Distinctly Cumbrian, a programme delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency, and Made in Cumbria, part of Cumbria County Council, are working together to exhibit the best of Cumbrian produce at one of the biggest public food events of the year.

“The Taste District is a joint publication with Cumbria Tourism and it has already led a successful campaign for the area’s food and drink producers,” explains Nigel Bamford of Distinctly Cumbrian. “Now additional funding from the NW Development Agency has made it possible for us to take part in the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC in Birmingham at the end of November. This event attracted over 120 000 visitors in five days last year so it is one of the biggest and best shop windows for local produce in the UK.”

Selecting what to display and how to get across the range of Cumbrian food could have been an impossible task but the stand will feature as many of the county’s 2006 Gold Great Taste Award winners as possible. Earlier in the year, Cumbrian producers won 18 Gold Awards out of 42 for the North West as whole and more than half of the producers were Cumbria-based so a selection of foods from these award-winning producers will be on display representing the best of Cumbrian food.

“To have so many Gold Award winners from Cumbria was a big success in 2006,” says John Anderson from Made in Cumbria, “so we want to shout about it in Birmingham and make sure that people realise the range and the quality of what is on offer here.”

Lizzie Smith of Lizzie’s Homemade is one of those taking part. Her Cumbrian Frutta Cotta not only won a Gold Award but was also judged the Best Speciality Food in the North West. “There is no way that I could have exhibited at the BBC Good Food Show on my own,” she explains, “but this is a great opportunity to share the exposure and raise the profile of my luxurious preserved fruits with food lovers from across the country.”