top festive foods...
Christmas is a time for loading up your larder with sweet treats and spicy snacks. There's few places better for stockpiling your "weapons of mass consumption" than the Lake District. Combine a winter weekend with a festive forage by visiting the dozens of small independent food shops offering totally authentic locally-made food. Here's a tour of the top festive foods and where to get them.
Rum Butter
Whether it's Croissants on Christmas morning or livening up moreish Mince Pies, the deliciously thick Wilson's Cumberland Rum Butter adds a sweet-spirit kick to any snack. This golden-brown sugary paste sold in retro, cup-cake-like tubs, is a Lake District speciality. You'll find it hiding on the corners of shelves in many quaint food shops like The Honeypot in the storybook village of Hawkshead. http://www.honeypotfoods.co.uk/
Damson Gin Christmas Pudding
The Winster and Lyth valleys are home to some of England's most spectacular and productive orchards whose branches bloom snow white in Spring and hang heavy with baubles of the purple fruit by September. Damson is used to make everything from jam to gin and one of the new specialities is the Fruity Damson Gin Christmas Puddings. These are made by Cowmire Hall based at Crosthwaite on the outskirts of Kendal. It makes its ruby red liquor gin available through Fortnum and Mason's, London, and if you fancy a trip to the Lakes, you can stay at Cowmire's delightfully cosy bothy. http://www.cowmire.co.uk
Cumberland Smokey Cheddar
If you're tired of endless steamed stodge or sweet things over Christmas, spice up your water biscuits and oatcakes with a few slices of thick cheddar. The multi-award winning Lake District Cheese Company makes a range from the dairy herds feasting on the lush Lakeland grass. Try it's Cumberland Smokey for starters. If you can't find what you're looking for, head to Churchmouse Cheeses, Kirkby Lonsdale, which has a range of superbly-named products like How's Yer Father, Admiral Collingwood and Blacksticks Blue. If you're really lucky, they may even play "Little Donkey" on the in-shop Piano. http://www.lakedistrictcheesecompany.co.uk or http://www.churchmousecheeses.com
Truffles
In the busy resort of Bowness, make a beeline for Hutton's a traditional, specialist hand-made chocolate confectioners which makes claims to being "the oldest shop in the village." If you've presents on your mind, mix and match your own specially-made gift box for someone special. Alternatively, cherry pick a bag of your favourites for packing on a lakeside walk. If you're more interested in how they're made, go to Kennedys Fine Chocolates at Orton, Penrith. The tiny factory allows you to view the chocolate makers at work. Their Conservatory Coffee Shop serves divine chocolate cake with slightly warm vanilla ice cream.
http://huttonschocolates.co.uk/
Cold Cuts of Lakeland Lamb
You might never make it through the door of Yew Tree Farm due to being struck by the awesomeness of its setting. Inside you'll find a farmhouse once owned by Beatrix Potter, now providing locally made jams and relishes. Its real industry though is it's 600-acre farm, specialising in prime cuts of its free-roaming Herdwick Lamb, perfect with roasties and sprigs of Rosemary. Alternatively, bag a tender beef joint from its Belted Galloway cattle (cows with black belts). If you can't visit in person don't worry, they now deliver anywhere in the UK. www.yewtree-farm.com / www.heritagemeats.co.uk
Chutneys
The Hawkshead Relish company really knows how to "do" Christmas with its festively-named lines of products. Try it's gingery Boxing Day Chutney with Turkey sandwiches or coat your crackers with Michaelmass relish. For those that like to keep out the winter with something hot, try it's decadent Chocolate Chilli Fudge. You can wash it down with some Lakeland Lager or, at 4.9%, Brodie's Prime real ale, named after Alex Brodie, the ex BBC man now behind the pumps of the Hawkshead Brewery. For festive snacks, try its cross between piccalli and chilli - Chillilillli. Alternatively, prepare your Turkey Curry with a dollop of its Orange and Red Onion Marmalade to give it extra zang, or reinvigorate your "pigs in blankets" with its Hot Garlic Pickle. http://www.hawksheadrelish.com
Ginger Bakers
When she's not collecting food awards,Lisa Smith makes a range of cakes, bakes and Brownies There's no shop to visit but she supplies the likes of local coffee shops, retailers and Deli's. You can order online too. All the products are gluten free and she uses the freshest ingredients, organic and locally sourced where possible and always free range eggs. Try the luxury 1lb loaf fruit cake for £6 - shining with brandy and topped with glistening fruits and nuts. http://www.gingerbakers.co.uk
Kop Kops and Kola Kubes
Forget your over-priced Supermarket selection boxes re-packaging treats you can buy anywhere 365 days a year. Instead, fill your Christmas stockings with a range of "retro" sweets. The Lake District is still home to a few traditional sweet shops with jar-lined walls, brown paper bags and Euro-sceptic shop keepers still happy to measure out in quarters instead of kilos. Try Kola Kubes, Pear Drops, Sherbet Lemons, Kop Kops or Rhubarb and Custard. Try the Sweet Shop in Kirkby Lonsdale (015242 71570), Morgan's in Cockermouth (01900 826427) and the Green Door Sweet Shop in Sedbergh www.thegreendoorsweetshop.co.uk . Fill your lungs with the sweet aroma of pipe tobacco - safely wrapped in its packaging, of course.
Festive Fizz
Pick up your Christmas Day plonk at Organico - a state of the art wine house tucked away in the Staveley Mill Yard offering over 200 organic wines. Run by the Jackson family - Peter, Sue and son Chris - the store is like stepping into a vineyard with its grapes, soft wood and rustic presentation. There's a resident Sommelier on hand to help you find your way around its shelves and explain its special cases. For Christmas, pick up a bottle of its 1996 Champagne Vintage for £41 from the Fleury vineyard or at the other end of the price range its £19.95 for an effervescent Champagne Premier Cru Brut. http://www.organi.co.uk
Holker Hall Christmas Hamper
Head to historic Holker Hall - country seat of Lord and Lady Cavendish - home to 17,000 acres of estate and carefully-cultivated courtyard. The estate has blazing braziers on special Christmas weekends and is decorated by London's European Designer Christmas Company, Gisela Graham, with twilight illuminations. As well as its deer-roaming parkland, gardens and the mansion itself to explore, there's a gift shop and fantastic Food Hall. This is the place to snap up unique treats like rich Christmas Coffees and quality Christmas Hampers. http://www.holker.co.uk
