The best Cumbria has to offer will be showcased in Parliament as leading businesses set out their stall.

Cumbria Day – now in its third year – is hosted by the county's six MPs as they put their political differences aside for the good of the area.

A total of 15 companies and organisations have been invited to the event by their local MP so they can demonstrate the important part their business plays in the economy of Cumbria.

The event is sponsored by Sellafield Ltd and Taste Cumbria.

Jamie Reed, Sellafield Ltd's head of community and development, said: “We’re proud to be part of the fabric of Britain’s most beautiful county. But there’s so much more to Cumbria than its stunning scenery. Our energy, ingenuity and dedication gave birth to the nuclear industry and helped power the UK for generations.

“And now we’re providing the solutions to nuclear clean-up at home and abroad; developing skills and technology that will help power the UK’s economy through the 21st century.

"Cumbria’s best days are ahead of it and we’re delighted to be able to help showcase the unique quality of our special county during Cumbria Day.”

The event is co-ordinated by Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale.

He said: "I am delighted to be working with colleagues to host Cumbria Day in Parliament.

"I am incredibly proud of the excellent businesses and produce that we have here in South Lakeland and across Cumbria, and I look forward to presenting colleagues with a great insight into the tastes of the county.

"Local businesses work hard all year round to support the Cumbrian economy and create jobs. This year has been another particularly challenging one due to the ongoing problems caused by storms and flooding.

"However, it has been inspiring to see how businesses across Cumbria have bounced back, and I am extremely proud to help organise this important networking opportunity which will help to showcase Cumbrian produce to a wider audience.

"I’d also like to thank the University of Cumbria, Cumbria Tourism and the LEP for their support for this event."

Representatives from his constituency are Dent Brewery and Mint Drinks.


The business chosen by Copeland MP Trudy Harrison is The Byre Café in Bootle, owned by Jenna Hartley and Gemma Fox.

Mrs Harrison said: “Cumbria’s food and drink industry is worth £300 million to our local economy and our produce has international recognition with three of the seven Michelin starred restaurants in the North West based in Cumbria.

“Cumbria Day showcases the food and drink on offer in Cumbria and The Byre Café is one of hundreds of food and drink businesses in Copeland, offering homemade jams, chutneys and preserves.

“The food and drink sector in Cumbria employs more than 16,000 people, therefore it is vitally important that we support our small and independently ran businesses throughout the year – they all work tremendously hard and I am looking forward to meeting each of the businesses and learning more about their produce next week.”

Mrs Harrison said recent ONS figures revealed that the farming and food manufacturing industries in Cumbria contributed five per cent of the county’s economic output, compared with two per cent in the rest of the UK.

Farm related businesses represented a higher proportion of all businesses in Copeland and Cumbria than in Great Britain – accounting for 20 percent of all businesses.

Jenna Hartley, owner at The Byre Café, said: “We are delighted to be taking part in Cumbria Day bringing a little bit of Copeland into Parliament. It’s great to be able to showcase our produce to a wider audience and we’re looking forward to meeting the other businesses, MPs and sampling some of the products on offer.”


Sillfield Farm Foods of Barrow and the Shed 1 Gin Distillery of Ulverston have been nominated to attend the event by Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock.

He said: “I am thrilled to welcome Shed 1 Distillery and Sillfield Farm Foods to Westminster today to celebrate some of the amazing local businesses we have in the Furness area.

“Cumbria Day is always a fantastic event and a really fun way to show off our wonderful and innovative food and drink enterprises across the region. It is so important to show the rest of the country what Furness has to offer, and help successful local businesses make their name on the national stage.”


Carlisle MP John Stevenson has invited representatives from the Nestle milk processing plant at Dalston to the event.

Mr Stevenson explained how important Cumbria Day was to local businesses: “It is at way of putting the county on the map with Members of Parliament and those who work in the Parliamentary Estate.

“It is nice to show off what we have here in the Cumbria. It is a way luring other MPs to the county so they can see themselves what we have to offer,” he said.

A Nestlé spokesman said: “We are delighted that Nestlé has been invited to represent Cumbrian business and produce at Cumbria Day 2018 in Westminster.

"Our factory in Dalston is the European Centre of Excellence for Nescafé Gold Frothy Coffee and has recently undergone £70m of upgrades. We currently employ around 330 people on site and support many more jobs in the local economy.

“At Westminster, our factory manager, Anthony Swarbrook, and Nestlé graduate, Eleanor Fanthorpe, will highlight some of the Nestlé brands produced in Dalston, and showcase the work we do locally to improve productivity and sustainability in the dairy farming industry while helping develop the next generation of dairy farmers in Cumbria.”


Rory Stewart, Penrith and The Border MP, has invited Neil Boustead, of The Toffee Shop in Penrith and Peter Potts, retail manager of Cranstons, to attend.

Mr Boustead said: "I'm thrilled to have been invited by Rory Stewart to represent Cumbria's vibrant food and drink industry at Westminster.

"Cumbria's food and drink scene is thriving at the moment with both traditional brands like my own and exciting new start-ups.

"Getting the chance to promote our counties great produce at Westminster is a real privilege."

Mr Potts said: "It will be great to talk to MPs and civil servants about Cumbria’s strong food offer. Any event which highlights the strength of Cumbria as a foodie destination is to be applauded."

Mr Stewart said: "Small business and food production both play a crucial part in the Cumbrian economy, and that is why I am so pleased that the Cumbria Day initiative has been such an incredible success.

"This opportunity to network on a national stage helps Cumbria, and Cumbrian businesses, to connect and grow, and I am thrilled to be taking Neil and Peter to London to be part of that."


Sue Hayman, Workington MP, has invited Cockermouth's Coffee Kitchen Bakery and Thornby Moor Dairy, near Crofton, to attend.

Mrs Hayman said: “Building on the great success of previous Cumbria Days in Parliament, this year’s event is about demonstrating to MPs, peers, and Parliamentary staff the wide range of businesses we have in Cumbria and showcasing our high quality produce.

"We hope to encourage many more people to come to Cumbria, so they can see what a fantastic place it is to live, visit, and do business.

"Previous events have been very well attended and I will be encouraging all of my parliamentary colleagues to pop in and taste what Cumbria has to offer.”

Andy Walsh, of The Coffee Kitchen, said: "We're really honoured to be asked to attend.

"Cumbria Day has proved to be a wonderful showcase for local businesses over the last few years.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for ourselves and other producers to show people what a great place Cumbria is and why folks should come and visit."

Leonie Fairburn, of Thornby Moor, said: "It's lovely to represent the dairy industry of Cumbria. We are maintaining traditions, which is incredibly important."


Join in the Cumbria Day celebrations – what do you think we should be shouting about? Use the hashtag #CumbriaDay on social media and tell us!


Our video was created by our sister brands in-Cumbria and Choose Cumbria for the 2017 in-Cumbria Business Awards. We thought it was perfect to celebrate Cumbria Day!