Last updated at 21:58, Thursday, 16 June 2011

Hundreds of people flocked to this year’s Fell Gather event at Mitchells Livestock Centre in Cockermouth on Saturday.

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The event, organised by the Cumbria Farmers Network, is in its fourth year and organisers said the amount of new faces at this year’s event showed how people were becoming more interested in where their food comes from.

Ennerdale farmer Will Rawling, a member of the Farmers Network and an event organiser, said: “The responses are very encouraging. We want to give people the opportunity to learn where their food comes from and we have had tremendous support from the farming community.

“The farming community is very keen to get across the message that food production can work alongside environmental protection.”

Cookery demonstrations were held including cooking with chocolate, traditional Cumberland sausage making and cheese tasting.

Mawbray cook Annette Gibbons, who has supported the festival from the start, gave demonstrations on cooking with cheaper cuts of meat and using seasonal produce.

She used ingredients from producers at the event to promote them and to direct people to where they can get things locally.

She said: “I love the atmosphere here and the range of what people can see, there is something for everyone. People can see everything that the countryside produces.”

Another big draw for the crowds was the Marston family, from the Penrith area, who featured on the BBC2 series Lambing Live.

Rachel Marston said: “It’s our first time here and I think it’s a great event because it’s good to educate the public. We have had a lot of people come to see us and telling us how much they enjoyed the programme.”

All kinds of Cumbrian produce was on offer including chocolate, cakes, meat, honey, bread, chutneys and fish.

Many stall holders enticed visitors with free samples and were happy to chat about the origins and making of their products.

Animals on show included sheep breeds, chickens and rabbits.

Jonathan Bell, of Palace How Farm, Cockermouth, was selling hutches and hen cages and took along some farm animals.

He said: “We have been coming here since the start and it’s a great thing to do.

“The event is great because it gets the public to see what you are about and it gets them interested in animals.”

Cockermouth brewers Jennings, the main sponsors, set up a bar and sold Fell Gather brew made for the event.

Ian Bell, 45, of Brigham, who has been every year since the event began, said: “It is nice to support the local community, it promotes local businesses and gives you the opportunity to buy things you might not ordinarily buy.”

First published at 19:22, Thursday, 16 June 2011
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk