A POP-up restaurant, a secret gin garden, an exclusive festival beer and countless foodie experiences – they are all on the menu at the 2018 Taste Cumbria Kirkby Lonsdale food festival.

The main event takes place in the town over the weekend April 14 and 15, where a few tickets are still available for Taste Cumbria Kirkby Lonsdale’s first ever pop-up restaurant.

It will be hosted by the award-winning head chef Oli Martin, of Hipping Hall at Cowan Bridge, and it will take place at the rectory behind St Mary’s Parish Church with its famous view over the Lune Valley.

Oli’s six-course tasting menu will be matched with specially paired wines and feature local and foraged ingredients. Tickets are limited, priced at £99 per person.

Another new attraction is the Secret Gin Garden with Cumbrian cocktail specialist The Tipsy Filly. From 2pm on the Sunday, visitors can indulge in some boozy treats and lots of tasty ideas. A shuttle bus will run from The Royal Barn in the heart of Kirkby Lonsdale to the secret location for a full afternoon of gin experiences, cocktails and special treats. Tickets cost £25 per person.

Taste Cumbria Kirkby Lonsdale is building on the success of the inaugural event held last year and is expected to draw in food lovers and their families from all over the north.

At the heart of the festival is the producers’ food market with more than 40 stallholders. Local favourites include Kircabi Roasters coffee and Dales Traditional Butchers from Kirkby Lonsdale, along with other much-loved Cumbrian names like Lakeland Mues, Grasmere Gingerbread and Mr Vikki’s.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy delicious street food, from Thai curries to Alpine-style raclette in readiness for the all-weekend beer festival, which takes place at the Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery’s tap bar, The Royal Barn. There is even another exclusive Taste Cumbria beer – the Kircabi Pale Ale, aka KPA’ – which has coffee in the brew, courtesy of Kircabi Roasters.

With chefs’ demonstrations from the likes of Oli Martin at Hipping Hall, Jamie Shail and Daniel McGeorge at Ambleside’s Rothay Manor, plus Luke Whittle from the Michelin-starred Forest Side at Grasmere, there are some top culinary tips to be had.

There are also children’s activities taking place in the Lunesdale Hall and street theatre provided by Ulverston’s Fairly Famous Family.

Event manager Mandy Norwood said: “We would like to thank the sponsors of this year’s festival - Hipping Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery and Thomson Hayton Winkley estate agents, and all of those involved whose passion for all things food and drink, dedication and hard work make the Taste Cumbria Kirkby Lonsdale food festival such a special and memorable experience.”

Booking is essential for Oli Martin’s Pop-Up Restaurant and the Secret Gin Garden - visit www.tastecumbria.co.uk or call 01228 612740 for more information.