54º NORTH 2023 From Field to Fire A CUMBRIAN FIRE + FOOD FESTIVAL 5TH-7TH MAY

Submitted Greg Stephenson 15th Feb 2023

54 Degrees North is a brand-new boutique family friendly festival, located at Into the Woods, in the heart of Cumbria’s Eden Valley, showcasing the very best of Cumbria’s bountiful larder cooked by top chefs on open fires, from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th May.

Focussed on traditional rare breed meats farmed and produced by Lakeland Dexter, artisan craft beers created by Lakes Brew Co, bakery delights by multi-award winning More? Artisan Bakery, organic cheese and butter from Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy, organic vegetables lovingly grown and produced by River Cottage Farm (Cumbria) alongside an array of other top-quality Cumbrian producers, showcasing everything from pasta to spirits. Not forgetting tunes provided by live bands and top DJs, who will be keeping the vibe going throughout the weekend.

Each day and night of the festival will feature a different theme… from fireside chats to full on party mode, but all designed to fully immerse guests in the art of fire cooking. There’s an exciting programme of discussions lined up across the weekend too, focusing on the art of fire cooking, traditional and rare breed meats, butchery skills, curing and much more, hosted and presented by River Cottage’s artisan smoking and curing expert Steven Lamb.

Friday night, opening night, gives people the chance to set up camp, while we start the fires and Lakes Brew Co help ease you into the weekend serving up a selection of their award-winning beers. You can tuck into food fresh off the grills, including Dexter burgers, High Pike smokies, next level fire kebabs and smoky ribs. Locally made pizzas cooked over wood won’t be the only thing being spun, as our DJs gear up to host the night-time festivities.

Michelin starred, Paul Leonard’s chef’s table will come to life in the forest for a truly unique experience as he serves up a five-course, fire cooked tasting menu, all cooked in our specially built analogue kitchen. (limited tickets available online soon).

Saturday has something for everyone, whether it’s kick-starting the day with a yoga class or indulging in our epic breakfast buns (or both), you’re bound to start the day right. And to help you along there’ll also be plenty of freshly brewed tea and artisan coffee on tap too. After that it’ll be time to get stuck into the day’s packed programme: as farmers, butchers and chefs tell the story of food, from field to fire.

There’s a huge kids area with loads of activities to keep little ones entertained too, and to mark the Coronation of H.R.H. King Charles we’ll also be screening the event live, toasted with special Coronation celebration cocktails mixed by Kendal’s Blind Bus Driver, English sparkling wine and Champagne, as we mark this once in a lifetime event.

 

Meanwhile, with the fires fully stoked with sustainably sourced wood from the festival site, over 25 of the finest fire cooking masters will be serving up some incredible dishes, with all of their ingredients sourced from within 54 degrees latitude.

A whole pedigree Dexter will be smoked and slow cooked for 20 hours in a massive 500-gallon smoker, local rare breed pork Mexican Cochinitia Pibil, will be slow cooked underground, and Argentine style Asados made with PDO Herdwick lamb will be cooked over coals, alongside special spit roasted Coronation Bresse chicken, just some of the stars from the coals, all accompanied by music from a line-up of top bands and DJs.

Sunday is a family day, which gets underway with informal fireside chats, mugs of coffee or tea and our jazz inspired brunch, cooked over coals, before our immersive masterclasses get underway, covering topics like building the perfect fire to creating charcuterie from scratch, there’s something for every age ability, places are limited, with tickets on sale soon.

In the afternoon, the 54 Degrees North feasting table will be revealed, as the team gear up to host what promises to be the ultimate Sunday Roast. Michelin starred chefs and renowned fire cooking masters such as Matt Cross and Keith Burrowes will join forces to serve up a show-stopping fire cooked roast, with Lakes Brew Co beers and live music to help things along!

It promises to be a totally unforgettable first edition of 54 Degrees North, as we celebrate the finest fire cooked food, cooked using every possible method, from roaring fires to massive smokers and everything in between. All of course cooked by some of the UK’s finest chefs, using only the finest sustainably and ethically sourced local produce. Even the wood and charcoal has been grown and produced on the farm itself.

For more information on the line up visit: https://fiftyfourdegreesnorth.co.uk