Traditional Cumbrian food

Cumbria is a county with many traditions ranging from Herdwick sheep farming to Westmorland wrestling, but there are also historical culinary delights that are native to this beautiful county and are still very popular today.

Grasmere Gingerbread

The Victorian cook Sarah Nelson invented Grasmere Gingerbread in 1854 in the English Lake District village from where it gets its name. If you haven't tried it, you need to! It's a unique, spicy-sweet cross between a biscuit and cake and it is now enjoyed by food lovers all over the world. Today, the family business is run by third-generation owners and the shop is visited by hoards of tourists daily.

Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding

The Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding Company has been making puddings since 1984, but the origin and ownership of this beloved dessert is highly disputed. The dessert's true origins are hard to pin down as there are multiple claims and contradictions from all over the world, yet the tiny historical village of Cartmel has become the custodian to England's most famous version of the pudding. Even if it technically wasn't invented in Cumbria, we believe their recipe is one of the best and should be considered a national treasure.

Kendal Mint Cake

Romney's Kendal Mint Cake was made famous on May 29th 1953 when it was carried on the first successful summit of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary. All of the production of this local delicacy takes place on-site in Kendal, where they have been since 1969. It's readily available from most tourist shops around Kendal and the Lake District. We recommend taking a dark chocolate covered bar up your favourite fell.

To help you discover more culinary treats in the Lake District, why not sample our Pub Grup Lap Map, a great value guide to over 60 family-friendly pubs in the Lake District.