This card is all about slowing down, choosing things with care and enjoying the flavours that make Lancashire special. From farmhouse cheeses and proper meat to small-batch beers and gin, there are plenty of ways to fill your basket with local treats and turn them into an easy, indulgent date at home.
Choose a supermarket with a strong local range, a farm shop, a deli or a country store and go shopping together. Look for things that have been made, grown or reared in Lancashire, choose together and then head home to share them on a platter, as a simple supper or alongside your favourite drinks.
Lancashire cheeses
Lancashire is famous for its cheese, so make that the star of your board. You don’t need to find these exact names, but they are good examples of the styles to hunt for on the label:
Creamy Lancashire – soft, fluffy and rich; melts beautifully and is perfect for cheese on toast or topping baked potatoes.
Tasty Lancashire – matured longer for a stronger, nutty flavour, great on a cheeseboard or in a ploughman’s lunch.
Crumbly Lancashire – fresher and tangier, similar in texture to Cheshire or Wensleydale, lovely in salads or with chutney.
Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire Cheese (PDO) – a protected variety made in a defined area of Lancashire; a nice “treat” cheese if you see it.
Other local names like Blacksticks Blue or Lancashire Bomb style cheeses can also pop up at farm shops and delis for something a bit different.
Add crackers, bread, butter and chutneys or pickles and you have an instant Lancashire tasting board.
Lucy loves…
“Lancashire is known for its incredible produce. Here are some of my favourites: – Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses. – Lancashire crisps, which you can purchase from most shops in the county. – Mrs Kirkham’s Cheese. – Dewlay Cheesemakers.”
From a Lancashire Lass tips: Lucy Baxter is the host of the From a Lancashire Lass podcast that shares stories from Lancashire businesses and inspirational people. The aim of the podcast is to support businesses, whilst supporting Lancashire and celebrating the county’s heritage. Lucy is also a broadcast journalist who works on a range of national and international TV and radio programmes.
Local meats, pies and baked treats
Lancashire has a long food history, so you could also look out for:
Locally reared beef, lamb or pork for a simple roast or stew.
Traditional pies, pasties or sausage rolls made in the county.
Regional bakes such as Eccles or Chorley cakes, which (conveniently) pair very well with Lancashire cheese.
You can keep it as simple as warm pies and a sharing board, or go all in and cook a full Lancashire-inspired dinner together.
Drinks: beers, ciders and spirits
To round things off, add a local drink (alcoholic or soft) to enjoy alongside your food.
Lancashire has a fantastic choice of breweries and microbreweries producing real ales, golden ales, stouts and craft beers, many of which you will find in farm shops, bottle shops and larger supermarkets.
Look out for bottles from local breweries such as those based in Lancaster, East Lancashire or your nearest town; you don’t need a specific brand, just check the label for “brewed in Lancashire”.
If you prefer spirits, distilleries like Brindle Distillery, home of Cuckoo Gin, show just how good Lancashire-made gin can be, and their bottles are often stocked in local shops as well as on-site.
Non-drinkers can look for local cordials, presses, juices or even locally roasted coffee.
You can keep this date really flexible. It might be a special Lancashire cheeseboard and chutney night, “taste of the farm shop” picnic with pies, cheeses and cakes or cosy evening with local gin and a few carefully chosen nibbles.
The aim is not to hunt down specific brands, but to notice what is made close to home, choose it with intention and enjoy it together.
