It’s only a short hop away from the North-East, but some of the food is out of this world, says Betty Long, in the run-up to the Taste Cumbria weekend

THE British summer continued to produce heavy, weary-looking clouds as we set off for our trip over the Pennines. When we reached Hartside Pass, the view was non-existent.

But despite the dreary weather, our brief trip to the Lake District turned out to be an uplifting combination of fine food and friendly faces.

First stop was Jennings Brewery, in Cockermouth, were we had lunch while waiting for a brewery tour. We shared the huge ploughman’s platter – they certainly feed their ploughmen well in Cumbria – and then set off around the brewery building.

Most of the work was carried out in the morning so our guide said we were unlikely to bump into any of the workmen – especially tall ones as the old building has lots of ancient, low beams.

After the tour, we checked into the very comfortable and friendly Trout Hotel, just along the street from the brewery. The first thing we saw was a line about 3ft up the wall inscribed with the words “height of the water during the 2009 flood”. So, as the hotel was next to a river, and taking into account the recent weather, we made sure our window was firmly shut that evening.

We had a wander around Cockermouth before dinner and found it a delightful place, with a good selection of independent shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes. We ate a delicious dinner in the Derwent Restaurant, served by the friendliest of staff, and retired early.

After breakfast, we set off to find The Cottage in the Wood, in Whinlatter Forest, near Keswick, and found it to be a little piece of heaven on earth.

If the young chef, Ryan Blackburn, doesn’t get a Michelin star or two during his career, there is no justice in this world.

After meeting the very welcoming owners, Kath and Liam Berney, and a brief but informative lesson on how to gut fish, we had a fantastic five-course lunch in the Mountain view restaurant, which has stunning views over the Skiddaw mountain range.

The area is teeming with wildlife and a couple of deer graced us with their presence in the trees outside.

We didn’t see any of the area’s red squirrels, only the squirrel warden, whose job it is to keep away the thuggish greys.

The menu included such delights as West Coast brown crab with white radish, pink grapefruit and wood sorrel; charred mackerel with gooseberries, horseradish and borage; wild salmon netted in the Solway Firth, Whitehaven wild turbot, Furness coastal leaves with cockle vinaigrette and elderflower and creme fraiche tart.

After spending time both foraging and talking with Ryan, we discovered where every mouthful of our amazing food came from, where it was caught or picked. He’s so passionate, he spends one of his days off foraging for the restaurant.

  •  Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth. Tel: 01900- 820340.
  • The Trout Hotel, Crown Street, Cockermouth CA130EJ, Tel: 01900-823591. trouthotel.co.uk
  •  The Cottage in the Wood Country House Hotel and Restaurant – pictured left – Whinlatter Forest, Braithwaite, near Keswick, CA12 5TW. Tel: 01768-778409. thecottage inthewood.co.uk