The Hidden Hut

This is hospitality in its truest form. Owned by couple Simon Stallard and local girl Gemma Class, The Hidden Hut is a small snack shack with a huge difference. With an infectious enthusiasm and passion for what they do they are committed to good food, community, and atmosphere. Found tucked away along the National Trust coastal path near Portscatho and St Mawes on the Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall; it’s a special spot to enjoy freshly cooked food with friends and family.

The Hut itself sits sympathetically in its National Trust surroundings overlooking the golden sands of Porthcurnick looking out towards the bay. With no telephone signal, it’s the perfect spot to unwind in solitude and indulge in delicious food with good company. 

During the day, The Hidden Hut serves a simple menu of takeaway freshly made lunches. Think smoked haddock chowder with crusty bread, wood-fired seafood paella, coconut chickpea dahl with mint raita and salt hake, chorizo, and spring veg stew with wild garlic aioli. For lunch there is no need to book, just turn up and order. Your items can be packed away safely and whisked away to the beach as a picnic, or enjoyed on their wood seating made from a sawn tree at Tregothnan Estate. 

Everything here is homemade on site, from cakes and pastries to flatbreads and pasties, and each menu item is prepared on the outdoor stove and indoor bakery oven using the freshest of ingredients from an outdoor field kitchen and chefs who brave every weather. 

When the evening falls, the hut opens on selected evenings during the summer and autumn to host open-air feasts which focus on one dish, showcasing the best doorstep produce. These sell-out events are rustic and inclusive, inviting all walks of life to bring their own cutlery and bowls and gather to enjoy the very best fire-cooked fare in an idyllic setting. And while it isn’t licensed, visitors are also encouraged to bring their own wine and beer. These Feast Nights are released in monthly batches. Previous feasts have included ‘Lobster & Chips’, ‘Slow-roasted spring Lamb’, ‘Wood-fired Seafood Paella’, ‘Mackerel Grill’, and ‘Sticky Ribs & Pulled Pork’. They cook outdoors using either wood-fire, charcoal grill or with the ever-growing collection of huge Paella pans!

Both the beach and the hut are family and dog friendly and the bay is well-known for its safe calm waters, as a result, swimming to feasts nights is not uncommon. What could be better than sipping on a glass of your preferred tipple, overlooking coastal vistas after a delicious, local, home-cooked dinner?