cumbria's salt marsh haven...

Cumbria is lucky to be the home of several superb salt marshes. In the south of the county, they run alongside Morecambe Bay, and in the north west of the county alongside the Solway Firth.

For many years, the sweet, tender and distinctly flavoured meat of lambs grazed on coastal salt marshes has been regarded as a fine delicacy, particularly in France. In recent years, the product has become increasingly popular among discerning food lovers throughout the UK. Cumbrian Salt Marsh lamb is also gaining in popularity. Two Cumbrian producers, Richard Irving and Mike Waning of Anthorn Farm on the shores of the Solway, have been given the Crantons Summer 2008 quality award.

Cranstons are one of Cumbria's leading quality butchers with a food hall in Penrith and several small village butchers shops. Anthorn Salt Marsh Lamb was introduced into the Cranstons Cumbrian stores last year and proved a fantastic success among both local and visiting customers eager to sample this special delicacy for themselves.

Holker Hall has several tenant farmers who regularly graze their sheep on the salt marshes in the south of the county and this speciality lamb is available in the Holker Food Hall. There is easy access for the public to the salt marshes at Grange and when the tide is out you can see for yourself what food the lambs have to eat or even pick wild samphire when it's in season. Now is the time to buy salt marsh lamb as the new season lamb starts to become available.

Content and photography supplied by www.artisan-food.com/, funded by Distinctly Cumbrian.