Go on a food safari this Christmas
Christmas Cumbrian food safaris have just been unveiled as a brilliant, new idea for 2008, designed to provide inspiration to those looking for something delicious and very different for the Christmas Day dinner table, wherever they live.
These special Christmas food safaris, devised by Cumbria on a Plate, stray away from the food consumer’s normal beaten track, taking keen cooks and food lovers to places they cannot normally visit under their own steam.
They open up a wonderful array of Cumbrian regional products, all made by artisan, independent food producers, that can be tasted and matched with other food choices that the food focused craftspeople themselves recommend.
Devised by Cumbrian food champion, Annette Gibbons, there are three itineraries packed with possible festive delights that would create a stir on any dinner table, anywhere in the country.
The three itineraries can also be adapted to suit the personal preferences of passengers aboard Annette’s LPG-fuelled safari-mobile and all provide opportunities to sample, buy or order for Christmas delivery.
For starters, safari-trippers could consider something like a goat’s cheese from an artisan producer such as Crofton Hall, or Wardhall Dairy. Visiting Crofton would allow them to see the cheeses in production, whilst at Wardhall they can come face to face with the goats in the barn or field, to fully grasp the field to fork message.
Alternatively, it could be an entrée of Solway shrimps, potted to a traditional family recipe, or to a new, award-winning one with a garlic twist, by Ray’s Shrimps of Silloth.
Main courses could consist of a dish based around one of Cumbria’s signature foods – Herdwick lamb, with its unique, sweet-tasting meat. On the other hand, it could be venison from Deer and Dexter, an organic goose from The Croft, near Carlisle, or a dish that uses the fabulous beef from The Croft’s herd of Longhorn cattle.
This could be accompanied by a totally different type of chutney, such as hedgerow chilli, bread and butter pickle, or wild mushroom chutney that can be sampled in the dining room of Jane Maggs - the artisan producer behind Wild and Fruitful.
Dessert might comprise a cheese with no match, such as Birdoswald Organic Farmhouse cheese, or a totally unique option like Posh Prunes, Cumbrian Frutta Cotta, or Apricots in Amaretto. Spoonfuls of these can all be devoured, (and informally approved!), at Lizzie’s Home Made – another possible safari stop-off.
This really is a try-before-you-buy Christmas extravaganza, enabling those who love to entertain to create talking points around dishes on the dinner table. Best of all, because safari passengers can hear the stories behind the product, talk to producers and see the farms, kitchens and dairies involved, the host or hostess can share their knowledge with guests, delivering even bigger wow factors during lunch or dinner!
Cumbrian food really is something to relish, having totally unique, quirky and unmatchable facets. Staying over in the Lake District is also a treat for any foodie, enabling them to see the beautiful fells and shimmering lakes, to gain an understanding of what eating the view really means.
The price of the Christmas food safari is £120 and they will be available on September 6 and 30 and October 4, 7, 8 and 30. Accommodation options are plentiful and recommendations can be offered.
To book this pre-Christmas culinary reconnoitre, e-mail annette@cumbriaonaplate.co.ukand make your Christmas dinner one to remember.
