cumbrian bread fight is blazing a trail for healthy eating across UK...

At the beginning of the year a Cumbrian bread maker and four Cumbrian schools joined forces to create a bread making module for schoolchildren throughout the UK. To test the module pupils from the West Cumbrian primary schools were challenged to invent and bake delicious loaves of bread. The competition to find the best one culminated in early March. "Baking your own bread is fun, easy to do, healthy and very tasty," said Caroline Dale, marketing manager of Carrs Breadmaker who initiated the challenge. "Children absolutely love it and their enthusiasm during this competition has been heartening," added Julia Cooper, Head of Design Technology at Solway Community Technology College, one of the schools taking part. Julia and Caroline are now putting the finishing touches to the education module - the first of its type - which will be made available to primary schools throughout the UK.

The county is also home to a number of excellent artisan bread makers whose activities often lead the field - and not just in bread making. Munx Lakeland bakery which operates from Staveley recently installed an innovative "wood pellet" fired bread oven. Using this type of renewable energy as a power source not only significantly reduces the baker's electricity bills but it is kinder on the environment and can utilise the natural resources found in abundance within the Lakes.

Content and photography supplied by www.Artisan-Food.com, funded by Distinctly Cumbrian.