Just got back from a week up in a lovely part of the UK, the Lake District. I stayed on the Solway coast, which is a lesser known part of Cumbria. Still, they have a cheese maker there. Mawbray Cheese Company, which does a lot of local markets. We seemed to have an uncanny ability to miss them, however.

For example, Silloth. We were there the day they were supposed to be at the market (Thursday), but winds and weather conspired against their setting up the stall so sadly we did not see each other. And of course we just came up from down south on the 30th, so completely missed the Maryport Trawler Race and Maryport rescue fun weekend. We had to make do with heading to Keswick (missed them there too as we got there later in the week) and buying a lot of cheese at Keswick Cheese Delicatessen for consumption.

Appleby Creamery’s Eden Valley Brie never made it home, but we did buy more at Tebay Services Farmshop and Kitchen on the way home. Also enjoyed the Black Dub Blue from that creamery, and Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy was the source of the Binsey Red and Park House Smoked Cheddar. We had a cheese dinner one night.

I’ll mention Maryport Born & Bread as they served up excellent baguettes and sausage rolls we went back for more for, the next day. All this nourishment was needed for the trotting up and down the hills and into the fields to look at stone circles, waterfalls and a trip out to the heritage railway (Ravenglass & Eskdale). Not to forget Hadrian’s Wall (there is a lot more than you think) and looking out at the sea on the coast, plus a body of water (several – only one lake in the Lake District).

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International. Keep in touch via email: [email protected] Twitter: @dairyindustries 
  Linkedin: @dairyindustriesinternational