The Taste Cumbria festive fair, an inaugural event organised by SK Events, attracted thousands to the picturesque setting to enjoy celebrity demonstrations, an outdoor market with stalls selling local produce, wreath-making workshops and reindeer.
The celebrity demonstrations – with baker Paul Hollywood on Saturday and TV presenter James Martin on Sunday – were a sell-out success.
Paul, who demonstrated making mince pies and a French Christmas loaf, was won over by the castle. “I used to visit Cumbria a lot as a kid,” he said. “Coming from the north west, we spent holidays and breaks here, although I’ve never been this west before and the scenery is spectacular. But this place, Muncaster, I phoned my wife and said we have to come back here, we will now make it a destination on our calendar for next year.”
He said the quality of the produce in Cumbria was superb. “The sausages, the crab, and artisan coffee and artisan bakeries which are springing up are as good as, if not better than, London,”
James Martin said he would stock up on some of his food heaven – crab – to take back home. He said he was a ‘big fan’ of Cumbrian seafood, which was always of great quality. Peter Frost-Pennington, of Muncaster Castle, said it was great to have something to show off Cumbrian produce at Christmas.