Lake District Farmshop

A Lake District Farmshop is a four-part documentary on Channel 4 which focused on the Farm Shop at Tebay service area on the M6 motorway, near Penrith and the local Cumbrian producers of food, drink and artisan crafts who supply the shops.

Tebay service area has long been regarded as something very different to most motorway service areas, with home-cooked food from local suppliers served in the restaurant and a farm shop which includes its own butchers counter that would rival the best in any town centre. It is this attention to high quality produce, from more than 70 local producers that has long set Tebay apart from other service area provisions on the motorway network.

The programme offers a fascinating insight into the lives and work of the local Cumbrian farmers and producers who supply the farm shop with the best Cumbrian produce, such as local breed Herwick Lamb and famous Cumbrian delicacies like the Cumberland sausage and Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Some of the local artisan suppliers that feature in the programme include Pure Lake Natural Skincare in Staveley, near Kendal, (episode 3); Wild & Fruitful, based at the Lingholm Estate in Portinscale, Keswick (episode 2); Country House Marmalade producer Dalemain, near Penrith (episode 4); More? Bakery in Staveley, (episode 1); Interlude Ceramics, near Penrith (episode 2); and Wabi Sabi Restaurant in Ambleside (episode 2).

“The reaction has been really humbling,” said baker Patrick Moore of More? The Artisan Bakery, who was filmed in his Staveley bakery hand-shaping rolls for Tebay Services. Patrick said sales of his sourdough loaves and milk rolls were up 30 per cent in the Farmshop at Tebay Services.

Claire McKeever of Pure Lakes Natural Skincare, which features in episode 3 said "For us, the camera followed the journey of our partnership with Tebay and the ultimate ordering of our ‘Home Spa Bags’. We were so delighted to be chosen and featured in the programme".

Potter Mary Chappelhow from Interlude Ceramics was also taken aback by the reaction to her appearance in Episode 2. “I’ve taken a year’s worth of orders in three days,” she said. “It’s been utterly unbelievable. It’s just gone off the scale. I’m a little busy now, but it’s a good problem to have".

Chef Bing Cao, who entranced viewers with his quest to supply Tebay Services and save his Ambleside restaurant Wabi Sabi in the process, said “Last year my business was on the edge of collapse". Like so many restaurateurs, he lost his income overnight when the UK went into its first lockdown in March 2020. Now sales of his sushi boxes, ramen noodle kits and ready-to-eat gyoza dumplings have increased so quickly at Tebay Services and its sister business Rheged near Penrith that he has taken on new staff and invested in new equipment.

The four-part series broadcast on Channel 4 and the full series can be found on All 4.