Short breaks in the Lake District for food lovers

If ever there was a natural food larder worth raiding it’s that belonging to Cumbria and the Lake District. With an enviable choice of local producers, farmers and growers and an accompanying range of food activities and events to get your taste buds tingling, the Lake District is the perfect place for food lovers to take a short break.
Accommodation for foodies
The Appleby Manor prides itself on its fine cuisine and has an AA rosette as well as recognition from the RAC and Egon Ronay guides. Using locally sourced, fresh ingredients – some of which come straight from the kitchen gardens – Chef delights in his trade and introduces guests to some of the best dishes in the region.
Favourite combinations from the kitchen team include Pressed Westmorland Rabbit Terrine with Cumberland Sauce and winter leaf salad, Seared Cumbrian Calves Liver with a Cumbrian ham hash brown and Oven Roasted Lupton Red Partridge with braised lentils and vegetables. Even the cheese trolley is loaded with local and farmhouse cheeses and the desserts are incredibly hard to resist.
Visit the website for details of dinner bed and breakfast offers.
Farmers Market Networks
The Eden Farmers Markets Network is one of the most active in the Lake District and continues the centuries old tradition of farmers making the journey into town to sell their produce at market. Today, Eden’s colourful markets are providing quality local produce sold by the people in the know – the farmers, growers, bakers and makers themselves.
The markets run in Penrith on the third Tuesday of each month from April to December; in Orton on the second Saturday of the month all year round; In Pooley Bridge on the last Sunday of the month from April to September; and in Brough on the third Saturday of each month.
You can expect to find specialist, seasonal produce such as award winning sausages, fresh trout, local fruits, artisan breads, farmhouse baking and ales from the best of the area’s small breweries. There are often cookery demonstrations and tastings running during the markets so make sure you get to the front of the queue!
Food Safaris, Marmalade Festivals and Foodie Finds
Why not take the opportunity to tour the regions most influential food producers and growers or join in a celebration of marmalade? Cumbria lists innumerable food focussed events throughout the year and has many businesses offering unique food experiences. Cumbria on a Plate offers a day food safari whilst Dalemain hosts an annual Marmalade festival with special guest Paddington! There are also several cookery schools in the region offering everything from practical demonstrations of smoking to traditional Cumbrian dish creation and tasting.
Local Specialities
One of the region’s best known ingredients is the fell bred lamb. Whilst many of us associate the meat with spring, local farmers have realised that maturing the lambs a little longer on nutritious fell grass – particularly over summer – can lead to extra tasty, larger cuts with marbled and tender meat. This is known as hogget and is worth looking out for.
The list of other specialities includes damsons, sticky toffee pudding, farmhouse cheese, venison, game birds, relishes and Cumberland Sauce, rum butter, mint cake, Cumberland sausage, local ales, gourmet chocolate, seasonal vegetables…the list is endless!
All these great foods are available at one of the many Hotels in the Lake District