A delicious dozen in the South Lakes

The South Lakes, in beautiful Cumbria, has created a Delicious Dozen Food Trail to further feed the boom it’s experiencing in self-catering holidays, thought to be down to the wow factor derived from the area’s excellent local produce.

Tourists catering for themselves in cottages, camp-sites, camping barns and converted farm buildings are not just eating the view, but gorging on it, tucking into meals comprising fresh foods from the fells, delicious delights from the hedgerow and perfect picnics made up of tasty treats from tarn and tree.

The South Lakes Tourism Group has responded to a demand for food-focused information, by putting together a Delicious Dozen Food Trail, encompassing some of the must-do eats for those wandering around Windermere, hiking through Hawkshead, or ambling through Ambleside.

THE SOUTH LAKES DELICIOUS DOZEN FOOD TRAIL

1. PLUMGARTHS FARM SHOP AND LAKELANDS FOOD PARK
Crook Road, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 8QJ

Plumgarths is home to some award-winning Cumberland sausage, as well as other sausage stars – its pork and Old English varieties. Visitors can also sample its pork and apple burgers, its lemon and pepper pork loin and fresh venison steaks and roasts.

Plumgarths provide an all year round supply of quality beef and lamb, from animals naturally grazed on the salt marsh around Morecambe Bay, which gives the meat a beautifully delicate flavour. This meat is sold through the shop, officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales, where the world-famous Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding can also be purchased.

2. HAWKSHEAD RELISH COMPANY – HAWKSHEAD VILLAGE
The Square, Hawkshead, LA22 0NZ

Those holidaying in the South Lakes should not miss the opportunity to visit the Hawkshead Relish Company’s shop in Hawkshead, to the west of Windermere. Chutneys such as damson, apple, date and damson, rhubarb, Westmorland, beetroot and radish and honey mustard are simply a must.

The top choice is the Westmorland Chutney, delicious with cold meats, cheeses or dishes like Shepherd’s Pie. If chutney’s not your thing, you can instead plump for honey and fruit curds, mustards, jams and marmalades, pickled damsons or brandy butter.

3. HAWKSHEAD BREWERY, STAVELEY
Staveley Mill Yard, Staveley, LA8 9LR

The Hawkshead Brewery is a craft brewery, beside the River Kent at Staveley, at the foot of the Kentmere Valley. It has a visitor centre, sampling room and beer shop and produces some excellent tipples, usually having five available at any one time.

With a choice of the bitter–sweet, malty and spicy Hawkshead Red, the complex Lakeland Gold, the dark, malty Brodies Prime, the pale Hawkshead Bitter, or the dry, light and fruity Ulverston Pale Ale, those wanting to sup a good pint will not be disappointed. Bottled beers are also produced and brewery tours are available 12-3pm on Saturdays.

Various Lakeland hostelries also serve this local brew, including the Tower Bank Arms and Sawrey Hotel, near Beatrix Potter’s former home of Hill Top, and the White Lion in the popular tourist village of Ambleside.

4. HAWKSHEAD ORGANIC LAKE TROUT
Hawkshead Trout Farm, Riding Wood, Ambleside, Hawkshead, Cumbria, LA22 0QF

Hawkshead Trout Farm has pioneered an organic Lake Trout, grown to the high standards certified by the Soil Association, in Esthwaite Water, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an important wetland.

Lake Trout can be bought at the lakeside shop, along with hot smoked fillets of trout.

5. SARAH NELSON’S GRASMERE GINGERBREAD SHOP
Next to St Oswald’s Churchyard, next to the Wordsworth Hotel, Grasmere

In a building dating back to 1630, Sarah Nelson’s Grasmere Gingerbread Shop produce world-famous gingerbread – a Lakeland delicacy that simply has to be sampled. Its past customers include Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Alan Whicker and Coronation Street’s Anne Kirkbride (Deirdre Barlow), all of whom have sampled the delicious gingerbread, made to a secret recipe, using traditional methods.

A trip into the Churchyard next door will also allow tourists to visit the graves of famous Lakeland poet, William Wordsworth, and his family.

6. LUCY’S SPECIALIST GROCERS, AMBLESIDE
Church Street, Ambleside, LA22 0BU

Lucy’s exquisite delicatessen, café and restaurant are a food lover’s paradise, with everything from pastries, puddings and pickles, to raspberry jam with kirsch, on offer for the discerning cook.

The shop specialises in stocking produce from around Cumbria and the shelves are packed with very different types of food for those wishing to experience the true taste of Cumbria.

Ambleside is the starting point for many excursions, walks, drives and cycle rides and Lucy’s can provide plenty of choices for the rucksack, picnic hamper or saddle bag. The famous Bridge House, over Stock Beck, is also just a few minutes walk away.

7. STAFF OF LIFE, KENDAL
2 Berry’s Yard, Kendal

The aroma of baking bread wafting on the breeze usually signals your imminent arrival at the door of the Staff of Life bakers, in the ancient market town of Kendal. Here, they bake real bread, not the mass manufactured stuff, and they certainly know how to make it, offering customers hand-made breads based on Italian recipes, using organic flours and olive oil, plus lots of time and passion.

The Staff of Life generously allows customers to sample before they buy, but it could take a long time, with everything from seed bread, chocolate bread and olive bread, to pesto, pistachio and walnut and raisin. Those who are in self-catering accommodation around Kendal, can even have it delivered to their door!

With lots to see and do in Kendal, from the Quaker Tapestry, to the Museum of Lakeland Life, and from shopping centres to the Kendal Parish Church, steeped in history, a bread-stop here makes perfect sense.

8. 1657 CHOCOLATE HOUSE, KENDAL
54 Branthwaite Brow, Kendal, LA9 4TX

Customers can step back in time as they enter this building, believed to date back to the 1630s, on the cobbled street of Branthwaite Brow. The staff have an air of Nell Gwynne about them, dressed in period costume and serving speciality drinks and dishes with names from her era.

Their role in life revolves around temptation, as they ply you with all things chocolate – handmade chocolates, hand-ribboned gift chocolates, 18 speciality chocolate drinks, 14 handmade chocolate gateaux and the 1657 Chocolate Fondue Feast.

A Chocolate Loft takes the visitor through the history of chocolate, if they wish to enjoy this video, whilst others can opt to dip their own chocolates. With truffles, cerisettes, pralines, violet and rose creams, marzipan, liqueur loaded, gluten free and no-sugar options, there is something for pretty much everyone, not just chocaholics! Just don’t forget to try the "World’s Best Fudge".

9. STRAWBERRY BANK LIQUEURS LTD, KENDAL

The unique taste of Strawberry Bank’s damson gin is one that gin lovers will relish, whether they drink it neat, or add tonic and ice. This wonderful drink is produced from damson juice and cane sugar, the damsons coming from the famous Lyth Valley, which celebrates its own Damson Day, every Spring.

Other options from Strawberry Bank are Blackberry Gin, Strawberry Vodka, Sloe Gin and Blackberry Liqueur, any of which can make an evening tipple go down a treat.

To buy these, you can visit Plumgarths, on the Crook Road, Kendal, or Cumbria Foods, in Grasmere.

10. LOW SIZERGH BARN, NR KENDAL
A591, Sizergh, near Kendal, LA8 8AE

One of the best times to visit Low Sizergh Barn is around 3.45 when the cows come in for milking, to be watched by visitors sitting in the gallery in the tea-room, or in a position to watch the cow-cam. This highlights exactly why Low Sizergh Barn is so popular, selling only fresh farm foods, straight from its own farm-land, fruit orchards or vegetable patches.

Low Sizergh Barn’s award-winning cheese counter offers a wide variety of choice, including the farm’s own Kendal Creamy, Kendal Crumbly and Kendal Crumbly with Red Onion. Its organic eggs have been used in a taste test by Rick Stein and its vegetables are clearly a mark above any found in supermarkets, wheeled daily to the door by wheelbarrow.

The good news for self-caterers is that this former UK Farm Retailer of the Year is now selling its own ready meals to be taken home and popped in the oven whilst you sip damson gin, breathing in the fresh Cumbrian air.

11. CHURCHMOUSE CHEESES,
4 Market Street, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, LA6

Cheese lovers will not be able to resist this cheese specialist and winner of the title of 'Best Independent Cheese Shop in the North of England and Scotland 2007', with its superb selection of local, British and Continental cheeses. Its range boasts 18 blended cheeses, 16 blue cheeses, eight Cumbrian cheeses, 13 goats cheeses and 71 vegetarian – not to mention all the Continental, Scottish, Welsh, sheep’s, Irish and other British choices.

Names such as Croglin – rich, sweet ewe’s milk cheese with a nutty rind, and Crofton, an unpasteurised semi soft mix of vegetarian cows and goats milk, add intrigue to the cheese buying process. Variety certainly is the spice of life here, with new taste options including white stilton with mushrooms and garlic, or with mango and ginger.

At the rear of the shop, tourists can also visit the famous Ruskin’s View, near to St Mary’s Church.

12. MANSERGH HALL FARM SHOP, NEAR KIRKBY LONSDALE
Mansergh Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale, LA6 2EN

Mansergh Hall’s organic lamb has been described as the "tenderest lamb you’re every likely to eat" (Sunday Times, 2005), but this organic farm, located two miles North of Kirkby Lonsdale, in the beautiful Lune Valley, is also a producer of fabulous beef, bacon and gammon.

Its sausages are equally delicious, the best-selling variety, Granny’s Recipe, being made to an 1800s recipe handed down in the family.

The farm shop is open from Tuesday to Friday, and on Saturday from 9-1.30pm, giving lots of opportunity for foodies to pick up some lamb and test out the braised shoulder of Mansergh Lamb recipe that the Hadwin family have created.