Kokova Magazine

Taste Cumbria Christmas Festival is a two-day indulgent day out for all the family, celebrating everything that we love about the festive season - with a distinctly Cumbrian flavour - on the 3rd and 4th December 2011 at Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass.

Bringing together some of the finest food and drink producers from across the county and joined by artisan crafters and makers, the event is designed to inspire and entertain visitors of all ages, in preparation for the Yuletide season.

Brought to you by SK Events, the organisers of the popular Taste Cumbria Food Festival, an annual event that celebrates the very best of Cumbria's Food and Drink offer, the Taste Cumbria Christmas Festival will be set against the stunning backdrop of Muncaster Castle - one of the county's most prestigious visitor attractions.

SK Events are also delighted to welcome Paul Hollywood, presenter of the BBC television programme "Great British Bake-off" to the festival who will be giving a number of live demonstrations on festival Saturday, showing audiences the best ways to plan and prepare their festive feasts.

It's massively exciting to be part of this brand new festival and I’m pleased to have been invited. I'll be letting audiences in on a few of my baking secrets as hosting an interactive question and answer session for all those keen amateur bakers. I can't wait!

Paul Hollywood

Arriving at the Castle, visitors will be met with delights to stimulate all of their senses including glittering Christmas trees, the aroma of roasting chestnuts and the sound of angelic choirs, all capturing the spirit of a traditional Cumbrian Christmas.

The Castle's picturesque Courtyard will be transformed into a gourmet food and drink market; with stalls offering seasonal delicacies and chef’s ingredients. The market also includes hot food to take away, with sizzling hog roasts and sausage stalls - nothing says Cumbrian Christmas more than a hearty Cumberland sausage accompanied by a steaming mug of delicious Hot Chocolate!

For those visitors who'd prefer something a little stronger, the Winter Pimms bar offers the perfect remedy to keep the cold at bay!

Visitors heading into the Festival Marquee, will discover an array of handmade gifts, art and craft, home-wares and decorations, with designers on hand who will be happy to give advice and guidance on gift ideas.

Of course we all know that Christmas is really for the children, and the festival organisers are making sure that this year will be a memorable one – keeping the magic alive with an array of activities, festive classes and demonstrations for your little ones to take part in.

Experts will show them how to decorate a Christmas card, or craft a Christmas tree ornament in one of the Junior ‘Make-it’ masterclasses which also includes Christmas cake decorating and lantern making.

Santa and his reindeer will be making a number of visits during the two days on the Cumbria leg of his December world tour and youngsters will have chance to send him a personal letter, posting it in his special postbox - which will be delivered direct to Santa HQ!

The festival is proud to be supporting CFM Radio's Cash for Kids charity campaign this Christmas and will be collecting new, unwrapped presents and accepting donations on their behalf during festival weekend.

Visitors can meet the charity's mascot Courage The Cat, on Saturday 3rd December and Santa and his little helpers on Sunday 4th.

Older family members can also take part in one of the planned festival activities which include such delights as how to cure your own festive bacon, how to make cheese in a bottle, relish and chutney making and rum butter making - or for the more energetic, why not join a foraging trail in the Castle grounds, hunting for sprigs of Mistletoe and Ivy before fashioning your own traditional door decoration in a Christmas wreath-making class.

Muncaster Castle will also be throwing open its doors to welcome festival visitors during the weekend, with scheduled Victorian Christmas Tours, where visitors will return to Christmas 1885 and experience the magic of the castle lit by candle light and elegantly decorated for Christmas.

Sneak a peek 'below stairs' before warming yourself with a glass of mulled wine, mince pie and log fires at his Lord Muncaster's grand dining table while enjoying festive entertainments with the servants. It's a fascinating insight into the days of yesteryear.

As dusk falls, the festival takes on a truly magical air, and the organisers will be encouraging visitors to join local brass bands and choirs around the Christmas Tree in the Courtyard’s for the switching on of the Christmas lights and singing traditional carols - a truly perfect ending to a fun and festive family day out!

Open from 11am-5pm Saturday and 11am-4.30pm Sunday, entry to the Taste Cumbria Christmas Festival is £6 per person, under 14's are free.

Whilst there is car parking at Muncaster Castle the organisers are only too aware of the responsibility they have to the beautiful Cumbrian environment. With that in mind they have introduced a shuttle facility which will operate from Ravenglass Train Station, with coaches running every 20 minutes from the station to the Castle’s grounds.

Taste Cumbria Christmas Festival is funded by the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) funded by Defra and the EU. The festival is organised and managed by SK Events.

A full programme of events and activities can be found on the festival website www.tastecumbriachristmasfestival.co.uk