Foodie Short Break Ideas

If you don't know what to visit first, take a look at our ideas for a short break to Lancashire featuring producer visits, farmers' markets, food trails, Taste Lancashire accredited restaurants and quality places to stay.

1. Farmland and Wetland - West Lancashire

2. Peardrops and Pints - East Lancashire

3. Food Halls and Historic Halls - Samlesbury

4. Smokehouse and Sunshine - Lancaster

5. Food and Farming - Wyre

6. Seaside Delights - Blackpool and the Fylde coast

7. Ribble Valley Trail - Ribble Valley

Farmland and Wetland - West Lancashire

Day One

Morning - Cedar Farm Farmer's Market and craft gallery, host to a number of stalls selling local produce from the area (first Saturday of each month).

Lunch - Take lunch at Saracens Head Country Pub and Restaurant set on the banks of the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

Afternoon - Explore the WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre which offers you the chance to come into close contact with wetlands and their wildlife. OR Take a trip to Frederick's ice cream parlour selling over 100 flavours made on site.

Dinner - Fresco Fresco, whose name literally means Fresh Fresh and this is how chef-patron Giovanni Iozzi describes the food at this traditional Italian Restaurant OR The Boathouse Brasserie, situated on the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

Overnight - West Tower Country House Hotel - excellent accommodation in a beautiful historic house with stunning views.

Day two

Morning - Visit The Farm at Burscough, at the heart of rural West Lancashire, with the best of their traditionally grown vegetables available at their farm shop OR Homestead Farmshop, which sells home grown vegetables and potatoes and seasonal fruits

Lunch - Homestead Farmshop also serves frshly prepared food sourced from the farm..

Peardrops and Pints - East Lancashire

Day one

Morning - Visit Britain's last original temperance bar, Fitzpatricks in Rawtenstall and take a pint of dandelion and burdock or black beer and raisin, then move on to the Fudge Village in Bacup. Take a tour and enjoy the sights, sounds and aromas of fudge-making.

Lunch - The Coffee Mill Cafe, situated within Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, exploring the history of Lancashire's textile industry OR take a trip to the Burnley, a premiership town and take lunch at The Mix , a contemporary venue.

Afternoon - Take a trip to Oswaldtwistle Mills where you can watch sweets being made and take a look at the largest pear drop in the world!

Dinner and evening - Take a tour of Moorhouses Brewery which will not only show you how the beer is made but give you the chance to sample some of these fantastic ales, followed by a traditional Lancashire supper. Tours can be arranged for groups of 15-30 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings OR take dinner at The Clog and Billycock, one of the famous Ribble Valley Inns.

Overnight - Stanley House Hotel a 17th century manor house surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Day two

Morning - Rossendale Farmers' Market, held at Helmshore, featuring a wide variety of produce from both local and regional producers (first Sunday of each month).

Lunch and afternoon - Take lunch in Turton Tower tea rooms, then spend the afternoon exploring Turton Tower, a fine country house on the edge of the popular walking area of the West Pennine Moors.

Dinner - Take your choice from one of a cluster of international restaurants in Rossendale, all with the Taste Lancashire award including Nino's  or Marios (italian), Casa Tapas (mediterranean) Red Chilli Restaurant (Chinese) or Ashoka (Indian).

Food Halls and Historic Halls - Samlesbury

Day one

Morning and lunch

Huntley's of Samlesbury’s food hall boasts an extensive array of local and great British food, from local meats and cheeses to confectionary. Also serving lunch in the Taste Lancashire quality assured cafe.

Afternoon - Mrs Dowson's, serving delicious home made ice cream.

Dinner - The Walled Garden Bistro at Barton Grange, where carefully selected ingredients are combined with flair and imagination to produce dishes which can often look too good to eat!

Overnight - Best Western Premier Leyland Hotel a four star hotel with extensive leisure facilities including large indoor pool, spa and sauna.

Day two

Morning - Hoghton Tower Farmers' Market, set in the magnificent surroundings of Hoghton Tower (third Sunday of each month).

Lunch and afternoon - Take lunch in Samlesbury Hall restaurant where Lancashire food is now served surrounded by real log fires and candlelight, then spend the afternooon exploring the Samlesbury Hall, a black and white, oak-timbered medieval manor-house dating from 1325.

Smokehouse and Sunshine - Lancaster

Day one

Morning - Visit the RSPB Discovery Centre at Leighton Moss - interact with the displays, spot the birds, follow a nature trail and relax in the Taste Lancashire tearooms.

Lunch - The Borough, much more than just a pub, also establishing a reputation as a leading city restaurant.

Afternoon - At J Atkinson Coffee Shop, watch coffee bring ground and see the old fashioned style equipment in the museum style shop. Coffee tastings also offered. Then move on to Greenlands Farm Village, an exciting new attraction combining the Wellies cafe, farm shop, craft outlets and animals.

Dinner - Longlands Inn and Restaurant a canalside inn offering the best of fresh local produce.

Overnight - Penny Street Bridge, a brand new experience for the historical city of Lancaster, offering a contemporary blend of bar, food and rooms.

Day two

Morning - Port of Lancaster Smokehouse offers an extensive range of traditionally smoked and gourmet foods as well as tours of the smoking process. Please telephone to confirm tour times.

Lunch - Dalton Arms, located on the famous Glasson Dock is a friendly, welcoming and comfortable pub, offering an extensive menu with freshly cooked food.

Afternoon - Wallings Farm offers a mix of working farm, restaurant, coffee shop, ice cream parlour, local food shop and traditional breeds butchery.

Food and Farming - Wyre

Day one

Morning and lunch - Cobble Hey Farm and Gardens, an award-winning visitor attraction with gardens, play area, walks, rare breed farm animals, gift shop and Taste Lancashire Highest Quality award tea rooms.

Afternoon - Visit the world's first Fairtrade town at Garstang. Garstang Market is one Lancashire's oldest traditional markets, established in the 14th century (every Thursday).

Dinner - The Priory at Scorton, a family run bar, restaurant and tearooms situated in the picturesque village of Scorton.

Overnight -Crofters Hotel, with a unique atmosphere, warmest of welcomes and superb brasserie.

Day two

Morning - Dew-Lay Cheese Tour, enjoy a tour of this award-winning cheese produce based on an 18 acre greenfield site.

Lunch - Th'owd Tithe Barn, a canalside restaurant and pub with a superb menu for both meals and snacks.

Afternoon - Follow one of the Cheese Trails and enjoy a 6 mile easy walk through the fields known as 'The Lancashire Milk Fields' by Lancashire's Artisan Cheesemakers.

Seaside Delights - Blackpool and the Fylde coast

Day one

Morning - Lytham town centre, visit the quaint shops, quality food outlets and local produce shops including Lanigan's fish shop and Whelan's Fish Restaurant to name a few.

Lunch - Kwizeen Restaurant, a small boutique restaurant specialising in local, seasonal produce

Afternoon - Rock Candy Kingdom where you can watch traditional rock being made, then feel like a child in a candy shop when you see the wide selection of confectionery!

Dinner - Toast Cafe Bar and Grill Restaurant,  a contemporary cafe bar offering an extensive cafe menu by day and a la carte menu in the evening OR try fine Indian dining at the elgantly themed Jali, within the Best Western Carlton Hotel.

Overnight - The Grand in Lytham, a four star boutique hotel, grand in nature as well as in name.

Day two

Morning - Poulton Farmers' Market, a popular local produce market where you can pick up the best of fresh food (last Saturday of each month).

Lunch - Try the independently owned Ship at Elswick OR The Cartford Inn a 17th century coaching inn located by the banks of the River Wyre.

Afternoon - Weatheroak Ostrich Farm, which produces quality ostrich products including meat, burgers, sausages, pates and pies. Ostrich is becoming increasingly well known as the healthy alternative red meat as it is virtually fat free then Bonds Ice Cream, the newly refurbished ice cream bar is definitely the place to savour Bonds' mouthwatering range of speciality ice creams.

Ribble Valley Trail - Ribble Valley

Day one

Morning - Leagrams Organic Dairy, where you can come and see the cheese-making process at one of the members of Lancashire's group of expert cheese producers, set in the picturesque village of Chipping. Please telephone to confirm availability.

Lunch - The Three Fishes at Mitton, a fine pub experience run by Ribble Valley Inns OR The Carmen Rose, a traditional English tea shop set in an old ivy covered barn in the beautiful and historic village of Ribchester.

Afternoon - Wild Boar Park to view wild boars, cattle, llama, wallabys, red squirrels and pet lambs, some of which can be fed. Also play area, donkey rides and tractor rides.

Dinner -Take a trip to the lovely village of Gisburn and enjoy traditional Italian hospitality and cuisine at the multi award-winning La Locanda Ristorante Italiano.

Overnight - Gibbon Bridge Hotel, a four-star, privately owned hotel and restaurant, nestling in 23 acres of beautiful gardens OR the beautiful 17th century Shireburn Arms at Hurst Green, both surrounded by the Forest of Bowland.

Day two

Morning - Take one of the Lancashire Cheese Trails around Lancashire's artisan cheesemakers, known as "the Lancashire milk fields". The walks cover areas of the Forest of Bowland, around Chipping, Beacon Fell and Garstang.

Lunch -  Enjoy a hearty pub meal at the Buck Inn at Paythorne situated by the River Ribble.

Afternoon - Bashall Barn, a family business based at the Barnes' working dairy farm and opened in 2001. Bowland Brewery is based within Bashall Barn and produces hand-crafted real ales OR
Little Town Dairy, a family run dairy making yoghurts, soured cream, creme fraiche and probiotic drinks.