Grasmere Gingerbread

Recently I got very excited when I got a box through the post. In the box was a lovely selection from Grasmere Gingerbread. Grasmere gingerbread reminds me of summer holidays as a child. Of a queuing down the street, waiting for your turn to go into a warm, beautifully scented old bakery. What you are met with (as well as the scrumptious scent) are rows of gingerbread. And the smiling faces of the people making and selling it. It is not just tourists who queue for this sweet treat, but locals too and sometimes celebrities. Grasmere gingerbread is unique. It is hard to find the words to describe it, so we asked the lovely people of Grasmere Gingerbread to tell us about it and why it is so special.

What is so special about your gingerbread? How would you describe it to someone who hasn’t had it before?
Grasmere Gingerbread is a truly artisan product. The same recipe is still used today in our tiny village shop by our skilled bakers and so cannot be replicated. The renowned chewy texture is certainly worth preserving and the recipe is in fact locked in a bank vault in nearby Windermere. The Gingerbread is neither soft and cakey nor brittle like a biscuit but something uniquely in-between. The flavour is a perfect combination of satisfyingly sweet with the familiar, unmistakeable ginger spiciness you would expect in every bite (and sniff! – if ever in Grasmere, simply follow your nose to find us!)

How old is the recipe?
The original recipe was formulated by the Victorian cook Sarah Nelson in 1854, so we are approaching the 164th year since its creation.

What else can people find when visiting you store?
We are very passionate about promoting the best that our region has to offer in the way of quality ingredients and produce. Therefore, we have managed to fit an awful lot of delicious foodstuffs and gifts into our little shop. From preserves, plum puddings, various flavoured fudges and Kendal mint cake to our very own award-winning homemade rum butter, our shelves are packed with a large range of treats for you to choose from. We also sell handcrafted gifts that make the perfect keepsake to remind you of your visit. These include keyrings, brooches and magnets…all gingerbread-themed, naturally.

You have had a reel of celebrities visit your store, who has been the most famous? Or who was your particular favourite?
Our shop does certainly receive a lot of attention and the queue has featured many familiar faces! Hollywood actors, soap stars, musicians and celebrity chefs have all graced our humble shop to try our world-famous Gingerbread. We don’t have a particular favoured celebrity across the team (ask the ladies and Tom Cruise comes up trumps!) However, we were honoured to invite one of our most prestigious regular customers, Prince Charles, into our shop to have a go at cutting his own Gingerbread pieces and seeing the bakery in action. It’s not every day that you receive a royal visitation to your place of work and we showed our thanks by giving him a very special gift – his very own, personalised Grasmere Gingerbread bakery overcoat.

Is there anything coming up soon that you are excited about?
We always have plenty going on to keep us busy both in our shop and out and about.
We understand that for many people, it isn’t always convenient to travel to us to receive their Gingerbread in-person. Therefore, we regularly attend food festivals and shows to ensure our customers’ stocks are refreshed. One of our favourites is the Ulverston Dickensian Festival on the 25th-26th November. It’s the epitome of festive fun as the town’s cobbled streets are transported back in time for one weekend only. You will also find us at the magnificent Wirral Bazaar (1st-2nd November) and Durham Christmas market (1st-3rd December). We also really enjoy preparing our shop for Christmas and decorating the windows and shelves really gets us in the festive spirit. It’s also a great excuse to experiment with new ways to enjoy our Gingerbread – with a warming glass of mulled wine or whisky by the fireside are our winter favourites!

What is your favourite thing about this time of year?
All of our staff feel very fortunate to live and work in such a beautiful part of the world and one of the many benefits is observing the beautiful changing of the seasons. The autumn colours we’re seeing at the moment are simply stunning and we are capturing some beautiful photos on the weekend and in the village on the mornings. We have been noticing the odd snow-tipped peak but there’s still plenty to enjoy before winter gets in full-swing. You can find some of our favourite recent snaps on our Instagram page! As we approach Christmas, we become extremely busy packaging up our mail order deliveries to be dispatched around the globe. We love knowing that our parcels will be bringing big smiles to recipients far and wide over Christmas and many orders have already been placed in anticipation.

The gingerbread that arrived disappeared very quickly and enjoyably. To find out more about this scrumptious gingerbread, or buy some for yourself or a friend, just have a look on the Grasmere Gingerbread Website