12 EU BUSINESS NEWS / European Travel Awards 2022 , Most Welcoming Campsite – South West England Higher Pentreath Campsite has offered Cornwall camping near the beach since it first opened in the 1950s. As a family-run campsite it has recently become a limited company, with the next generation taking over the reins. We find out more fromOwner, Clare Coffey, in the wake of the site being recognised in the European Travel Awards 2022. Just a short walk from Praa Sands, a popular surfing beach in Cornwall, Higher Pentreath campsite is well placed for exploring Helston, the Lizard Peninsula, Porthleven, Marazion,(home of St Michaels Mount), Penzance and even the wider area. With a firm focus on finding fun in the simplest moments, daily paddles in the sea, kids playing out from dawn until dusk, chatting with other campers, star gazing in the evenings and having such a good time that you lose track of what day it is can all be expected from a stay at Higher Pentreath. “We are rustic, proud of our heritage, and we have camping in our blood,” explains Owner, Clare Coffey. “A fond memory of Higher Pentreath is when a television was moved outside to the garden to ensure our campers could watch the 1966 World Cup final, to see England win! We have many treasured memories like this and look forward to making many more.” Priding itself on getting back to basics, the site has a small number of electric hook-ups and the rest of the pitches are non-electric. Onsite there is a small laundry room supplying the basics to comfortably get by, with a washing machine, tumble dryer, a freezer for ice packs, and sinks for washing up. There is a toilet/ shower block plus an outside shower area for washing off sand. But that’s not all, as well as a back-to-basics ethos, the site also encourages ‘foraging’ and offers budding chefs the chance to pick and use their own fresh herbs. There’s QR code trails for visitors to follow and enjoy, with songs and events included to provoke long-forgotten memories of camping trips experienced during childhood. “We want our campers to experience the camping trips us adults had as kids,” Clare enthuses. “Our core values and aims are for Jul22057 everyone to experience a beachside camping holiday where you talked to your neighbours, children play with fellow children, and for a brief time you feel carefree. I think sometimes in our now busy and fast paced world, we forget how much joy you get from the simpler things.” It's tricky to understand the current camping trends due to the curveball that was experienced with the Covid-19 pandemic, which effectively saw the entire travel and tourism industry brought to its knees. It not only meant that Clare and the team saw a different type of camper staying with them, but also a lot of first-time campers or campers that had previously only been camping as children. “I think camping as a whole has been slowly making a massive comeback (even previous to Covid),” Clare states. “With new and improved equipment and the new outlook that a lot of people developed due to the pandemic, of realising that you don't need a lot of things or lots of money to create memories with loved ones which includes holidays or time spent together.” Recently, the campsite was rewarded for its hard work and dedication with recognition in the European Travel Awards 2022 and bestowed with the prestigious accolade of Most Welcoming Campsite – South West England. “We don't try and be complete experts in all areas of camping but we can certainly point our campers in the right direction if needs be. But we know the area and can recommend many places or adventures on our doorstep and love to recommend local businesses and eateries in the area, to try as well. We like to think we are a massive advocate for great local businesses.” Regarding the future, Higher Pentreath is looking to continue to make small improvements to the site, entice more new campers to experience what we have to offer and start to look at where else we can expand our ideas, whilst keeping true to our ethos. Watch this space. Contact: Clare Coffey Web Address: www.higherpentreathcampsite.co.uk
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