Recipes

For many years before we retired, White Moss House was a highly rated hotel and restaurant. Peter's food was ranked among the best in the country in the Good Food Guide every year. He was famous for using local produce, freshly cooked every night for  about 18 guests in our 300 year old dining room. Our wine list was award winning too- a great choice of bottles dating back to 1928 at incredibly reasonable prices. We were fully booked every night.

There is a distinctive Cumbrian food scene. Using the great local food produced in this area, Cumbria has become a magnet for foodies. It wasn't always so.

When we started out using only fresh local produce, herbs from our own garden, seasonal food, nothing but the best, we were trailblazers. People marvelled that we did not allow guests to smoke. They were amazed that we served only British cheeses. We were ahead of the times. These things are totally accepted as normal now.

These are not Peter's highly acclaimed recipes! Sorry! However, they do follow Peter's principles- use only the best, local  ingredients wherever possible. Follow the seasons. Be at one with your environment. As one of our reviews once said "nature and man combine harmoniously at White Moss House to provide the very best in food and comfort"

These are my homely recipes that I turn to for family gatherings and Women's Institute teas and sundry coffee mornings.

White Moss Lakeland Tea bread

Traditional Lake District Food- an overview of what makes food from Cumbria and the Lakes unique

Lake District Tea Bread recipe This is my own White Moss House version of the Lakeland tea bread. You won't believe how easy this is to make.

Blackberry and Apple Grasmere  This is a blackberry and apple crumble with a special Grasmere ingredient- ginger. Grasmere is famous for its Grasmere gingerbread. Ginger features in many Cumbrian recipes, brought in to the port of Whitehaven from the West Indies in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Cumberland Rum Butter This very simple recipe was the height of fashion in the 18th century. The wealthy had special Rum Butter Dishes in fine china to show off this new delicacy.Now it's an essential at the Christmas dinner table to go with Christmas pudding. I love to serve it with ice cream- anytime. Rum, butter and sugar- 3 of my favourite things. What's not to like?