Cool Place of the Day: Tresco Low Tide Seafood Picnic, Isles of Scilly

Every day, a new place to discover or explore from coolplaces.co.uk

Isle of Scilly

There’s a big event going on this weekend on the Isles of Scilly, when Sunday sees one of the year’s lowest Spring Tides leave the channel between the islands of Tresco and Bryher – usually submerged below five metres of water and navigable only by ferry – dry enough to cross on foot.

As part of the month-long Taste of Scilly Food Festival, it’s the inspired site of (what else?!) a pop-up seafood event, held for a few hours at lunchtime, when the tide is at its lowest. There’s a prosecco bar, fire pits and music; locally caught mussels are cooked in the fire pits and served with crusty bread from the oven of Tresco’s Ruin Beach Café, along with crab quiche, crab rolls and a hot fish chowder.

After lunch, fishermen from Island Fish on Bryher induct partygoers into the art of digging for razor clams and “spratting” – fishing for tiny silvery whitebait. There is also the chance to play croquet and boules on the sand.

The event kicks off around noon, when the tide will be low enough for people to begin walking across the channel, and is free and open to all. Lunch costs £10 per person, prosecco £5 per glass or £30 per bottle.

Cool Places is a website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)