following the cumbrian food trails...
Foot and mouth hit Cumbria hard in 2001, but some good things did come out of the ordeal. One was a series of really good themed Food Trail brochures produced by and EU/DEFRA funded organisation called Leader + (there were also some produced about crafts). These publications introduce various food specialities that Cumbria has to offer, and are a very good guide for visitors. If, for example, you are interested in local ales, the Ale Trail brochure will give you a great overview of producers, tastes and methods. The Food Trails were written a few years ago, so do not cover the latest developments, such as new microbreweries, but they are a good starting point for your explorations of Cumbrian food. The brochures can be obtained at Tourist Information Centres and other places catering for visitors, some are available as PDF's from this page. This is an overview of what the brochures cover:
Milk Matters
This brochure explains the history of dairy production in Cumbria and includes sections on milk, butter, cheese and ice cream, with information about local producers.
The Water District
Learn all about how water influences our region, including a section on Cumbrian fish, as well as one covering Cumbrian spring water.
Fell Sheep
If you are interested in understanding the very special ways of sheep farming in the mountainous Cumbrian terrain, you can read all about it here, including descriptions on the three main sheep breeds, Herdwick, Rough Fell and Swaledale.
A Taste of Honey
There is a long tradition of bee-keeping in Cumbria and the brochure includes a listing of where you can see historic bee shelters in walls and other structures around the county as well as current bee-keepers.
Sausage Secrets
The focus here is of course on the traditional Cumberland sausage and on how it's made. Includes a list of top sausage producing butchers.
Apple Appeal
"Britain has the largest heritage of apples in the world" begins the text, and goes on to describe Cumbria's part in its history. You will find a list of the many orchards you can visit plus the Apple events happening locally.
Organic Origins
What does organic really mean? The brochure teaches you the basics and also takes you to meet the organic farms and farm shops in the region.
The Ale Trail
In Cumbria there are 24 microbreweries (and counting). Discover how they make their fresh ales and where you can find them all.
Damson Valleys
Learn about all things damsons - how they are grown, how to cook them and where you can partake of this wonderful fruit locally. The brochure also includes a Lyth Valley damson walk.
Content and photography supplied by www.artisan-food.com
