Renowned Local Produce

Cumbria is a region blessed with rich local produce. Its outstanding natural beauty combined with its passionate and proud folk has created, in terms of food, produce that is distinctly Cumbrian and always fresh. The county is perhaps most famous for its various meat products, such as the long, spiralling Cumberland sausage, Air Dried Cumbrian Ham, and the Penrith Pepper-pot sausage. However, the region is also home to such delicacies as rum butter; Grasmere gingerbread; the staple food found in all mountaineers’ backpacks, the Kendal mint cake; and wine, jams and chutneys made from damsons grown in the area. Find some time to visit Cranston’s Butchers in Penrith (information is below) for a good selection of Cumbrian pleasures.

Chef & Catering Services

Lynn Hilditch
Lynn Hilditch provides delicious home-cooked Cumbrian specialities straight from her kitchen. Lynn prepares her meals at home and then comes with her team to the property to serve, clean up afterwards and leave you relaxing in the dining room. Guest reviews following her meals have been absolutely great, as seen on Trip Advisor.
01768 840 923 / 07775733608 | lynnhilditchcatering.co.uk | [email protected]

Sarah Ecroyd Catering
As a specialist events and wedding caterer in the Penrith and Eden Valley area, Sara Ecroyd believes that food should ‘speak’ of this place and as such her menus include many local and seasonal ingredients celebrating the Cumbrian countryside.
016974 72591 | [email protected]

Purple Sage
Whether it’s a sophisticated luxury banquet for that dream wedding, simple good food for a party or event, or speciality items such as a hog roast, Purple Sage Catering provides a unique service using local producers, suppliers and home-grown seasonal produce.
01768 895 555 | www.catering4cumbria.co.uk

Dineindulge
A unique & truly special private chef experience brought direct to you. Combining a personal chef hire service with restaurant-quality cuisine, Dineindulge is designed to be affordable, accessible & simple to book for anyone.
www.dineindulge.co.uk/?ref_code=KATETOMS

Great Places to Eat & Drink

Nearest pubs

Queens Head Inn
Nestled deep in the mountains that surround the hamlet of Howtown, this pub is extremely welcoming and wonderfully old-fashioned. Lots of drinks and great food to choose from.
Tirril, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2JF
01768 863219

Pubs

The Sun Inn
A family-run, Lake District pub serving fantastic food and award-winning ales. With a cosy fireplace, large beer garden and children’s play area.
Pooley Bridge, Cumbria, CA10 2NN
017684 86205 | www.suninnpooleybridge.co.uk

Yanwath Gate Inn
01768862386 – “Good Pub Guide” Award Winner; “Top Dining Pub”
listed; specialising in free-range, organic, local produce. Three locally brewed Cumbrian ales on
tap. Situated on the A5320 to Penrith. Booking advised.

Crown Inn
Situated on the banks of the River Eamont. Spectacular outdoor terrace with views over the Lakeland, and featuring a great bar and restuarant.
Pooley Bridge, Penrith CA10 2NP
017684 25869 | www.thwaites.co.uk/hotels-and-inns/inns/crown-at-pooley-bridge

Pooley Bridge Inn
This wonderful inn is located in the centre of the pretty little village of Pooley Bridge only moments away from Ullswater. With echoes of a friendly alpine tavern, this well-loved pub provides great wholesome fresh food, fine ales, wines and spirits, as well as soft drinks, quality teas and coffees in abundance.
Pooley Bridge, Ullswater, Cumbria CA10 2NN
017684 86215 | www.pooleybridgeinn.co.uk

1863 Bar & Bistro
A good selection of beers, wines and spirits. 1863 is passionate about their ‘beers of the month’. Mark works with a number of local breweries to showcase some of the region’s finest unsung beer heroes. 1863 has a changing menu of local seasonal food.
Elm House, High Street, Pooley Bridge, Cumbria, CA10 2NH
017684 86334 | www.1863ullswater.co.uk

Highland Drove
Awarded the ‘Cumbria Dining Pub of the Year’ numerous times by the Good Pub Guide, the Highland Drove is an excellent gastropub run by father and son team Donald and Paul Newton. Inside waiting for you are cushioned chairs, roaring fires and a splendid dining area; expect on the menu inventive repasts such as venison curry, olive mash, and pork rillettes with sage mayonnaise.Combine these elements with glorious views of the Eden Valley and the Penines, and you have the perfect pub.
Great Salkeld, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 9NA
01768 898349

Yanwath Gate Inn
A delightful 17th century inn which has a reputation for serving delicious food and providing first-rate service. As you walk inside you’d be forgiven for thinking you have stepped a few centuries back in time: an attractive stone inglenook hides in the corner, and thick, low-beamed ceilings, solid oak and pine furniture and walls give an effortlessly traditional and cosy feel to the place, while an impressive array of local ales, wines, and malt whiskies has something for everyone. The menu changes regularly, but expect things like Wild Mallard Breast with dauphinoise potatoes with a roast garlic and herb jus or Pork Loin steak and cider cream sauce.
Yanwath, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2LF
01768 862386

George and Dragon
A meticulously refurbished, 18th century coaching inn which has kept its Georgian flare, the George and Dragon is another fine gastropub within driving distance of The Long House & Cottages. Serving excellent seasonal food, much of the produce is sourced either from the owners’ gardens at Askham Hall, or local farmers which reside on the family’s estate.
Clifton, Penrith CA10 2ER
01768 865381

The Drunken Duck Inn
Widely considered the one of the best pubs in the Lake District, The Drunken Duck is as close to fine dining a pub can get. Serving up delights like pork shoulder with truffle braised celery and stocking a superb selection of local ales, it is common for tables to be booked up weeks in advance, so we advise you act soon.
Barngates, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0NG
015394 36347

Punchbowl Inn
Askham, Penrith
CA10 2PF
01931712443 – traditional old pub with open fires and fresh home-
made meals from locally sourced ingredients.

Restaurants

Our top recommendations for restaurants are below. We would advise you to ring up in advance to book tables as many of them can get very busy.

Four & Twenty
This wonderful, newly-opened restaurant is already the talk of the town, and is a firm favourite for locals and visitors alike. Four & Twenty like to keep their menus fresh, and so regularly change them to accommodate new tastes and changing seasons. All the food is prepared and cooked on the day, and tastes exquisite. Accompanied with an excellent selection of wine or beers, you’d be hard done by to fault this place. Be sure to book a table in advance.
42 King Street, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7AY
01768 210 231

The Restaurant and Bar
A family-friendly restaurant, bedecked with timber beams and roaring fireplaces, The Restaurant and Bar serves up mouth-watering local cuisine, from the Penrith sausage to the more exotic dried Cumbrian ham. All the fruit and vegetables are from the local green grocers, as are the meats and dairy products. The Restaurant also offers a wide range of children’s meals that will keep even the fussiest of eaters happy.
Ullswater Road, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 8QT
01768 868 111

Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel
Recognised as one the best restaurants in the North, Holbeck Ghyll is the epitome of fine dining. Head chef David McLaughlin has been awarded the coveted Michelin star for 13 consecutive years, and prides himself on delivering only the best dishes from the local produce which arrives daily. Holbeck Ghyll can also accommodate family celebrations and private parties; if desired, it is possible to book one of their lovely private dining rooms.
Holbeck Lane, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1LU
01539 432375 | www.holbeckghyll.com

Sharrow Bay
If you fancy a splurge, then Sharrow Bay is worth a visit – like Holbeck Ghyll, it is widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in the Lake District. The Michelin-star Sharrow Bay is an opulent affair that offers stunning views of Ullswater and the surrounding mountains. Head chefs Colin Akrigg and Mark Teasdale develop their lunch time and evening menus with the freshest of local ingredients, and welcome those who just want a morning coffee, or those wishing to try a wine from their 700-strong list.
Lake Ullswater, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 2LZ
01768 486301 | www.sharrowbay.co.uk

Askham Hall
Booking essential; set 3 and 5 course meals for groups.
Askham, Penrith, CA10 2PF
01931 712350

Woodstone Pizza & Flame Grill Restaurant
If, after a long day of walking, all you desire is a tasty slice of pizza, then Woodstone’s is a friendly restaurant that makes traditional stone-baked pizzas from scratch with a variety of toppings and sauces.
St. Johns Street, Keswick, Cumbria, CA 12 5AS
01768 773523

Best Takeaways

Thai Food Café
22/23 Devonshire Arcade, Penrith CA11 7SX
01768 840043

Indiagate
11a Burrowgate Penrith CA11 7TE
01768 210 020

Angel Lane Chippie
17 Angel Lane, Penrith CA11 7BP
01768 866 762

Royal Lake
Chinese takeaway.
5 Sandgate, Penrith CA11 7TP
01768 891 725

Shopping for Food

Best local supermarkets

Booths
Westgate House, Brunswick Road, Penrith CA11 7JU
01768 890 666

Sainsbury’s
1 Common Garden Square, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 7FG
01768 245 800

Butchers

Cranstons
Winners of the ‘Best Cumbrian Food Retailer 2014’ by Cumbria Life Magazine, and winners of the ‘National Butcher of the Year’ at the 2014 Deli and Farmshop Awards, its nigh on impossible to find a better butchers in the UK. Cranstons also has a food hall that stores all the best local fruit and veg, freshly baked pies, cooked meats and cheeses.
Ullswater Road Penrith CA11 7EH
01768 868 680

Cocklakes Farm Shop
Butchery, fresh local produce, café, trout fishing lake. On the A66
towards Keswick.
Cocklakes House, Penrith, CA11 0SG

Bakery

Grahams
Well-known artisan bakery and deli in original 1880 shop in town centre;
hampers made to order.
6-7 Market Square,
Penrith
CA11 7BS

Wine Merchant

The Wine House
22 Devonshire Street, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 7SU
01768 862 337