A fresh feel for Whistlefish Fore Street, St.Ives

St. Ives is a place that is very special to Whistlefish as it's where we opened our very first shop on the quay. 

This spring, we are celebrating our Fore Street shop in St. Ives reopening after being refurbished in an exciting new Whistlefish interior style.

Like many buildings and shops in St. Ives, the ones along Fore Street have stood strong for centuries, they have stood the test of time and have so much provenance. There are many buildings on Fore Street that are Grade II listed for their architectural or historical importance. 

St. Ives was one of the most important fishing locations in North Cornwall from the 1400's. You can imagine the hustle and bustle of the cobbled streets in this era, with horse-drawn carts transporting the daily catch up Fore Street from the harbour quay where our other St Ives shop at 'Chy n Chy' has resided since 1997.

Read about Chy n Chy > 

'Chy n Chy' Photo Credit @heartmylittlehome

Fast forward a couple hundred years, the streets of St. Ives still bustle, but rather than locals undertaking their daily duties, there are more tourists meandering through the cobbled village streets and enjoying the views of cosy cottages and unique shop fronts that this quaint harbour town provides.

Before 56-58 Fore Street became Whistlefish in 2001, it was a family-owned tobacconist and convenience store owned by B&M Crick that was there for approximately 100 years! The store had a fantastic sweet selection and was rumoured to have had the best Easter egg selection in the South West.

The Easter egg store before it became Whistlefish

After twenty years, the store was definitely deserving of some T.L.C.

2021 marked the 25th anniversary of Whistlefish and we're as part of our celebrations we decided to invest in a fresh new look. 

We wanted to bring the same contemporary style to our stores that you'll find in our products; above the door you'll find 'Whistlefish' in metallic bronze for a luxurious finish.

Inside, we've given our artwork and products more breathing space and added additional, soft lighting to help you see each piece more clearly. We feature elegant, natural wood displays throughout the store for a homely, rustic touch. Each shelf is purpose-built by our wonderful local carpenters, to fit the specifications of our artwork, cards and gifts. We hope that the extra space we have created helps you better visualise how a piece of art could look in your own home.

Inside this store, you'll also find exclusive items such as original hand-painted artwork that you can't buy in any other store or on our website.

Our friendly staff are always there to assist if you have any queries. You can also arrange for your artwork to be delivered right to your door in case you aren't able to take it that day!

Our next store for due for this exciting renovation is Padstow in November.

We hope you like it, let us know what you think in the comments!