Food & Drink in Cumberland

Food & Drink in Cumberland

As part of the wide-ranging ‘Food and Drink in Cumberland’ campaign, the Cumbria Tourism team created this resource hub to promote growth and innovation, and make your food and drink business stronger and more resilient for the future. It aims to help you not only minimise food waste and source more local produce, but also to upskill your workforce and enhance your marketing.

From small producers, family run cafes and fish and chip shops – through to fine dining restaurants, breweries and distilleries –Food & Drink in Cumberland showcased and supported the  area’s incredibly diverse food and drink sector. A multi-channel marketing campaign drove visitors to a new  campaign page on visitlakedistrict.com – Discover Food & Drink in Carlisle, The Western Lake District and Coast, with the aim of highlighting the best the area has to offer, from vibrant local markets to special places to eat.

Alongside a range of food and drink businesses from across the sector, we are now working together on a new county-wide Food & Drink Strategy to support the whole food chain from primary production through to hospitality – all aligned with Cumbria’s Destination Management Plan (DMP). 

Meet some of the food and drink champions making it happen:

Useful Resources

Nurture your food and drink talent

Nurturing and retaining talented staff is fundamental to the success of any food and drink business.

Lakes College, Carlisle College, Furness College and the Lakes School of Hospitality & Management at Kendal College offer a range of catering and hospitality apprenticeships  alongside part-time, full-time and degree-level courses.

Cumbria’s Tourism Talent Hub also enables you to advertise job vacancies for free and search a range of sector-specific training courses, including culinary skills, food preparation, food safety, food and beverage service and hospitality management to name just a few.

Other useful links

• Access local support for starting a food business including planning permission and food registration.
• Access support from the Food Standards Agency about running a food business, including food safety management and hygiene, packaging and labelling, and operational/chemical safety.
• Find out more about reducing food related carbon emissions
• Access guidance on health and safety in the workplace
• Read about Cumberland Council’s Food Cumberland Strategic Framework

Get in touch

If you’d like to find out more about the project, contact Alison Hilton at: ahilton@cumbriatourism.org