Signature Lake District Foods

Our area is of course renowned for its fells, waterways and literary connections. However there is also an abundance of terrific food produced in the area which our Lake District camping visitors love. Here’s a selection of our favourite Lake District foods!

Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding

Cartmel Village Shop is well renowned for their Sticky Toffee Pudding which is a classic dessert on any menu in the UK – but we like to think the recipe is perfected in Cartmel!

The Sticky Toffee Pudding is rumoured to have been created by Francis Coulson back in 1960 at his hotel, Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel, on the shores of Ullswater and is a steamed sponge pudding made with tiny chopped dates or prunes and toffee sauce covering the dessert. The sticky toffee pudding is served warm and more than often to be accompanied by vanilla ice cream or vanilla custard.

Grasmere Gingerbread 

What makes Grasmere Gingerbread the ‘worlds best Gingerbread’ is the intensely rich ginger taste with an almost shortbread like texture created by Sarah Nelson in the 1850’s in Grasmere. You will find the little Gingerbread shop small, but quaint, located next to the entrance to St Oswalds Church and in what was the old village school – it must have been pretty small if you ask us because you can only fit a couple of people at a push in this little shop! Although, saying that, we’ve yet to see the Gingerbread shop without a queue outside it all summer because the Gingerbread truly is the best. You’ve just got to try it for yourself.

Damsons

Damsons are produced in the Lake District in the orchards in both the Lyth and Winster valleys, just outside of Kendal and the town of Windermere. The well known Westmorland Damson is grown here and it’s said to have its delicious taste from the unique conditions of Westmorland (we think this is referring to the large amount of rain we get here in the Lakes!) and the pollination by the wild Bullace and Sloe. Westmorland Damsons are part of the plum family used to make the even more well known Damson gin! As well as gin, Damsons are also used to make jams, chutneys and puddings which feature on many of the Lake District menus boasting local produce.

Here are a few recipe ideas for you https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/collections/damson-recipes/

Cumberland Sausage

The Cumberland sausage is a pork sausage that is usually 50cm long and originated from the ancient county, Cumberland, which is now part of Cumbria in the Lake District.

You can buy Cumberland sausages at most large supermarkets such as ASDA, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. But, for an even better taste try a Cumberland sausage from a butchers such as Higginsons, in Grange over Sands, or even better try a Lake District pub or hotel’s Cumberland sausage and mash dish.

Kendal Mint Cake 

Kendal Mint Cake is the original energy bar and unlike other typical ‘cakes’ made from peppermint, glucose, oil and sugar. It has a thin white appearance and comes in a bar where you can break, or bite off, pieces to eat and because of the ingredients gives you an instant sugar boost!

Kendal Mint Cake’s claim to fame was when Sir Edmund Hillary and his team carried some of Romney’s very own Kendal mint cake with them on the very first successful  ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. If it’s good enough for a team of mountaineers going up the highest mountain peak on the globe it’s certainly good enough to take with you on a stroll or a mountain ascent in the Lakes – or anywhere is England for that matter.

Herdwick Hogget 

Native to the Lake District, Herdwick Lamb takes longer to mature than other breeds of lamb and tastes more similar to mutton and is tender and full of flavour. Herdwick Hogget is a favourite Lake District foods  and growing in popularity. It can be bought from Yew Tree Farm based in Coniston. the sheep grow very slowly and the lambs are usually around a year old before they are ready to be eaten which is why they are called ‘hogget’ instead of ‘lamb’.