The Driftwood Spars in St Agnes is turning necessity into advantage this winter by inviting guests to bring their own food to the pub to enjoy a proper Cornish knees-up.

From January 7 to 24, the kitchen at the popular coastal inn will be closed for essential maintenance, however landlady Louise Treseder was determined to continue to offer hospitality to St Agnes locals and out of season visitors venturing down to the wild and rugged Trevaunance Cove.

She explained: “Instead of closing completely or saying goodbye to everyone at dinner time, we decided to invite guests to bring their own homemade food to share, or to order their favourite take-away to be delivered to the pub. January can be a bit depressing, so we want to bring people together on those cold dark nights as an alternative to staring at the TV!”

Although the Main Bar and the Starboard Quarter will be closed for refurbishment for some of this period, the Seaview Dining Room will be open for wave-watching while the Top Bar will provide a cosy fire-side retreat from the January storms.

Families can bring their one-pot-wonders to share around the inn’s large tables, and groups of friends are invited to tuck into an Indian or Chinese feast in front of the fire; Louise and her team are looking forward to welcoming everyone for a slightly unusual pub experience.

The Driftwood Spars is a rambling, cosy and historic pub, which was built in the 1650s using huge beams (or spars) salvaged from local shipwrecks; its many fire-side nooks are popular winter retreats for dog walkers and outdoor enthusiasts amongst others.

The Guardian recently named The Driftwood Spars as one of the top 50 pubs in the UK, and Louise’s commitment to local sourcing, sustainability and community life has allowed ‘The Drifty’ to buck the country-wide trend of pub closures.

Normal service will resume on the 25th January when the newly revamped kitchen will be launching a new seasonal menu.

To find out more visit www.driftwoodspars.co.uk