A foodies delight - Westmorland country show

Cumbria; home to the Lake District, one of the biggest national parks in the UK with stunning mountains, lakes and tarns as well as quaint villages, winding roads and great places to stay. However this adventurers playground is also home to the country's largest county show and some amazing local producers.

A few weeks back I had the great pleasure of being invited to food arena of the Westmorland County Show to take a look behind the scenes of how one of the largest shows in the country is run. For those of who aren't familiar with country shows they are an opportunity for the counties within the UK to showcase the local farming and agricultural produce they have on offer. The Westmorland show is one of the biggest in the country and is now staged over 2 days in the beautiful county of Cumbria with food producers, farm suppliers, farmers and competitors coming together from the surrounding area. It is also unique among shows as all the exhibitors and participants come from a 70 mile radius of the showground making it the ideal place to bag yourself a local bargain, watch the talents of horse riders, or walk around the pens of sheep, cattle and other farm animals all here with the aim of bagging themselves a prize. It truly is a great local experience for any country lover.

So what is this post all about?

Well as I was invited to the food section of this event I wanted to take some time to write a short post about my experience and mention some of the fantastic local producers I met. I am always surprised at these events when I see the breadth of local talent on offer as well as the number of products on display.

I will be investigating and finding out more about some of these in more detail in future posts but for now here is a brief summery of what kind of thing you can find in the wonderful country of Cumbria.

Black Powder Gin

Distilled in one of the most unique distilleries in the Lancashire region Black Powder produces not only hand crafted Gins made from the finest botanicals and judged to be among some of the finest in the world but also a range of liqueurs and rums to tantalise the taste buds. We will be featuring this fantastic little business in a future post so watch this space to learn more.

Cartmel Cheeses

Based in the small village of Cartmel just outside of the Lake District National park this artisan cheese producer supplies some of the top restaurants in the North-West, including 2 star Michelin L’Enclume.

With locally sourced ingredients all the cheeses are matured on site taking into account the individual age and flavour profile. We seek out the very best small-scale artisan cheese producers.

Northern Pasta Co.

Well what can I say about this unique little business which seems to be taking the market by storm. The people behind this incredible pasta taken their passion and developed it into a fabulous business. Using British millers and learning how their heritage grains make for amazing, healthy, utterly addictive pasta has truly transformed this simple foodstuff into something just a little bit special. We will hopefully be featuring these guys on a future post too.

Grasmere Gingerbread

Anyone who has visited the Lake District will have certainly heard of and more than likely tasted this amazing local product. Personally I first tried this a good 30 years ago when I was a frequent visitor the the region to hike to mountains which make it so famous and now each time I return I just have to buy some more. Grasmere Gingerbread is a true local hero among artisan manufacturers with a heritage dating back over 150 years. Watch out for a special feature on this gem of a business

Lovingly Artisan bakery

Located in the hub of the region this artisan bakery is a true neighbourhood gem providing award winning breads, sourdough and pastries not only to the local people of Kendal but also to the renowned Altrincham market located n the heart of Cheshire. If you haven't tried any of the fantastic products from this place you really are missing out. We are hoping to write a feature on these guys very soon.

Kin Vodka

Now you just have to try this unique drink which blends caramel tones with a subtle kick. Created in the heart of the lakes, this delicious, hand blended, small batch vodka is inspired by our stunning surroundings and a passion for the great outdoors. I was lucky enough to try this while visiting the show and I must say it is truly magical. This is definitely an artisan producer we are keen to know more about.

Penningtons Spirits and Liqueurs.

Sticking with the alcohol theme for our final short showcase of this post. Penningtons is a true labour of love. A passion turned into a business if ever I saw one. Visitors to the lake district will certainly have heard of Kendal Mint Cake, however you probably won't have experienced the mint cake liqueur produced by these guys. Well you must give it a try and while you are there try some of the other amazing flavours this family run business ahs to offer.

Through this post I just wanted to introduce you to a small number of local artisan makers and businesses which can be found across Cumbria and surrounding areas. The images below highlight a few more however as you can imagine this is by no means an exhaustive list and I apologise in advance for those of you I met at the sow who are not featured directly in this post.

My intention is to showcase as many artisan products as I can so if you would like your business to featured please drop us an email at footstepsandfood@gmail.com