Two acclaimed Cumbrian restaurants have secured prestigious positions in Harden's Top 100 UK Restaurants for 2026, underscoring the county's emergence as a culinary powerhouse beyond the capital.

Anne Hegerty sees food as a “treat” and “not just something to fuel the body with”. Known as The Governess in ITV’s The Chase, this Christmas Anne will once again be in pantomime this year, playing Fairy Rose The Good Fairy in Beauty and the Beast at Scarborough Spa Theatre.

As the owner of three pot-bellied pigs, I have always been fascinated by these extremely intelligent animals, and I was therefore interested to find out more about the work carried out by Pigs in the Wood, a non-profit sanctuary for pigs and other animals that have been rescued from various situations, often having been abused and mistreated.

It is possible to pick up freebies for stocking fillers and get Christmas dinner bargains if you know the right places to look. The average person will spend over £1,100 this Christmas on gifts, food, drink and going out – a significant chunk of most people’s monthly pay at a time when we’re all feeling the pinch from the cost of living,” says Jane.

The moment the Christmas tree goes up marks the true start of the festive season, transforming homes with instant warmth and sparkle. For many households, artificial trees have become the practical choice, offering the beauty of a real fir without the maintenance, while still serving as the centrepiece of festive celebrations.

With Christmas fast approaching, as the festive light trails return to RHS Gardens and Christmas trees go on sale at RHS Plant Centres, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) shares its definitive guide to choosing and caring for Christmas trees – helping households keep their trees looking fresh, fragrant and full throughout the festive season.

Robin Simpson looks upon food as more than just a necessity. “I really enjoy food,” he freely admits. Playing Nurse Nellie, the dame in York Theatre Royal’s pantomime production of Sleeping Beauty, “is relentless,” says Robin.

The invitation landed like a perfectly aged Wensleydale – impossible to resist. A chance to explore the Wensleydale Creamery's new festive offerings? I was there faster than Wallace could spot a wedge of his favourite cheese. Winter had wrapped the Yorkshire Dales in its most theatrical costume.

On Monday the team at Cumbria’s The Old Stamp House in Ambleside learned that the restaurant has been included in the tenth-anniversary edition of La Liste, which highlights the top 1,000 restaurants across 200 countries. This marks the third consecutive year that the Lakes restaurant has featured in what is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading culinary rankings.

This summer was all about getting to know our land. Having moved to our current smallholding in North Yorkshire at the end of 2024, this was our first year, through the seasons, and it was an important time to get to know what worked and what didn’t. One of the things we did notice, during the long hot summer, was the lack of shade in the pig pen.

Having driven past dozens of meadows and verges at the side of the country lanes in North Yorkshire this summer, full of colourful wildflowers, we decided to dedicate one of our paddocks to growing wildflowers. The aim is to attract as much wildlife as possible making the paddock a haven for bees, butterflies, birds, insects and other wildlife essential for continuing nature’s work.

Shared ownership is proving a great way for many people to get on the property ladder. And with an estimated 250,000 people now using the Government-backed scheme, rising numbers are expected to now attempt to buy a home this way.

A mid-October break, and conjuring our childhood experiences, we decided to head out in our camper van to the well-known amusement park of Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire, excited by the prospect of an on-site touring field and a couple of days of fun and reliving our childhood. We were eager to get going.

Introducing Willbe, the complete programme to restore the health of perimenopausal women, through a fully personalised experience. The programme includes advanced diagnostics, expert coaching, and individually tailored solutions, including bespoke Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT).

The winners of the 2025 Free From Christmas Awards were announced live this afternoon (03rd November) on Instagram, recognising outstanding innovation and quality in allergen-free festive food and drink. Lake District producer Hawkshead Relish secured two accolades in this year’s competition, with its Ultimate Festive Chutney earning Gold and its Christmas Ketchup taking Bronze.

The winners of the Great British Food Awards 2025 have been revealed, and the team from Lovingly Artisan Bakery, based at Plumgarths near Kendal, is celebrating after securing accolades in two national categories.

The winners of the Great British Food Awards 2025 have been announced, and Hawkshead Relish, based in the heart of the Lake District, is celebrating after earning accolades in two national categories. Hawkshead Relish’s Brinjal Aubergine Pickle was awarded Gold in the Condiments category.

After months of rigorous testing by expert judges, the winners of this year’s Great British Food Awards have been revealed, and Grasmere Distillery is proud to announce a double win for its Cumbrian handcrafted spirits. At their lakeshore distillery, the team crafts small-batch spirits with a true grain-to-glass ethos.

As the autumnal weather sets in, we turn to warming dishes to help us add a cosy feel to the season. Searches for ‘soup recipe’ recently hit a 90-day high, so it's clear that soup is top of many home cooks’ autumn menus.