Visitors are set to find festive food and drink with plenty of fizz and sparkle at the third annual Taste Cumbria Christmas festival in Cockermouth.

The event takes place on Saturday, December 9 and Sunday, December 10.

Throughout the Saturday and Sunday of festival weekend, there will be a giant producers’ market, a hot food court on Main Street with meals and snacks, and fizz and beer at the bar run by Jennings Brewery. There will also be loads of family activities and festive entertainment.

There will also be free demonstrations from some of the area’s great cooks and chefs in the Cockermouth Kitchen Company shop on Market Place, plus loads of family activities and festive entertainment.

There’s no need to book for the sessions, which take place at Cockermouth Kitchen Company in Market Place from 11am on both days, with the final demo starting at 3pm.

Signed up for this year are Rich Collingwood, from the famed Cottage in the Wood restaurant in Whinlatter Forest, and Angela Barker, from The Chocolate Cottage in Grasmere, alongside some great Cockermouth characters – Manon Plouffe, who has Wild Zucchinis Bistro in Station Street, George Cherian from the Honest Lawyer and Andy Walsh from The Coffee Kitchen and The Coffee Kitchen Bakery.

The chefs from the Trout Hotel will also be cooking up some tasty festive dishes.

George Cherian, owner and head chef at the Honest Lawyer, said: “I took part in the Taste Cumbria demonstrations for the first time at the main festival in September. It was really nerve-wracking but I loved it and couldn’t wait to get involved again for Christmas.

“I’ve got some great food planned that’s really seasonal and typical of what we serve in the restaurant. It’ll be proper winter-warming stuff.”

Festival organiser Anna Lyttle, of CN Events, says: “We’ve got everything you’d expect from a gorgeous Christmas market – from mulled wine, mince pies and Baileys hot chocolate to Christmas carols and fun festive crafts.

“And if you add that to everything that Cockermouth has to offer, with its lovely independent shops and eateries, sparkly lights through the trees and shops lit with lanterns, it’s going to be a gorgeous Christmassy weekend.

“We love bringing Taste Cumbria to Cockermouth. The town makes the perfect backdrop for a big festival and it’s great how many businesses and traders get involved.

“We reckon you should make a weekend of it – come and do all your Christmas shopping, then stay in town for dinner and a party!

“This is the third Taste Cumbria Christmas we’ve held here and the feedback has been brilliant.

“There’s no need to travel in search of a Christmas market – you have one right here on your doorstep.”

Taste Cumbria in Cockermouth has a wealth of local partners. This year, the festival is organised in association with Allerdale Borough Council and Cumbria Life.

Its main sponsors are Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth Town Council, Cockermouth Kitchen Company and The Coffee Kitchen.

For more information visit www.tastecumbria.com , email
cnevents@cnmedia.co.uk or call 01228 612000.