easter goodies...

Easter is an exciting time in Cumbria, and this year it looks like it will coincide with the peak of spring, with daffodils and many fruit blossoms at their very best. This year it is also 100 years since Beatrix Potter published her final tale about Peter Rabbit, and in celebration, the world's biggest Easter egg hunt will take place, starting on April 8th and lasting until all the eggs - spread over 2,600 square miles - have been found (more info here).

If you'd prefer a more direct route to your Easter goodies, there are many fine chocolatiers in Cumbria to choose from. Whatever town you visit (and many villages) you will most probably find a purveyor of hand made chocolates. Below are some of the top makers.

Kennedys in Orton is a small family chocolate company, which today makes more than 100 varieties, including various Easter eggs. To get your hands on one, visit the shop in Orton, which also has a coffee house, with a viewing window overlooking the factory. The Three Chocolatiers are an award winning family business specialising in what they call "the Incredible Unforgettable Chocolate Experience." They provide personal services for weddings, celebrations and corporate functions. If you visit one of the Cumbrian food festivals, you will most likely see, and be able to sample, their wonderful chocolate fountain. Saunders Chocolates started in 2003 and is based at Rheged, where you can see the chocolates being made as well as buy them from the shop. The imaginative flavour combinations that Bob and Jane Cullen have come up with include orange and cardamom, black currant and chilli, sultana in spiced rum and strawberry and white pepper. The 1657 Chocolate House in Kendal is a chocolate maker as well as a shop and tea room (well, chocolate room really), where you can partake of a very wide variety of hot chocolates and chocolate gateaux. They also have an online interactive service where you can make your own chocolate box.

Content and photography supplied by www.artisan-food.com