Lakeland Spice Cuisine, Keswick, December 2017

Yes, I’m predictable. Achari chicken again, the exact same thing that I had in June 2016 and June 2015 – I really like this dish. Chicken cooked in pickling spices and some limes (although there could always be more limes). A nice piquancy and a good consistency of sauce.

This went well with a Cloudwater DDH IPA Nelson Sauvin Galaxy (lots of Southern hemisphere hops) and some To Øl Frost Bite, brewed with orange peel and pine needles. Athough I didn’t get any orange just some hints of pine.

Another good meal from Lakeland spice – see you in the summer!

The Crafty Sheep Dog, Keswick, December 2017

Beer drinkers in Keswick have always been well served by Booths, Britain’s greatest supermarket (although sadly now up for sale, so at risk from losing that title depending on who buys them up).

However, Booths can’t get hold of everything beer-related, because some stuff is made in batches that are too small for distribution to supermarkets. So there is a gap in the market for someone to supply local and “not too far away” beers. Step forward “The Crafty Sheep Dog”.

The Crafty Sheep Dog (not to be confused with The Crafty Baa in Windermere) is found inside Sheep-ish in Keswick, a friendly clothes shop that has lots of sheep-themed designs and parodies, in the form of t-shirts, hoodies and the like.

More importantly, they have a corner of the shop dedicated to Cumbrian breweries and one “guest brewery”. Right now that guest brewery is the lovely Fyne Ales, so I had to pick up a couple of them as well as one each from Tractor Shed, Hardknott and Fell.

There are plenty to choose from, so even if you’ve had a lot of Cumbrian beer (like me) then you’ll find some interesting new things tucked away in crafty corner.

Definitely worth a visit, particularly with #tryanuary coming up!

Laura in the Lakes, Keswick, December 2017

Another quick lunchtime post. A day of dull today, so we were trundling around the shops in Keswick today. We decided to try something different for lunch, one of the many quirky little cafes in Keswick, in the form of Laura in the Lakes.

We’ve walked by countless times, it’s hard to miss with its eye catching cutesy sheep/butterfly branding. Today was the day to pop in for a later lunch. Loads to choose from, including panini, wraps, baguettes, rolls, pizza breads, quiches, soups, broths, stews, curries, lasagne, pies, pastries and jacket spuds.

I had ham & cheese panino (always predictable), it was simple and tasty, perfect to warm up on a miserable day in winter.

If you’re out and about in Keswick, then this compact little cafe will do nicely.