Called in here for Sunday breakfast, the "full Yorkshire breakfast" was superb !!…read more There is also a farm shop to browse around.

This marvelous grocery store totally surprised me. We travelled by train on this last European…read moretrip, we went back and forth about whether we should drive or train or do a combination of both. We decided on going the train route totally. Driving on the left hand side is not something to choose easily....I have only done it once before in 1982 in Jamaica and it was fine because I was incredibly young and the roads were less travelled back then but it's hard to change. I know many accidents/ deaths that have happened because of this. Anyway we decided to do the train bit. When we arrived at the York train station we had some time to wait so Joe said " Go check out the Booths" I already knew this is a grocery store chain in England and had seen it before But I was blown away at this one and was surprised to find it at the Windermere train station. I spent a good 45 minutes in there and purchased many items for our next destination. Beautiful produce and it also had a whole bakery area and a area with pharmacy type items too. When Joe insisted I go honestly I was a bit annoyed like Why? Lol Great store! Best in town!

Booths by a wide margin is the largest and nicest grocery store in Windermere. Excellent selection…read moreof produce, international and British staples, and a massive wine and liquor section. I made several Thai dishes and Booths had all the necessary ingredients from fish sauce to palm sugar to dried kaffir lime leaves. Prices are much lower and the selection much larger than you'd find in London. Try £26 for a bottle of Veuve, and yes we bought a case for Christmas lunch! If you're self catering in the Lake District and are looking for quality well above your average Tesco Express, be sure to make the drive to Booths.

Expensive but worth it for lovingly made fresh cakes, quiches, tarts and pies. Also good fresh veg…read moreand herbs and carefully selected range of luxury delicious foods perfect for presents or treating yourself to a gourmet supper in your holiday cottage.

A surprising cornucopia of deli delights, something I'd never have imagined in 30 years of visiting…read morethis area. A very welcome development and the quality of the produce is very impressive - especially the array of olives, cooked meats and cheeses. I hope it goes from strength to strength in these credit crunch times. Try their smoked bacon mini quiches - one of their tastiest picnic snacks to take with you to the beautiful surroundings of Galloway Forest Park.

Personally, I don't think it gets much better than Unsworth's Yard in the sunshine…read more A recent discovery, it's the perfect place to sit back and relax after wandering around the village of Cartmel and pressing your nose up to the door of L'Enclume. Around the communal courtyard, there's a micro-brewery, cheese/pastry/deli shop, and wine and spirit vendor. There are only a few tables, so you might have to be all eyes and ready to swoop, but it's worth it. You can take a look at the micro-brewery and chat with one of the brewer's, who's more than happy to give samples before you purchase a pint. There are brewery tours available to those who wish to learn more. Something great to note? To enter the church, you have to walk directly next to the brewery. Good going, town planning! The cheese shop gives off a powerful smell at first - it should probably come with a warning for pregnant ladies and those with weak hearts - but I promise you get used to it. The man working that day was completely charming and wanting to help everyone and anyone, giving out samples of every cheese they sell. They were running low on breads etc when we visited as everything is baked locally and when it's gone, it's gone! I had a little bottle of prosecco, which went down very nicely, especially when sampling some of the cheddar we purchased. Plenty of people had their purchases spread about them, and it's a great place to go if you can't agree on what to drink or nibble on; just go to one of the shops and then meet in the courtyard.

Absolutely amazing service. Great prices and would serve us after we were so rudely ignored at the…read morestore across the way. Very friendly and won't ignore you. Wish I could give it more stars!

Cranstons, the family-owned butchers in Penrith, has been serving local meat since 1914. Now it has…read moreopened a new café above the Cumbrian Food Hall, close to the M6 on the south-west side of the town. When I visited on a lunchtime in late November, the place was packed with locals, no doubt taking the opportunity to get out and about following the recent Biblical downpour. As you'd expect there's plenty of meat on the menu: an 8oz Gammon Steak; Cumberland Sausage with mash and red onion marmalade; an 8oz steak burger with streaky bacon and home made chips. Each of these costs £8.45. For £10.25 you can try the 'Cranstons' Local Platter, which features pastrami, roast ham and smoked pork loin. I was told that the soup of the day was parsnip and banana. I gave this a miss and opted for Chicken and Mediterranean Vegetable Terrine with tomato and olive chutney. It played safe, in my opinion, and would have benefited from a more imaginative accompaniment. A nod to vegetarians comes in the form of Grilled Goats Cheese & Pickled Beetroot Salad and Quiche of the Day. But I think a vegetarian in Cumbria is someone who has resolved not to eat meat between meals. The café is bright, spacious and unfussily furnished. The tall windows offer panoramic views of the lowering skies over the northern fells. On the opposite wall, a water-painting depicts a more benign riparian scene.

what can i say about this fine specialist butchers, apart from you have to go to buy to experience…read morethe quality of the food. The meat is so fresh, and they do fab stir frys plus so much more than you would expect frfom a butchers. There is also a really good fruit and veg section in there along with a local family run bakers whose bread is good.They also sell locally produced desserts and specialist food tha you wont find in supermarkets. If its something different for tea you are looking for then i strongly recommend you give this place a go.

A really lovely little deli. The best place I've found in town to get lots of little knick knacks…read moreto try out at home. They sell all sorts of exotic foods and jars of jams and chutneys and pates and lots of other delights. There is also a cafe on site where you can sample their home made sandwiches and cakes which are absolutely delicious. The service is great and the people really know their stuff. Its a little pricey but no more than you would pay elsewhere and definitely worth it for the occasional splurge.

Amazing amazing amazing... All organic teas and scones... Vegan as well... Really good quality!…read moreHighly recommended!!!

Gillam's does not deserve your custom. The owner has been extremely rude to me on at least 2…read moreoccasions, and I will not be going back. Although the young people working there have always been extremely pleasant, there is one older waitress who appears as glum as the owner, though if he was my boss, I would be equally down in the dumps. He has clearly never heard of the saying the customer is always right, and on one occasion, had an argument with a friend of mine because she wanted unsweetened soya milk in her tea (he could have walked through to his shop to get some, but instead, verbally attacked her in front of a tearoom full of customers). During the last few years, there have been times when it has been warmer outside than in this tearoom (maybe it was the frostiness of the owner). He was also insisting on people wearing masks even if they were exempt, and when there was no government requirement for them to do so. Instead of being able to look for a seat without a chaperone, you now have to stand behind a barrier (no doubt to be vetted by the owner) before you are let in and not given a seat of your choice. Gilliam's website states that the tearooms offer the same quality and service that the Gilliam family is famous for, but in my experience, this could not be further from the truth. If the owner can afford to treat people in such an appalling manner, he is obviously charging any remaining customers he does have way too much money.