Christmas is just around the corner and we’ve been dressing Barnwell Cottage for the season’s festivities. The Village of Cubert, where our coastal cottage is located comes life at this time of year, our favourite country walks are laden with crisp, frosty leaves, from the mild morning frost that crunch under foot and the coastal paths are peppered with holly leaves and cheery red berries- you may even find a sneaky sprig of mistletoe!

This week at Barnwell Cottage the owner of the independent Barista; The Jam Jar cafe’s talented baker Jess, visited Barnwell as part of her “Kitchen Tour” series for her up and coming blog. Jess is passionate about Kitchen interiors and bakes fresh homemade cakes to serve in her bustling Newquay cafe everyday. Her Kitchen tour is a celebration of inspirational kitchen interiors and to share her top recipes with her readers.

We were so pleased Jess chose to bake her twist on the traditional mince pie recipe during her stay at Barnwell Cottage and are thrilled to share the photos with you. Her Bakewell Tart Mince Pie recipe is available on her blog Jam Jar Cafe, this was perfectly timed with our festive decorations that were just being dressed for our Christmas guests, this year our decorations were from Bon Bon Fistral - an independent clothing and homeware boutique on Fistral Beach one of the top surfing beaches in the UK and just a 5 minute drive from Barnwell.

In her blog Jess explains her love of open plan living and kitchen areas, “As a huge amount of my time is spent each day in the kitchen, baking for The Jam Jar, there is something extra special about feeling part of the social areas within the house. My stay at Barnwell Cottage meant I could be part of the social antics whilst still baking, I loved that Barnwell is a dog-friendly homestay as even my puppy Mack could be part of the fun!"