local food ambassador tells it all...
On March 18, Annette Gibbons, local tv cook and organiser of Cumbrian Food Safaris, gives visitors a chance to learn about Cumbrian food producers, taste their foods and meet them in person. The Cumbria on a Plate evening is held at the Great Salkeld Village Hall near Penrith.
Annette has written the book Cumbria on a Plate, in which she visits and writes about many of the county's artisan food producers. It also contains a recipe section with traditional as well as some of Annette's own Cumbrian dishes. Thanks to her unique knowledge of, indeed friendship with, so many Cumbrian producers, Annette is perfectly placed to take visitors on food tours. Her Food Safaris last a day, during which participants can see, taste, and if they like, buy anything from a pad of farmhouse butter to a rib roast of Longhorn beef.
When asked which food producers are her favourites, she finds it hard to say. "How could I ever choose between our wonderful artisan food producers? They are all committed to their products and their environment. But I would mention Jane Maggs at Wild and Fruitful, who takes local fruit in season to make jams, jellies and chutneys, made with creativity and panache. Also, at Slack House Farm, only 60 kilo of Birdoswald Cheese is made each week from fresh organic milk produced by a closed Ayrshire herd. Both these products give us real flavour in this plasticized world!"
The Cumbria on a Plate evening is on Wednesday, March 18 at 7.30 pm, and is organised in aid of village hall refurbishment fund. Tickets cost £10, which includes a glass of wine.
Content and photography supplied by www.artisan-food.com
