A spectacular new fire and food festival is being held in Eden this May.
Taking place at a farm near Penrith from 5th to 7th May, 54 Degrees North will celebrate Cumbria’s bountiful larder with the best meat the county has to offer cooked by some of the UK’s best chefs on open fires.
A spokesman said: “There’s a full programme across the weekend, with lots to keep the whole family entertained, including cookery demos, hands on foodie demos and workshops, compered and presented by River Cottage’s artisan smoking and curing expert, Steven Lamb.
“As well as live bands and DJs, an onsite bar from multi-award-winning brewers Lakes Brew Co and a whole range of local artisan producers, there will be a plentiful supply of delicious flame cooked food, served up by some of the UK’s top fire chefs.”
As well as Steven Lamb, also at the festival will be Darren Broome, head chef at Pythouse Kitchen Garden.
His career as a chef spans 17 years, including stints with Michael Caines and Marco Pierre White and he’s carved out his own food style using influences from Scandinavia, British food history, the art of cooking over fire and the wild ingredients he forages for.
Also joining in the fun will be Matt Cross. He is a legend in the barbecuing world and is well known for his unique take on British barbecue.
He realises that it’s not just the food which makes a meal memorable, it’s the whole package, the smells, surroundings, the service and of course the food that makes a meal not only a meal but a memorable experience.
“Matt will be with us for the whole weekend manning our massive smokers, keeping fires on point and hopefully enjoying the hell out of himself,” the spokesman said.
54 Degrees North is a brand-new boutique family friendly festival, located at Into the Woods, near Penrith, and even the wood and charcoal to be used has been grown and produced on the farm itself.
Each day and night of the festival will feature a different theme — from fireside chats to full on party mode, but all designed to fully immerse guests in the art of fire cooking.
On Friday, the opening night, Lakes Brew Co will help ease festival-goers into the weekend serving up a selection of their award-winning beers. Guests will also be able to tuck into food fresh off the grills, including Dexter burgers, High Pike smokies, next level fire kebabs and smoky ribs.
Locally made pizzas cooked over wood won’t be the only thing being spun, as DJs gear up to host the night-time festivities. Michelin starred, Paul Leonard’s chef’s table will come to life in the forest for a truly unique experience as he serves up a five-course, fire cooked tasting menu, all cooked in a specially built analogue kitchen.
Saturday has something for everyone, whether it’s kick-starting the day with a yoga class or indulging in epic breakfast buns (or both).
And to help things along there’ll also be plenty of freshly brewed tea and artisan coffee on tap too.
After that it’ll be time to get stuck into the day’s packed programme: as farmers, butchers and chefs tell the story of food, from field to fire.
There’s a huge children’s area with loads of activities to keep little ones entertained too, and to mark the Coronation of HRH King Charles III the event will be screened live, toasted with special Coronation celebration cocktails mixed by Kendal’s Blind Bus Driver, English sparkling wine and Champagne, to mark this once in a lifetime event.
Meanwhile, with the fires fully stoked with sustainably sourced wood from the festival site, over 25 of the finest fire cooking masters will be serving up some incredible dishes, with all of their ingredients sourced from within 54 degrees latitude.
A whole pedigree Dexter will be smoked and slow cooked for 20 hours in a massive 500-gallon smoker, local rare breed pork Mexican Cochinitia Pibil, will be slow cooked underground, and Argentine style Asados made with PDO Herdwick lamb will be cooked over coals, alongside special spit roasted Coronation Bresse chicken, just some of the stars from the coals, all accompanied by music from a line-up of top bands and DJs.
Sunday is a family day, which gets under way with informal fireside chats, mugs of coffee or tea and a jazz inspired brunch, cooked over coals, before immersive masterclasses get under way, covering topics from building a fire to creating charcuterie from scratch — there’s something for every age and ability.
In the afternoon, the 54 Degrees North feasting table will be revealed, as the team gear up to host what promises to be the ultimate Sunday roast.
Visit www.fiftyfourdegreesnorth.co.uk for ticket information.
