Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September 2025
Taste Cumbria made a triumphant return to Cockermouth at the weekend with many food and drink producers selling out faster than ever before.
Many of the traders said they were using stock they’d reserved for day two of the festival to keep up with demand from thousands of visitors. That meant some busy late-night baking and making, as well as trips back to their storerooms, to restock for Sunday’s trade.
Around 90 producers set up stall on Main Street, Market Place and at the newly-reopened Jennings Brewery, with a fairground also taking place on Memorial Gardens car park, for a packed weekend of entertainment. There were two music stages, street theatre, a caricaturist and loads of free children’s activities, as well as a comic cookery show and the ever-popular comedy night too.
Lots of the town’s businesses also had a busy weekend. The Crooked River Brewing Co opened its new Beer Shop on Market Place in time for Taste Cumbria – marking the date they launched their very first beers at the festival three years ago. One shop reported taking its usual Saturday takings by 1.30pm, while another foodie business had to hold stock back to cater for its regular Monday customers.
The Taste Cumbria festivals are organised by Cumberland Council and the sponsors and supporters for this event were Cockermouth Town Council, The Coffee Kitchen Bakery, Milburns Solicitors and Rock With.
Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, said:
“What a fantastic weekend. The atmosphere, the number of people on the streets, the feedback to the event team, and the reports of record sales – it is all just brilliant.
“The fact that this festival marked 15 years since Taste Cumbria was created to Cockermouth bounce back from devastating floods made this year’s success extra special. Thank you to everyone who makes this happen – from the council staff and volunteers, and the sponsors and supporters, to our great producers and suppliers, and particularly the people of Cockermouth for welcoming us back year on year.”
Joe Murray is Co-Chair of Cockermouth and District Chamber of Trade and manages The Children’s Society shop. He said:
“Taste Cumbria showcases not only the county’s producers but also Cockermouth’s independent businesses. It gets the town talked about and inspires people to return all year round. Our shop’s sales beat all previous Taste Cumbria weekends too so it really was a fantastic weekend.”
The next event is Taste Carlisle on 1 and 2 November and then Taste Christmas is back in Cockermouth, on 6 and 7 December.
Cockermouth’s Taste Cumbria festival will be followed by Taste Cumbria Carlisle on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 November, with the Taste Cumbria Christmas Festival taking place on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December.
If you run a business in Cockermouth or the outlying villages and would like to be featured on our big digital screen over Taste Cumbria weekend – please send logos, videos or graphics to ellie.jones@cumberland.gov.uk before 15th September
No size restrictions but please send high res versions where possible!
IT IS COMPLETELY FREE
Kick start your Taste Cumbria weekend with a Friday night chill-out – a little wind down from the working week to get you in the mood for the festival ahead. Join us on Market Place from 7pm to 9pm on Friday 26 September for food, live music and cold drinks. We’ll provide some seating but you could bring your own camping chairs too.
Aupa StreetFood will be selling their locally-sourced smash burgers and loaded fries, while Market Place businesses will also be serving and are happy for you to take your food and drink outside. Castle Bar, Seths Bar, Fermentos, Yummies Waffles and Shake, Blocks Steakhouse, Allerdale Court Hotel, Crooked River Brewing Co, The Market Place Print Studio and Market Place 41 will all be open that evening.
You could even bring your own picnic or grab a takeaway from elsewhere in town, but please leave your booze at home and buy from the Market Place premises. Award-winning vocalist Luke Matear, who you will recognise from previous Taste Cumbria festivals, will be performing some classics too.
So start your Taste Cumbria Cockermouth weekend in style with some great tunes, good company and a few beers on what we hope will be a fantastic relaxed evening out.
Live Music and Events
Saturday 27th September
10:30 – 11:30am Cockermouth ukuleles
12:00 – 1pm Cindy Hoten
1:30 – 2:30pm Logan Paul Murphy
3 – 4pm The Unsung
4:30 – 5:30pm Somethin Brewin
6 – 7pm Over Yonder
7:15 – 8pm The Window View
Sunday 28th September
11-12pm The Mowdies
12 -1pm Phil Lewthwaite & Graham Bell
1:30 – 2:30pm Miss Pearl
3- 4pm No Good Reason
Saturday 27th September
12 – 12:45pm Paul Nicholson
1 – 1:45pm Ged Hagen
2 – 2:45pm Char
3 – 4pm Thomas & Joe
Sunday 28th September
12 – 12:45pm Stephen Dunn
1 – 1:45pm Char
2 – 2:45pm Chloe Jane Hirst
3 – 4pm Annie Jackson-Elliott
Jennings Q&As and Tour –
Q&A at the tap room starting at 2pm both Saturday and Sunday. Tours will be available to pre-book via Jennings website
Saturday 27th September
11:00 – 11:45am – Warwick Bakery & Hallsfords – how to make the best Bacon Sandwich
12:00 – 12:45pm – John Crouch
13:00 – 13:45pm – Buster Grant, Head Brewer, Jennings
14:00 – 15:00pm – Peter Sidwell
15:00 – 16:00pm – Set up for Matt Reid
16:30 – 18:00pm – ‘Come in and get your tea’ – Reserved seating only
Sunday 28th September
11:00 – 12:00pm – John Crouch
12:30 – 13:30pm – Peter Sidwell
14:00 – 15:00pm – George Psarias
Venue: Demonstration Kitchen on Main Street
Date: September 27 Time: 4:30pm
Join Matt Reed at Come In and Get Your Tea, a live, comedy cookery show where professional chefs team up with familiar faces to recreate their favourite (or not so favourite) childhood teas. Matt is as pleasant as he is wonderfully brutal, and Come in and Get Your Tea combines nostalgia with one of the funniest and quick-witted comics on the circuit.
Venue: Cockermouth Rugby Club, Strawberry How
Date: Saturday 27 September Time: 7:00pm
The ever-popular Taste Cumbria Comedy Night is back and, for this year only, we’re going to let you come along for free! Taste Cumbria favourite Matt Reed will compere, and he’s joined by JoJo Sutherland, Stuart Thomas and Nick Doody. Matt is a Taste Cumbria regular, perfect for keeping the audience in check with his quick wit.
We’re thrilled that Jennings Brewery is back in business and will be an addition to the Taste Cumbria Cockermouth locations this year.
Jennings’ recent history is a story of local revival. In 2025 the brewery opened again, returning to local, independent, family ownership after two decades as a brand of Carlsberg that ultimately suffered closure in 2022. Closure was devastating for the town, but brewing is returning to the historic site in Cockermouth, Cumbria and we are beginning the long journey back to becoming a cherished Cumbrian icon! There’s lots of work to do to restore the full former glory, but a small passionate team around is focussed on bringing that heritage back to life.
The Taproom has now been open to the public since early July 2025 and some of those favourite Jennings beers have returned. Brewery tours are also coming back this September, giving you an insight to the brewing processes and history of Jennings. Community, culture, beer and heritage are at the heart of the new Jennings brewery team.
Taste Carlisle – 1 & 2 November 2025
Taste Christmas – 6 & 7 December 2025
Getting here
If you’re coming to our festivals by car, here’s a handy link to some of the car parks in Cockermouth. If you’re parking on the street, please check local signs for restrictions. You’ll need a timing disc to park at the roadside – these are available from local businesses.
