A Michelin-starred chef, seafood caught off the Cumbrian coast, and some seriously spicy cuisine - they’re all on the menu at Taste Cumbria Cockermouth.
The festival takes place in the heart of the town on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, with additional hot food and entertainment on Market Place on the Friday evening from 7pm to 9pm.
The Demo Stage is always one of the biggest attractions of the weekend, thanks to the wealth of local culinary experts cooking up some amazing dishes and handing out the tasty results.
This year, Michelin-starred chef Kevin Scanlan from SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House at Windermere and his colleague Ralph Rojas from Gilpin Spice will appear on the Saturday. They’re joined that day by two Cockermouth favourites - Manon Plouffe of Wild Zucchinis and Shuba Sachin of Dosa Chaska.
On the Sunday, private chef Jon Fell will be followed by the duo of Buster Grant from Jennings Brewery and Richard Harrison from Harrison’s Butchers who will be combining beer and meat for some classic dishes. They’re followed by the hugely enthusiastic Ashleigh Hall, owner of Main Street’s Deli Station and Street Food, who is appearing on The Demo Stage for the first time.
The rest of the festival will include producers’ stalls on Main Street, the Market Place Street Party with hot food and the Festival Stage, plus an additional music stage at Jennings Brewery. There will be lots of family activities too.
The Taste Cumbria festivals are organised by Cumberland Council and the sponsors and supporters for this event are Cockermouth Town Council, The Coffee Kitchen Bakery, Jennings Brewery, Milburns Solicitors, Rock With and Cockermouth & District Chamber of Trade.
This event will be followed by Taste Christmas, back in Cockermouth, on 5 and 6 December.
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Also in this weeks edition:
Cumberland’s inspiring young people have been celebrated at the first Flying High Awards, held at Muncaster Castle on Saturday 12 September.
The awards, organised by Cumberland Council, recognised the achievements, talents, courage and contributions of children and young people aged 8 to 25 from across Cumberland.
Young people were celebrated across a wide range of categories, including creativity, learning, young carers, music, sport and fitness, health and wellbeing, community impact, personal growth, environmental action, mental health advocacy and youth voice.
The Big Conversation on Care is your chance to influence the future of adult social care in England.
Led by the Casey Commission, the conversation asks one simple but important question: When we are old or disabled, or have a serious illness, who should support us and how?
The online phase closes on Wednesday 23 September, so please have your say, and encourage and support others to do so. Your views could help shape future recommendations for adult social care.
The conversation is open to everyone, including people who work in the care sector, use services, unpaid carers, families, providers and people who may need care in the future.
Until 23 September, people can take part by voting and joining the online discussion.
While the online phase ends on 23 September, the wider conversation about the future of care in England will continue into 2027.
Kinship Care Week (5 to 11 October) is a time to celebrate the incredible contribution kinship carers and special guardians make to children and young people every day.
To recognise their commitment and help carers connect with others in similar situations, our Kinship Care Team will be hosting a variety of events across Cumberland. Activities include coffee mornings, play sessions for young children, support groups and a special celebration lunch:
Monday 5 October: Carlisle Play Space (0-5 years) - 1pm to 3pm
Tuesday 6 October: Whitehaven Play Space (0-5 years) - 1pm to 3pm
Wednesday 7 October: Online Support Group - 5.45pm to 6.30pm
Thursday 8 October: Kinship Care Week Celebration Lunch - 11am to 2pm
Friday 9 October: Launch of the Workington Kinship Care Support Group - 10am to 12pm
The week will also see the launch of a new Kinship Care Support Group in Workington, providing carers with an opportunity to access support, share experiences and build connections within their local communities
Anyone wishing to attend one of the events is encouraged to reserve a place in advance. For full details and to reserve a place, please email SGOsupport@cumbria.gov.uk by Friday 25 September.
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We are reminding residents never to place batteries in household waste after a potentially serious incident involving an e-bike battery highlighted the risks they can pose.
A waste crew collecting household waste in the Stanwix area today discovered an e-bike battery inside the bin lorry. The battery began to smoke and hiss and showed signs that it was about to catch fire.
Even batteries that appear to be flat can retain enough charge to cause a fire when they are damaged or crushed. Batteries and electrical items should never be placed in general waste or household recycling bins.
Residents are urged to check items carefully before putting them in the bin, particularly electrical items and products containing rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, such as e-bikes, vapes, laptops, phones and power banks. To find out where you can recycle your batteries, visit Batteries | Recycle Now
Workington Library will temporarily close for a short period while new lighting is installed on the ground floor of the building.
The improvement works will help create a brighter, more welcoming environment for customers and staff and form part of ongoing investment in the library building.
As part of the project, the café within the library will be closed for two weeks, from Monday 28 September until Monday 12 October.
The new Ramblers Wellbeing Walks schedules for Cumberland, covering September to December, are now available.
Part of the wider Ramblers national programme, these free, volunteer-led walks are designed to help more people enjoy the benefits of walking by removing barriers to participation and creating welcoming opportunities to get active.
Co-ordinated by Active Cumbria and led by trained Walk Leaders, the short group walks are suitable for people of all ages and abilities. They provide a great way to improve physical and mental wellbeing, explore local areas and meet new people, all while walking at a pace that feels comfortable.
Ramblers Wellbeing Walks can be a valuable resource for colleagues working in health, social care, housing, employment support, and community development helping people access regular physical activity and local support networks.
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Museum of the Moon is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring seven metres in diameter, the moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface.
During the month of October 2026, the Moon will be suspended from the clerestory in Carlisle Cathedral and will rest under the starry ceiling which the Cathedral is renowned for. Come and enjoy the experience, or join one of the special events detailed. More information, and tickets where applicable, can be found on our website www.carlislecathedral.org.uk.
- Monday to Saturday: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4.30pm)
- Sunday: Open around the normal pattern of worship
The headteacher of a Carlisle primary school has claimed an innovative link up with their local museum and art gallery has transformed the way his pupils see the city.
Tullie launched its Adopt A School project during the 2025/26 year and worked with children at Belle Vue Primary School to educate and inspire them about local history, culture and arts.
During the innovative partnership, Year 6 pupils collaborated with museum staff on a year-long series of creative projects including an historic walking trail leading from the school to the museum, which members of the public can now follow.
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We're carrying out a review of polling stations across Cumberland.
By law, councils must regularly review their polling arrangements to ensure residents have reasonable and accessible facilities for voting. The last full review took place in 2024 and although the next one isn't due until 2029, the council has decided to carry out an interim review to reflect changes arising from the recent boundary review, as well as to consider polling stations that are no longer available or suitable.
The next scheduled elections for Cumberland Council are in May 2027, with elections for the new Mayor of Cumbria also due to take place at the same time.
The review affects all wards within Cumberland, although in some areas the changes are minor, such as updates to polling district codes. In other areas, there are proposed changes to polling district boundaries or polling station venues.
The deadline for responses is October 2, 2026.
Final preparations are being made so a restoration project which will bring the iconic Bitts Park Lodge in Carlisle back into use can begin.
The lodge is being brought back to life thanks to an innovative partnership bringing together Cumberland Council, Story Contracting, Story Homes, Carlisle College and Habitat for Humanity Great Britain.
Now that plans are in place to restore the building, work is underway to look at its potential future use.
A major milestone has been reached for the Millom Town Deal, with the first of its transformational projects now officially completed.
Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, Cllr Anne Quilter and Millom Town Deal Board members joined representatives from project funder Sellafield Ltd and contractor Story Contracting Ltd to celebrate the milestone at an event this week.
The former NatWest bank has been carefully restored and refurbished through the Reactivating Heritage Buildings programme, bringing a prominent heritage building back into use as a valuable community asset for residents and visitors.
The project marks the first completed scheme from the Millom Town Deal programme, which secured £20.6 million from the UK Government's Towns Fund, alongside additional funding from Sellafield Ltd.
Final lease arrangements are currently being completed before the building is formally transferred to the new operators, local business owners Samantha and Andrew Bowden. We will keep you updated as we move closer to opening.
Photos and Video by Stuart Walker
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Residents, businesses, community groups and stakeholders are being encouraged to help shape the future of Cumberland by taking part in a new scoping consultation for the Cumberland Local Plan.
The six-week consultation, which runs from 14 September to 23 October 2026, marks the first stage of preparing the Local Plan under the new planning system. It builds on work already undertaken, including the Issues and Options Consultation held in 2025, which helped identify some of the key challenges, opportunities and priorities facing Cumberland.
The council is now seeking feedback to ensure that all important issues and opportunities have been identified and to help determine the most effective ways to engage with communities throughout the plan-making process.
Cumberland Infirmary and our bereavement services team will hold the annual Baby Loss Remembrance Service at the Carlisle Burial Chapel on Tuesday 13 October.
The service is open to anyone who has been affected by the loss of a baby and will include a time for quiet reflection and music. It offers an opportunity to come together, remember, and reflect in a supportive setting.
Everyone is welcome to attend, whether you have experienced loss yourself or wish to support a family member or friend.
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Further progress has been made on the Cumberland Sports Village in Workington with a decision taken to seek an operator for the site.
The Council’s Executive has taken the decision on Wednesday 16 September to start a competitive procurement exercise to appoint a specialist stadium operator to operate the new stadium and 3G community pitch.
The development at Borough Park will bring together Workington AFC Official and Workington Town Rugby League Football Club in a modern sports and community venue, creating a destination for sport, health, wellbeing and wider community use.
With planning submitted for the 5,000-capacity stadium and procurement underway to appoint a main contractor, the project remains on track for construction to begin in January 2027.
Cumberland Sports Village is supported by the UK Government Town Deal, Cumberland Council, Cumbria Combined Authority and the Football Foundation. The revised scheme will be project managed and delivered by Cumberland Council.
Young people across Cumberland now have more time to apply for a unique volunteering and employability programme linked to the Tour de France Grand Départ in 2027, with applications for the Readiness to Work programme now open until 1 October 2026.
Launched by Grand Départ GB and delivered by British Cycling, the Readiness to work programme offers 18 to 25-year-olds the opportunity to volunteer at one of the world's most iconic sporting events while developing valuable skills to support their future careers.
Cumberland is set to take centre stage when the Grand Départ arrives in 2027, with Carlisle hosting the finish of Stage One on Friday 2 July and Keswick hosting the start of Stage Two on Saturday 3 July. The route will then travel through the Lake District, offering communities a unique chance to be part of one of the world’s most recognisable sporting events.
As part of the programme, 300 young people who sign up as JOY Maker volunteers will receive tailored support, including CV and interview preparation, resilience training, financial awareness sessions and personal development workshops. Participants will also benefit from three months of mentoring with professionals working in sectors such as event management, sport and performance, marketing and more.
Running from January to July 2027, Readiness to Work is open to all eligible volunteers aged 18 to 25, whether they are in employment, education or currently seeking work. The programme is designed to help participants build the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to take their next steps towards employment.
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The countdown to the Tour de France Grand Départ is on!
Want to stay up to date with all the latest news, announcements and event updates as we build towards this historic occasion?
Read our latest newsletter to catch up on everything happening so far, then sign up to receive future editions straight to your inbox so you don't miss a thing.
Angerton to benefit from resurfacing scheme
We are set to carry out carriageway resurfacing works on the B5307 at Angerton Bridge to Old Station House, helping to improve the condition of the highway and provide safer, smoother journeys for residents, businesses and visitors.
The scheme is scheduled to begin on Monday 21 September 2026 and is expected to take up to eight days to complete, subject to weather and site conditions. The works will be delivered by Cumberland Council's contractor, DSD Construction Limited.
Footbridge replacement works planned at Brunsow Beck, Allonby
There will be footbridge replacement works at Brunsow Beck Footbridge, opposite the B5300 at Allonby.
The replacement of Brunsow Beck Footbridge is necessary to maintain the safety and integrity of the route for pedestrians and cyclists.
The works will begin on Monday 21 September and are expected to take four days to complete. Working hours will be 7.30am to 4.00pm each day.
Carriageway patching works coming up in Durdar
We will be carrying out essential carriageway patching and pothole repair works on the C1014 and C1036 at Durdar, between the Black Lion pub and Beech House.
The works are scheduled to begin on Monday 21 September and are expected to last for five days, subject to weather conditions and operational requirements.
Resurfacing works coming up in Keswick
Planned carriageway resurfacing works on Main Street, Victoria Street and Penrith Road in Keswick will get underway on Monday 21 September.
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