Space to... feed
As the head chef of SeaSpace’s new café, Sam Sheperd is excited to open the doors to guests and locals, ready to create great-tasting food in a spot that means so much to him.
"It's all changed so much, but it's really exciting to see the transformation"
Pulling up to that SeaSpace view has been part of chef Sam’s daily for fifteen years. Working his way up to sous chef, he was a key part of the kitchen team when SeaSpace lived its former life as Sands. “It's all changed so much”, he explains, “but it's really exciting to see the transformation.”
Now, Sam has stepped up to the challenge, taking on the role of head chef and shaping SeaSpace’s café menu in its bright, new daytime lobby space.
What's on the menu
From tangy feta frittata and stacks of golden banana pancakes to kimchi superfood salads and crunchy chicken wraps, Sam was given a blank menu canvas, his to design a vibrant selection of soon-to-be brunch and lunch favourites.
“I think my stand-out dish has to be the brunch menu’s Cornish chorizo sweet potato hash. It’s deliciously smokey and the sour cream is a perfect addition.”
"Once I’d sampled Pavilion’s chocolate and almond croissant, I thought, ‘We've got to get these guys on board!"
Keep it local
When it comes to those raw ingredients, keeping things local was a big part of the plan, “I wanted to use seasonal Cornish ingredients wherever I could, with an eye on the sustainability factor,” he explains.
“Because I’ve never really done brunch service before, there was a whole new opportunity to work with different suppliers too, like Pavilion, who’ll be supplying our bread and pastries.
We are family
Cooking here is more than a job for this Cornish chef; creating dishes beside the Porth cliffs is a big part of his history. “This place has a lot of meaning for me,” he continues. “It’s where my partner Mandy and I got together; she’s now the new café manager at SeaSpace.
While working together, we got engaged and had two children, now nine and seven. The kids have spent a lot of time here and can’t wait to come and see it now.”
"It's a nice chilled space to catch up with your friends and have a bite to eat before you go down to the beach."
Excited to introduce the new generation of guests to the table, Sam sees huge potential with the space. “It's a versatile offer here. Whether you’re staying and having breakfast, popping in for lunch with friends, grabbing something on your way down to the beach or you need a post-gym pick-me-up, we certainly tick all the healthy, delicious, laidback boxes.”
As well as adding more to guests’ stays, he’s also looking forward to developing some SeaSpace regulars.
"Our chilled feel, great food and coffee will make us a destination on this side of town for visitors and locals too. After all, you don't get a view like this everywhere!"
