Taste Cumbria Cockermouth
Shorter but very sweet – Taste Cumbria was a huge success
Returns - Saturday September 2024
The weather may have cut the Taste Cumbria in Cockermouth short but there was no shortage of fun and food this weekend – and it even attracted one of the UK’s favourite actors.
Dr Who star David Tennant and his actress wife Georgia were spotted enjoying the entertainment and browsing the stalls on a family day out.
But it was the stallholders and town businesses who were the real stars of the show on Saturday. When the Taste Cumbria organisers, Cumberland Council, were forced to cancel the Sunday of the event due to forecasts of high winds, they still came out in force – with many selling out by the end of the day.
The Yolker sold 500 Scotch eggs before 1pm, Jeni’s Brownies cleared more than 1,000 brownies and blondies, while the Food From The Fells team in the hot food court sold everything they cooked in just four hours.
Taste Cumbria is all about bringing free fun and entertainment to thousands of visitors so there was walkabout street theatre, a feisty fire eater, children’s crafts and fairground rides. There was acoustic music on Main Street and Market Place, as well as on stage in the festival marquee.
This year’s Taste Cumbria also included a Supper Club, held at Cockermouth Cricket Club with a menu created by Alec Anderson of Takeaway@Home, and a Cocktail Masterclass at Cockermouth Kitchen Co with the mixology expertise of Connor Errington from Cumbria Distilling Co.
The town’s businesses were reaping the rewards too. Andy Walsh of The Coffee Kitchen Bakery launched his shop’s own brand of coffee at the weekend, as well as selling huge amounts of bread, scones and cake. He said: “We had an amazing weekend both in the shop and on the stall in Market Place. The atmosphere in Market Place and all around the town was incredible.”
Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, added: “We were so disappointed to have to cancel Sunday’s festival but with forecasts of gusty winds exceeding 40 miles an hour, we had to keep our contractors, staff and visitors safe. I am really pleased to see the event was such a brilliant success – thank you to everyone who supported it.”
These events couldn’t happen without the festival’s sponsors and supporters. Taste Cumbria is organised by Cumberland Council and supported by Cockermouth Town Council, The Coffee Kitchen Bakery, Milburns Solicitors, Strolling4Shoes, Tractor Shed Brewing, Takeaway@Home, Cockermouth Cricket Club, Cumbria Distilling Co, Cockermouth Kitchen Company, Lloyd BMW, Rock With and Newsquest Cumbria.
Preparations are now being made for Taste Cumbria Christmas in Cockermouth on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December 2022. Follow Taste Cumbria on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.
TRADERS: YOU WILL BE RECEIVING AN EMAIL TONIGHT (THURSDAY) WITH NEW ARRANGEMENTS FOR LEAVING THE FESTIVAL AT THE END OF THE DAY ON SATURDAY.
It’s a date fixed in every food lover’s calendar – the flagship Taste Cumbria festival is back in Cockermouth on Saturday 23 September 2023.
A great range of attractions are on the menu, giving visitors the chance to eat, drink and explore.
There will be all the things you’ve come to expect from the biggest Taste Cumbria event which has been a firm favourite in the county’s event calendar since 2010. It was created to keep Cockermouth on the map following massive floods which devastated the town centre.
Here’s a taste of the fabulous festival line-up – all of this is FREE to attend and details of two ticketed events – a Supper Club and Cocktail Masterclass – are below.
- Stalls
- Street party on Market Place
- Drinks tent and outdoor picnic area with live music all weekend
- Hot food court
- The demo stage with some great local chefs
- Fairground rides
- Children’s activities
Images copyright Tom Kay Photographic. phototom@gmail.com
The September 2022 Festival Fast Guide
Saturday 24th September
10:00am – 5:00pm – Main Street – Producers’ Market
10:00am onwards – Market Place – Street Party
10:00am – 8:00pm – Memorial Gardens Car Park – Tractor Shed Brewing Bar, Kindred Spirit Cocktails and Hot Food Court with live music
10:00am – 8:00pm – Memorial Gardens – fairground rides
10:00am – 5:00pm – The Vicky, High Sand Lane – children’s activities with Rainbow Wishes Foundation
6:00pm – Quiz Night with Steffen Peddie
6:00pm – Supper Club @Cockermouth Cricket Club
Sunday 25th September
10:00am – 4:00pm – Main Street – Producers’ Market
10:00am – onwards – Market Place – Street Party
10:00am – 4:00pm – Memorial Gardens – Tractor Shed Brewing Bar, Kindred Spirit Cocktails and Hot Food Court with live music
10:00am – 4:00pm – Memorial Gardens – fairground rides
10:00am – 4:00pm – The Vicky, High Sand Lane – children’s activities with Rainbow Wishes Foundation
The Taste Cumbria Demonstration Stage, September 2022
Saturday 24th September
11am – 11:30am – Peter Sidwell – TV chef, author and presenter
12pm – 12:30pm – Daniel Winstanley – development chef English Lakes Hotels
1pm – 1:30pm – Jon Fell – executive chef, Osprey Inns
2pm – 2:30pm – Peter Sidwell – TV chef, author and presenter
3pm – 3:30pm – Victor Nwosu of Wiga Wagaa – creative chilli specialist
4pm – 4:30pm – Cumbria Distilling Co. – cocktail specialists & creators of Carlisle Gin
Sunday 25th September
11am – 11:30am – John Crouch – Wigton’s demonstration chef
12:00 – 12:30pm – Peter Sidwell – TV chef, author and presenter
1pm – 1:30pm – Irini Tzortzoglou – winner of MasterChef 2019
2pm – 2:30pm – Jon Fell – executive chef, Osprey Inns
3pm – 3:30pm – Daniel Winstanley – development chef English Lakes Hotels
Fairground & Live Music
Wakefield Road Car Park will have Wilmotts Fairground rides, hot food court, picnic area, Tractor Shed drinks tent, live music stage and cocktail van. See music times below:
Saturday 24th September
11am – 12pm – Chelsea Reynolds
12:30pm – 1:30pm – Pecker
2pm – 3pm – Logan Paul Murphy
3:30pm – 4:30pm – Gary Jackson
5pm – 6pm – Mojo Rising
Sunday 25th September
12pm – 1pm – Chelsea Reynolds
1:30pm – 2:30pm – Phil Lewthwaite
3pm – 4pm – The Mustangz
Children’s Activities, September 2022
There’s always fun for all the family at Taste Cumbria in Cockermouth.
All day on Saturday and Sunday, The Vicky shared workspace on High Sand Lane (down the side of The New Bookshop) will host foodie crafts and games with Rainbow Wishes Foundation.
Then, over on Memorial Gardens Car Park, next to the Tractor Shed Drinks in the Festival Marquee and Hot Food Court, there will be fairground rides from Wilmotts Funfair, and there will be crazy street theatre all around the town.
Childrens’ crafts, dressing up and games with Rainbow Wishes Foundation
FREE
The Vicky, High Sand Lane – down the side of The New Bookshop, look for the red door
Street theatre, September 2022
FREE
All around the town
Fairground rides with
Willmotts Funfair, September 2022
Memorial Gardens Car Park
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 September – 11am – 4pm
Steffen Peddie
The Tasty Quiz, September 2022
Hosted by star of the stand-up comedy circuit & BBC Radio presenter Steffen Peddie. Get your team together! The winning team will take home a local food & drink hamper!
Location – Christ Church, Sullart Street, Cockermouth
Chef Alec
Supper Club with Chef Alec Anderson
Includes a welcome drink on arrival, a three course meal and a gift to take home. The bar will be open to buy additional drinks.
Location – Cockermouth Cricket Club
Cocktail Masterclass
with Cumbria Distilling Co.
Learn to make four fabulous cocktails with the expert team from Cumbria Distilling Co. Learn the tips of the trade in this hands-on masterclass – and drink your tasty creations too!
Location – Cockermouth Kitchen Company, Market Place
Live music @ the Acoustic Stage, Market Place, September 2022
Acoustic music corner with local acts sourced by ‘Rock With’. See times below:
Saturday 24th September
11am – Ella Grayce
12pm – Ryan Davidson
1pm – Alex Freitas
2pm – Phil Lewthwaite
3pm – Rina
Sunday 25th September
12pm – Ella Grayce
1pm – Alex Freitas
2pm – Ryan Davidson
3pm – Joe Lush
Live music @ the Festival Marquee, Memorial Gardens Car Park, September 2022
Saturday 24th September
11:00am – Chelsea Reynolds
12:30pm – Pecker
2:00pm – Logan Paul Murphy, The Beatles Boy
3:30pm – Gary Jackson
5:00pm – Peter Wilson
6.30pm – Harry Stephenson
Sunday 25th September
12:00pm – Chelsea Reynolds
1:30pm – Phil Lewthwaite
3:00pm – The Mustangz
Special thanks to our event sponsors
... and thank you to our event supporters
Getting here
The nearest mainline train station is Penrith. Connecting buses take about an hour to transport you to Cockermouth. Alternatively, arrive via Carlisle Railway Station, then take the train to Workington, then the X4 or X5 bus, or a taxi. If you are travelling by car, leave the M6 at junction 40, take the A66 west and you should be here in 40 minutes. For bus timetables throughout Cumbria click here.
Parking
If you’re coming to our festivals by car, here’s a handy link to some of the car parks in Cockermouth. If you’re parking on the street, please check local signs for restrictions. You’ll need a timing disc to park at the roadside – these are available from local businesses. A new festival ‘Park & Stroll’ is available on land adjacent to Lloyd BMW, and at the rear of the Lakes Home Centre, on Low Road – postcode CA130HH. (Please don’t use the store car park as it is reserved for their customers.)
Explore
Why not make a weekend of it by booking some accommodation? There is an excellent range of places to stay – from hotels, campsites and glamping, to B&Bs and self catering – in and around Cockermouth, and throughout the entire Cumberland area. You can also find out more about the area and discover the wealth of independent businesses on the Cockermouth Town website. Eat, drink, shop and explore!
Free fun on offer
Most of the attractions at the Taste Cumbria festivals are free to enjoy. There is no charge for the expert demonstrations on the Demo Stage, or for the street theatre, children’s activities and arts and crafts workshops. A small number of events are ticketed and there is a also charge for the fairground rides. Keep up to date with everything that’s happening on Facebook or Twitter, where you can also discover the other Taste Cumbria festivals.
Other 2023 dates for your diary
Taste Cumbria Christmas in Cockermouth – 9 & 10 December 2023
Insider information
