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  1. Food & Drink in The Lake District, Cumbria
    Food & Drink In the Lake District, Cumbria
  2. Food & Drink In the Lake District, Cumbria
  3. Food & Drink In the Lake District, Cumbria

You are here: Home > Food and Drink

Food and Drink in the Lake District and Cumbria

We’ll state it loud and clear: the Lake District, Cumbria has a food heritage with no equal anywhere in England. That’s right, without equal. The combination of locally sourced produce and culinary expertise has made eating out a truly outstanding experience – and if you like fine dining, we’ve ten Michelin stars to prove it.

We’re proud of the numbers, but the proof of our success is in the eating. And you don’t need to dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant to have a memorable meal. What could be better than taking an afternoon tea beside one of the many famous Lakes. A Lake District afternoon tea is the perfect way to spend an afternoon eating delicious food and drink in a choice of fabulous locations.

And then there's our local produce, which enriches virtually every menu – from freshly made potted shrimp overlooking the sea in West Cumbria to a plate of slowly roasted Herdwick Hogget and roast potatoes in a country pub at the foot of a fell – the perfect winter warmer.

Served at any time of the year is the undisputed king of all English sausage – the long, curled Cumberland sausage that is chopped rather than minced. It’s one of the famous Cumbrian foods so treasured round these parts that a butcher’s reputation is made on the quality of their stock.
 
Local produce is also the key to the success of our top-rated restaurants, which offer an unparalleled choice when it comes to luxury dining. By all means we urge you to try those restaurants that have earned Michelin recognition – Simon Rogan’s two restaurants in Cartmel - L'enclume and Rogan & Co, have four stars between them and a national reputation – but their success is a reflection of an exceptionally high standard established by most fine dining restaurants. We've been talking to some of the best chefs around the county to find out why they think the Lake District, Cumbria is so special for food and drink. Check out our interviews with Lake District Chefs to find out more and download some of the  recipes from the Lake District Cumbria they have shared, so you can enjoy them at home.
 
Cumbrian chocolate and cheeses are superb, but no list of local produce would be complete without mention of Cumbria’s trio of sweet treats, each a legend in their own right: sticky toffee pudding, first invented at Sharrow Bay on Ullswater and today perfected in Cartmel; the world-famous Kendal Mint Cake, which is favoured by mountaineers and fell walkers for its high sugar content; and Grasmere Gingerbread, first created by Sarah Nelson in 1854 and still sold in the same shop by her ancestors today. You can read more about famous food and drink to come from Cumbria in our blog and then check out the local Cumbrian produce available to buy online and have it delivered directly to your door.
 
Alongside our world-class food are some outstanding breweries and distilleries, which make the Lake District, Cumbria a haven for real ale lovers – after a walk in the fells there’s nothing quite like sinking a pint of refreshing ale literally yards from where it was brewed. And if you’re looking for something a little stronger, the Lake District is home to an award-winning distillery that produces its own brand of handcrafted whiskies, gins and vodkas.

With locally brewed ales and locally produced food galore, the Lake District, Cumbria has a wealth of delights to make any foodie happy. Take your taste buds on holiday, go on they deserve it! 

When it comes to family-friendly places to eat in the Lake District, then look no further - we have taken the hard work out of it and produced a list of perfect places with family dining in mind and if you are looking for places to take your dog along with you, check out our list of dog-friendly places to eat in the Lake District, Cumbria.

Nature’s pantry is available to all, whether you’re a beginner learning about foraging and bushcraft on a fungi foray or a Michelin-starred chef looking to enhance a dish with the flavours of the forest.

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Tasty Ideas

  1. Afternoon Tea
    Afternoon Tea
    Treat yourself to a delicious afternoon tea - we have some of the best in the country! Fabulous food and lakeside locations make it a very special treat indeed.
  2. Nori Wrapped Cod by HRiSHi
    Tasty Recipes from the Lake District Cumbria
    View and download recipes from top Lake District establishements for you to make and enjoy at home.
  3. Interviews with top Lake District Chefs
    Bite-Size Interviews with Lake District Food Producers
    We've been speaking to some of the top chefs and food producers from around the county to find out why they think the Lake District, Cumbria has such a good food reputation.
  4. Grasmere Gingerbread
    Get Lake District local produce delivered directly to your door
    Many wonderful producers from the Lake District, Cumbria are offering their products online, so you can order directly and have them delivered directly to you or someone special.
  5. Dog-friendly places to eat in The Lake District, Cumbria
    Dog-friendly places to eat
    We love our dogs so much in the Lake District and Cumbria that we like to take them out for dinner. Four-legged diners and drinkers are welcome in many pubs and restaurants.
  6. The George & Dragon, Penrith
    Pub Food & Gastro Pubs
    After a day’s exertions in the fells, is there anything better than stooping your head to enter the framed doorway of a traditional pub, ready to refuel by a cosy fire with whatever freshly made goodness is written on the chalkboard menu by the bar?
  7. The Cottage in the Wood
    Restaurants with Rooms
    If you love going for a beautiful meal and want to combine it with a stay over in a beautiful part of the country then what could be more appealing than combining the two? The Lake District, Cumbria has a great reputation as a food destination and we have a number of places offering you great food and superb accommdation.
  8. Food & Drink in The Lake District, Cumbria
    The Food & Drink Guide
    View and download our guide to the best in Food & Drink from the Lake District, Cumbria.

The Lake District, Cumbria is foodie paradise

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Highlights

Stainton Wines in Kendal, Lake District
Stainton Wines

Feisty, independent, opinionated and honest are the best way to sum us up. For over thirty years,…

Table Setting at the Dolly Blue Bar & Grill at Whitewater Hotel in Backbarrow, Lake District
Dolly Blue Bar & Grill at Whitewater Hotel

Aptly named after the infamous “blue bags” that were manufactured here until 1982 in this very…

Friendly Service at Tweedies Bar & Lodge in Grasmere, Lake District
Tweedies Bar & Lodge

Tweedies Bar & Lodge with 2 restaurants and public bar serving guest ales, world beers, excellent…

Afternoon Tea at Lindeth Fell Country House in Windermere, Lake District
Afternoon Tea at Lindeth Fell Country House

Superb luxury bed & breakfast overlooking Lake Windermere. 14 individually designed bedrooms &.…

Pink Grapefruit and Gin Marmalade from Hawkshead Relish Company in the Lake District, Cumbria
Hawkshead Relish Company

Home of the award-winning makers of relishes, pickles and preserves. There are over 100 hand-made…

Bassenthwaite Lake Station & Carriage Cafe
Bassenthwaite Lake Station & Carriage Cafe

Situated on what was once the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith railway line, Bassenthwaite Lake…

PrevPrev
  • 1Stainton Wines
  • 2Dolly Blue Bar & Grill at Whitewater Hotel
  • 3Tweedies Bar & Lodge
  • 4Afternoon Tea at Lindeth Fell Country House
  • 5Hawkshead Relish Company
  • 6Bassenthwaite Lake Station & Carriage Cafe
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