Tribute to Jacci Jourdan
“Her DNA is in the Fat Apples site. It feels like she is still here; she is very much here in spirit”
The family behind the Fat Apples Café on the Lizard Peninsula have shared the sad news that their wife and mum has died after a long but spirited fight against cancer.
Jacqueline Jourdan, known to most as Jacci, or simply ‘Chef’ to her husband Ed and children Hector and Phoebe, had been living with breast cancer since 2012. Jacci died in the early hours of Monday (May 11th), at home and with her family beside her, aged just 61.
Jacci had an unstoppable energy, driven personality, and a ’glass always full’ nature. She was full of life, love and laughter, putting her illness to one side to build and run Fat Apples. The café has since become an award-winning venue near Porthallow.
Two years ago, Jacci and Ed were forced to take a step back when Jacci’s health declined, leaving Hector and Phoebe in charge of running the café since then. Fat Apples is temporarily closed while the family deal with their loss, but they have assured customers that the café and campsite will be back open from Saturday, June 20th and will remain open ongoing, Wednesdays to Sundays, 9.30am to 4pm, through the summer.
They all agree, as a family, this is important for continuing Jacci’s legacy, explaining: “The love and passion she had for her café is what kept her going so long. We are proud to be taking the reins on our beautiful project supported by a wonderful community.”
Jacci already had an eclectic career behind her. Upon leaving school she was a Bluecoat at Pontins in Dorset, then she took a job as a scuba diver at Weymouth Sea Life Centre feeding fish, where she met her husband Ed. She later became manager at Portsmouth Aquarium, before moving to Devon to marry Ed and start a family. In Devon, she was the marketing co-ordinator at The Plough Arts Centre and later set up her own company Tall Ships People, placing holidaymakers on tall ship excursions around the world.
The family moved to Cornwall in 2011, searching for a change in lifestyle. They found it in a derelict vineyard, just up the road from Porthallow village, which they set about transforming into the Fat Apples site on a starting budget of just £3,000. It was all made achievable thanks to huge amounts of support from the local community.
With no experience in hospitality, the family relied on a mixture of inspiration and a natural affinity for customer service to launch their fledgling business. Jacci devised the menu that Fat Apples is now known for, using its location on the halfway mark of the South West Coast Path as inspiration for healthy, locally sourced food. Everything is made onsite, including homemade salad plates, sauté potatoes, and a selection of locally sourced breakfast and lunch items. Afternoon teas are enjoyed in the sunny garden served on vintage china.
That first summer they opened Jacci worked the kitchen, supported by Hector and Phoebe – who were then aged 18 and 14 – running service out front, while Ed worked away to help supplement the finances. It has remained a true family venture ever since and has grown organically.
“It was a regeneration project that then involved the whole family,” recalled Ed. “It was Jacci who walked across this derelict site and just fell in love with it.” At Fat Apples she found her spiritual home, and her presence will continue to be felt there. “Her DNA is in the Fat Apples site,” said her family. “It feels like she is still here; she is very much here in spirit.”
With everything she needed to be found on the Lizard Peninsula, Jacci particularly loved Porthallow and its community, getting involved in village life and becoming a member of the Porthallow Village Association. She was a great lover of wild swimming, dog walking, spending time with friends and being on the water, with the family affectionately laughing: “If she wasn’t in Fat Apples, she was in the sea!”
Jacci’s funeral will take place at 2pm on Friday, May 29th, held at St Keverne Parish Church. A collection will be taken for the charity Marie Curie, and those unable to attend the service, but who would like to make a donation in tribute, can do so through Pendle Funeral Services.
The family are keen to recognise the care Jacci was given by so many healthcare professionals, friends and extended family, saying: “We would like to give personal thanks to all the healthcare professionals that have supported mum. They are selfless, dedicated, and flawless.”
The above article was written by Emma Ferguson for the Helston Packet on the 13th May 2026