Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc films ITV series at new TV studio in Cornwall

It’s a venture between a Cornish hotel and production company

Raymond Blanc recording his new TV series at the Cornish studio

World-renowned chef Raymond Blanc has recorded a new series for ITV at a brand new television studio which is based in an unexpected location – a Cornish hotel.

Located within the Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate near St. Ives, the newly named Carbis Bay Studio is a permanent television production space available for hire by television producers and other content creators.

The facility has been created as a result of a joint venture between the hotel’s owners and Round World Studios, a global film and television financing and production company.

Together, the companies hope to quickly build up the studio’s production activity and make a contribution to Cornwall’s creative and media economic development, and in time provide work for locally based production talent and suppliers.

Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate owner Stephen Baker said: “Carbis Bay has a long history of attracting production companies to use the beautiful beach and bay as a filming location, most recently for the BBC’s Poldark series.

“Creating a studio facility is quite a leap for us as hotel operators, but our partners at Round World Studios made an exciting and compelling proposal and will bring a pipeline of new production activity that we can work together to build on over time."

He added: “For example, we have ideas about how we can make use of the studio within our guest and corporate services, potentially in conjunction with wedding bookings and incorporating live video streams to include relatives and friends who may not be able to travel due to Covid-19 restrictions.”

While the studio and wider Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate is open for hire to producers nationwide, and potentially globally, Round World Studios is initially working with Plymouth-based Rock Oyster Media to use the studio as a hub for its regional production activity.

Rock Oyster Media has just completed filming with Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc OBE for his new ITV cookery series featuring a new collection of simple, rustic recipes.

The series is the first of three new Rock Oyster productions either confirmed or pencilled in to be filmed at the new Carbis Bay Studio.

In addition to supporting pre-recorded filming, the Carbis Bay Studio can be configured and equipped for a variety of different uses, including live television broadcasts and live internet streaming capability.

According to Round World Studios managing director Eric Woollard-White, the company is looking to build an active production base within the county and is keen to support Cornwall’s creative economic growth.

“An advantage we have in Cornwall and Carbis Bay in particular is the stunning location. Few studios have a beach literally on the doorstep and so we can provide a variety of interior and exterior filming options for productions small to large, backed up with access to accommodation for VIPs and crew.”

Initially, the Carbis Bay Studio will recruit a full-time studio manager to be based at Carbis Bay, who will oversee day-to-day management and studio bookings, and has also reached out to Falmouth University’s School of Film and Television to begin a discussion about creating a new apprenticeship position in 2021.

More information about the studio can be found here.