Leeds cheesemonger, George & Joseph, has been named a regional winner at the 2026 Farm Shop & Deli Retailer Awards, cementing its reputation as one of the UK independent food retailer. The Chapel Allerton-based business was recognised as the North East regional winner at the national awards, which celebrate the very best specialist food retailers across the UK.

Nestled in the heart of the Lake District, Grasmere Distillery is preparing to take a significant step forward in its journey to create a truly local whisky. From autumn 2026, the distillery will begin small-scale malting on site, marking the start of its ambition to produce the first whisky made entirely from Cumbrian ingredients.

Les Dennis has a truly wonderful outlook on food. “Most people eat to live – but I live to eat," declares Les. Les currently plays the role of Old Joe in the UK tour of the musical Waitress, and he not only loves eating food but also enjoys preparing and cooking it; he was the runner-up in the 2013 Celebrity MasterChef and later returned as a guest judge.

Many people think that ballerinas survive on a lettuce leaf or two and an apple – but nothing could be further from the truth. Dancing the lead role of Anne Lister in Northern Ballet’s premiere of the ballet Gentleman Jack, Gemma Coutts freely admits that not only does she love food, but she needs to “fuel her body", especially when she’s performing.

Descending the path, worn smooth from centuries of feet, and gently curling from street level into the restaurant, I’m sat at a table that has been custom built round a pillar supporting the vaulted ceiling. I sense the warm, calm purposefulness of the team. It’s disarming. Reading the beginning of the menu I notice my post “tough week at work” snark has already de-escalated by a good 85%.

Tucked away between Briggate and Lands Lane in cobbled Swan Street is one of the city’s hidden gems. What may come to mind immediately is the City Varieties – the famous music hall and the oldest working theatre in the country – but this theatre would not have existed without the landlord of the White Swan in the mid-1800s.

Two acclaimed Cumbrian restaurants have secured prestigious positions in Harden's Top 100 UK Restaurants for 2026, underscoring the county's emergence as a culinary powerhouse beyond the capital.

Robin Simpson looks upon food as more than just a necessity. “I really enjoy food,” he freely admits. Playing Nurse Nellie, the dame in York Theatre Royal’s pantomime production of Sleeping Beauty, “is relentless,” says Robin.

A mid-October break, and conjuring our childhood experiences, we decided to head out in our camper van to the well-known amusement park of Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire, excited by the prospect of an on-site touring field and a couple of days of fun and reliving our childhood. We were eager to get going.

Richard Hurst freely admits he “loves the whole food experience,” but it was a change in lifestyle that inspired him to learn to cook. “In my teens and early twenties I made some bad choices in regard to my lifestyle and diet.

After months of rigorous testing by expert judges, the winners of this year’s Great British Food Awards have been revealed, and Grasmere Distillery is proud to announce a double win for its Cumbrian handcrafted spirits. At their lakeshore distillery, the team crafts small-batch spirits with a true grain-to-glass ethos.