the shallots into half cm rings and place in the liquor.

Next, season the mackerel (it’s best to do this five minutes before cooking). Add a splash of oil to a frying pan and place on a low heat to warm up.

Dice the apple neatly and place in a bowl. Squeeze lime juice from half the lime over the apple. Dice the feta and add to the bowl.

Peel the cucumber and dice (or, if you have a melon baller make 10 balls of cucumber). Add to the bowl and season with salt.

Place the mackerel skin down in the pan and hold down for ten seconds so it doesn’t curl.

While the mackerel is cooking, add the wasabi paste to the mayonnaise with a squeeze of lime juice.

Go back to the mackerel. In total, this should be cooked for 4-5 minutes on the skin side only, on a medium heat.

While the mackerel is finishing off, start assembling the ingredients on the plate with a swipe of the wasabi mayonnaise. Dot the apple cucumber and feta around plate, then take the shallot rings out of the liquor and lean a few of them against against the diced salad.

When the mackerel is 90% cooked, flip over, take off the heat and place on your salad. Garnish with lime zest, a pinch of pepper and cress or pea shoots.

Christmas, believe it or not, is just around the corner. We’ve created a Christmas menu that is available from the 1 to 23 of December with both two or three course options available, and if your party is extra big our private clubroom can seat up to 25 guests. Our New Year menu, crafted by our head chef Joe Simmonds is a five course tasting menu, and a DJ will be serenading you into 2017. There are plenty of other exciting festive events in and around Bude, so to make sure you don’t miss out on anything, we’ve put together a run down of the dates you should put in your diary now…

1. #LightUpBude

To kick off the festive season, the big Bude lights night is on Friday 2 December, and will begin with a lantern parade at 6pm. After the lights ‘switch-on’, a procession of elves will guide guests from the Wharf to Nanny Moore’s Bridge. From there you can follow Father Christmas himself around Bude, ending at his Grotto. Mulled wine will be available at the marquee in the castle grounds and shops will be open until 8/8:30pm for late night shopping.

2. The Castle Christmas Fair

For an especially magical Christmas market, head over to The Castle, Bude on Sunday 4 December. A large marquee on the lawn will play host to stalls offering plenty of perfect food gifts for friends and family. The fair will be open from 11 until 4, and entry is free.

3. Mike Moyle Memorial Christmas swim

If you are in Cornwall on Christmas day, a Christmas day swim is an obligatory tradition. Bude Surf Life Saving Club, a charity based in Bude, are hosting the swim, and providing lifeguard safety cover, as well as mulled wine, hot chocolate, mince pies and sausage rolls all free of charge for the brave souls who venture into the sea. No wetsuits allowed, so remember an extra thick jumper for afterwards. All donations will go to the Bude SLSC, and any extra generous individuals who donate £25 or over may collect an extra Christmas present in the form of a free T-shirt at the event.

4. Boxing Day Barbecue

Fight off the Boxing Day blues by hopping over the border and joining Clovelly for a Boxing Day barbecue, with free entrance to the seaside village. Take a walk along the estate before enjoying a barbecue accompanied by live music, mulled wine and a treasure hunt.

5. Padstow Christmas Festival

Although this one is further afield, the festival is not to be missed, and is completely free of charge. Our very own head chef Joe Simmonds is demoing at 1pm on the Festival Stage, along with top names such as Tom Kerridge and Nathan Outlaw who will be demoing throughout the weekend. From Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 December the seaside town will be hosting a lantern parade, Santa fun run, traditional Christmas market and spectacular firework display. We will be publishing one of Joe’s recipes which he will be re-creating at the festival soon, so watch this space…

The Bude Wave Conference, hosted by the Cleaner Seas Project, took place on the 16th of September. Local business owners were invited, so front of house manager Mark Kivell went along to show support and learn about what impacts water quality on our coastline. Continue reading Bude Wave Conference