Cumbria Tourist Board apprentice chefs met a food hero' recently when they travelled to Sillfield Farm, at Endmoor, as part of their training programme.

Learning about local food production is an essential part of the apprenticeship scheme which is supported by Cumbria Fells & Dales Leader+. So farmer and food producer Peter Gott gave the budding chefs the grand tour' from field to plate.

The visit included seeing wild boar and rare breed pigs in their natural habitat, including two new litters. There were also butchery and sausage-making demonstrations and a chance for the students to make their own Cumberland sausage.

"These young people are the future," said Peter after the visit. "What they put on the menu can change perceptions."

l Cumberland sausage made at Sillfield Farm was chosen by Calor Gas for the company stand at the recent Country Landowners Association Game Fair, at Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire. Chef Peter Bell cooked and handed out nearly ten stones of regional bangers including the Sillfield sausage.

LONGTOWN Auction Mart in the north of the county has won the title Britain's Best Market Caf 2004' in a competition organised by Farmers Weekly. Hawes Auction Mart Caf also won a commemorative certificate.

Also in Hawes, the Wensleydale Creamery has been celebrating red, white and blue success in three major competitions across the British Isles. The creamery began its patriotic run at Scotland's Royal Highland Show with its Blue Wensleydale was declared reserve champion. At the Great Yorkshire Show the company's Traditional White Wensleydale and Cheshire cheeses won top prizes.

Finally this week, the creamery completed the colours of the Union flag by being declared supreme champion at the Royal Welsh Show with its red Double Gloucester.

The Hawes cheesemaker achieved five first prizes at the three shows as well as receiving the Wensleydale Cup for the Best Wensleydale Cheese and its own prize, the Wensleydale Dairy Products Trophy for the Best Yorkshire Product.

The creamery also won the best new dairy product at the Great Yorkshire Show with the recently-launched Cheddar with Cherry Bell Peppers and Sun-dried Tomatoes'.

The creamery's Alice Amsden said: "The milk supplied from 32 farms in upper Wensleydale has a truly special flavour and can be used to make the best cheese, even Double Gloucester!

"Maybe Wallace & Gromit can now be converted to Blue Wensleydale instead of Stilton."

Booths is running its first Festival of Northern Food in 14 of its stores, with 24 days of free tastings, including more than 100 local speciality products and food combinations, as well as barbecue, cheese and beer tastings, from Thursday through to Sunday until early September.

Lincoln Clarke, Booths' marketing director, said: "We're hoping the festival will bring people closer to the wonderful food and drink available from northern producers, and give some new and fresh food combination ideas to our customers."