The weather may have cut 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 organiser Cumberland Council was 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 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, of 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.”
