a right royal visit...

Several of Cumbria's top artisan producers polished their wellies and donned spotless aprons to receive a couple of royal visitors when Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited Redhills in Penrith. They were there to open Cumbria's new Food Technology Centre, a state of the art facility allowing the counties food producers to hire well equipped kitchens, thereby enabling them to expand without massive capital investments.

The Queen had an opportunity to talk to Jim and Amanda Hodge from The Pie Mill, who make the most fantastic pies and pates, Mark and Maria Whitehead from Hawkshead Relish, who boast 35 'Great Taste Awards' and who have recently moved their production into a converted barn on the side of the picturesque Esthwaite water. The Queen also met the staff from the award winning Village Bakery at Melmerby and Cranstons' the butchers in Penrith. After the tour, The Queen unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion and was presented with a Laird's Larder hamper containing Cumbrian food and drink from almost 20 local producers spread across the county. Who knows, maybe the Queen will now stop at Penrith on her way up to Balmoral to re-fill her hamper.

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