As Cornwall prepares for the festive season, the Adam Handling Collection is turning up the sparkle with a line-up of seasonal menus and events at its two celebrated venues — the ocean-view restaurant Ugly Butterfly 2.0 in Newquay and the countryside pub The Tartan Fox. Expect locally sourced feasts, fireside festivities, and a strong dash of Cornish spirit throughout December.
Perched above the waves at Fistral Beach, the newly relaunched Ugly Butterfly 2.0 blends panoramic sea views with a creative, sustainability-driven approach to dining. Chef Adam Handling’s signature “4×4” menu encourages mix-and-match dining, while curated tasting menus and afternoon teas showcase the best of South West produce.
For December, the restaurant introduces a four-course festive afternoon tea (2 December – 1 January), a playful take on tradition featuring turkey and cranberry sandwiches, hog’s pudding sausage rolls, winter crumble, and Cornish scones with Rodda’s clotted cream and Kea Plum jam.
Christmas Day diners can expect a decadent £175 menu, weaving together luxurious seasonal flavours — think crab with red pepper and lemongrass, chicken liver parfait with truffle and gingerbread, and roast duck with blackberries and pine. Dessert arrives in the form of a chilled chocolate “Christmas pudding”, paired with the option of Krug Champagne at a special festive rate.
With space for up to 60 guests for private dining or 150 for standing celebrations, Ugly Butterfly makes an elegant backdrop for coastal Christmas gatherings.
And then, tucked into the Cornish countryside, The Tartan Fox offers a more rustic kind of celebration — all roaring fires, warm hospitality, and hearty dishes made with local produce.
Its seasonal menu delivers comfort food with a refined twist: beef and ale suet pudding, roast cod with wild mushrooms, and game pigeon with pickled blackberries. Sweet-toothed guests can finish with a warm mince pie tart with brandy ice cream or torched Keltic Gold with ginger cake and honey.
Throughout December, the pub becomes a hub for community festivities. Highlights include a wreath-making workshop with local florist Hayley Scott Blooms on 5 December, a Christmas Market on 14 December featuring artisan makers and seasonal bites, and a Festive Banquet in the barn on 18 December, where sharing plates and desserts promise a relaxed, convivial atmosphere.
On Christmas Day, The Tartan Fox serves a full festive feast — from snacks and starters to traditional roasts — rounded off with a “free-flowing cheese and Port station”. Private bookings are available across the season, with room for 65 seated or 100 standing guests.
To book a table and for more information on the Ugly Butterfly 2.0 check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
To make a booking and for more information on The Tartan Fox check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
