A giant screen, a giant quiche and a giant light display made for a momentous coronation weekend at the Eden Project, home of the Coronation Big Lunch.
Saturday (May 6) marked the day of the historic coronation ceremony of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort.
Visitors came together for the occasion in crowns and princess dresses, many adorned in red, white and blue, setting up camp in the Arena on picnic blankets and deck chairs while watching the iconic event live on a big screen.
Across the weekend, the coronation themes of community, youth, sustainability and diversity were woven throughout, with inspiring speakers, engaging activities, and live music, creating an electric celebratory atmosphere.
Local charities hosted ‘15 Minutes for the Future’ drop-in activities, teaching visitors how to knit for peace, create eco-restorative sea wall tiles and repair old electronics to be fixed and donated as gifts.
The Saturday showstopper saw a giant coronation quiche, fit for a King or Queen, unveiled to a special Coronation Big Lunch, hosted by award-winning chef Tom Hunt and Eden’s chief activation officer, Si Bellamy. The spinach, broad bean, tarragon and cheddar recipe is the official Coronation dish, chosen by The King.
Measuring 32 inches in diameter and serving up to 200, Eden’s giant coronation quiche was created by Eden’s chefs, taking 65 free-range Cornish eggs to make and including Eden-grown tarragon and locally-sourced vegetables.
On Sunday Eden’s world-famous Biomes were illuminated (pictured left) for a Lighting up the Nation event in which 10 iconic landmarks across the UK will put on a grand light display to coincide with the coronation concert at Windsor Castle while being broadcast live to the nation.
The Biomes were lit in a magical choreographed display, while a drone show will light up the sky above an audience of specially-invited local volunteers, including Big Lunch organisers — a thank you for the vital work they do to support and bring their communities together.
To cap off the bank holiday weekend, a celebration of the volunteering community for The Big Help Out was held on Monday centred around the themes of youth, diversity, sustainability, and community, with thought-provoking talks, performances and film screenings by St Austell Foodbank, youth dance group TR14ers, Black Voices Cornwall and Cornwall Climate Care.