Spice up your weekend visit to The Gingerbread House Festival by choosing from a mouth-watering menu of FREE-to-attend family-friendly activities.
After marvelling at all our unique 'gingerbread house' designs, visit the Showcase Theatre where culinary experts will deliver delectable demonstrations on everything from winter hedgerow baking and edible Christmas decorations to the ultimate festive stuffing and Christmas cocktails.
In Storyteller’s Corner, best-selling children’s authors will captivate younger readers with tales of the unexpected.
See our full timetable of exciting events (below) and write your own memorable story at The Gingerbread House Festival in beautiful Cumbria.
Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa Christmas Lights ‘Switch On’
Festive food, entertainment, stalls and Father Christmas arriving by boat.
The Gingerbread House Festival
Competition judging 12.30pm
Winner announced 1.15pm
For entrants ONLY.
FREE demonstrations & children's activities please see below
The Gingerbread House Festival
FREE demonstrations & children's activities please see below
Demonstration talks in The Showcase Theatre sponsored by Karen Healy Outdoor Catering
Karen Healy outside catering has worked with clients across the Lake District for many years, providing fresh and individually created dishes for home dining, family celebrations and corporate events. Her delicious and innovative cuisine uses sustainably and locally sourced produce and caters for all tastes including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan. For home dining, options include pre-dinner canapes and two, three or five courses with a private chef and waiting service. For family celebrations, grazing platters, canape selections or a more traditional buffet service are offered with servers, crockery and linen. For corporate events up to 100 guests, a canape and buffet service is provided with bespoke solutions to unique requirements.
PLEASE NOTE: Although all activities, talks and demonstrations are offered FREE on a ‘first come, first serve basis’, visitors are kindly asked to make a donation to sessions as The Gingerbread House Festival is raising money for Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity. Thank you.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about contributors please see below.
Winter Hedgerow Baking by Abbi Lawson from Hedgerow & Hearth
Great British Bake Off contestant Abbi Lawson shows you how to make the most of what is FREE on your doorstep.
Edible Christmas Decorations by Debby the Boho Baker – North West Queen of Creative Gingerbread Making.
Learn how to make delicious, spicy gingerbread Christmas decorations, ornaments and gifts for your home and tree.
Ultimate Christmas Stuffing by Karen Healy Outdoor Catering with Will Manley
Karen and Will use Grasmere Gingerbread® to create the ultimate Christmas stuffing and fabulous Boxing Day leftover sandwich (with suggestions for dietary alternatives).
TBC
Spice things up with Christmas Cocktails by Low Wood Bay Mixologist.
Demystify the art of mixology to create delicious festive tipples.
Edible Christmas Decorations by Debby the Boho Baker – North West Queen of Creative Gingerbread Making.
Learn how to make delicious, spicy gingerbread Christmas decorations, ornaments and gifts for your home and tree.
Winter Hedgerow Baking by Abbi Lawson from Hedgerow & Hearth
Great British Bake Off contestant Abbi Lawson shows you how to make the most of what is FREE on your doorstep.
Cumberland Festive Food by renowned Cumbrian celebrity chef John Crouch
John will make two seasonal recipes with Christmas connections and talk about traditional dishes of Cumberland. An entertaining demonstration and talk packed with historical facts followed by tasters of food prepared.
Ultimate Christmas Stuffing by Karen Healy Outdoor Catering with Will Manley
Karen and Will use Grasmere Gingerbread® to create the ultimate Christmas stuffing and fabulous Boxing Day leftover sandwich (with suggestions for dietary alternatives).
TBC
Spice things up with Christmas Cocktails by Low Wood Bay Mixologist.
Demystify the art of mixology to create delicious festive tipples.
Abbi Lawson
Tebay-based Abbi Lawson is a forager, baker and self-proclaimed food experimentalist who appeared as a contestant on the Great British Bake Off. Fuelled by her passion for food sustainability and finding the ‘divine’ in nature, she can usually be found deep in a patch of brambles, climbing a tree to find a flush of mushrooms or spending days creating a woodland grove-themed birthday cake. She explores how the food we eat connects us to the place and planet that we call home.
Debby Donnelly-Addison
Better known as The Boho Baker, Debby is an award-winning sugarcraft artist, baker and food writer with a passion for imaginative and creative bakes. A regular contributor to Lancashire Life and author of ‘Baking Tarts for All Occasions’, Debby’s expertise in sugarcraft has earnt her recognition in national baking competitions, including awards at Cake International and the International Salon Culinaire.
Karen Healy and Will Manley
Karen has worked in the hospitality sector in the Lake District for 19 years, providing wholesome, fresh and individually created dishes for events, both large and small. Fulfilling her love of making people happy through her food, Karen believes that everyone should be able to enjoy good food and specialises in providing dishes for every dietary requirement. She has earned a reputation for delicious and innovative cuisine using good quality produce, both sustainable and locally sourced.
Will Manley is a classically trained chef who also loves making people happy through food. Along with his wife, he spent years hosting discerning customers in the French Alps, catering hearty post skiing meals in the winter and healthy vegan meals in the summer for yoga retreats. He now caters for private clients alongside looking after his two young children.
John Crouch
John Crouch is a celebrated Cumbrian chef and food history expert with more decades under his creative belt that he cares to remember. He is known for his Friday morning studio talks on BBC Radio Cumbria and at his events with English Heritage he recreates historical recipes using authentic ingredients. His extensive knowledge of all types of food, cooking, recipes and baking, plus his personable presentation style, captivates audiences of all ages. Like a fine wine, John has matured into one of Cumbria’s best-loved culinary figures…
The Storytellers Corner sponsored by Sam Read Bookshop, Grasmere
Sam Read – remembered fondly for his ‘courtesy and help to all comers’ – opened his eponymously-named bookshop in Grasmere village 1887; it is the oldest in the north of England. After Sam’s daughter Helen retired in 1950, the business in Broadgate has been run by several owners – each becoming a fixture of village life. In 2006, it won the Times/Independent Alliance Competition for Best UK Independent Bookshop. It is currently owned by Will Smith and Polly Atkin who are dedicated to bringing the joy of reading to new generations.
Children’s gingerbread biscuit decorating
Decorate delicious home-made gingerbread house- shaped biscuits with icing and sweetie decorations (all children must be accompanied by an adult)
Storytelling by popular children’s author Elaina Moon
Seasonal crafts with Elaina Moon
Storytelling by Storytelling Laureate Taffy Thomas
Storytelling and book signing by fairytale writer Sophie Anderson
Storytelling by Elaina Moon
Seasonal crafts with Elaina Moon
Storytelling by Taffy Thomas
Storytelling and book signing by Sophie Anderson
Children’s gingerbread biscuit decorating
Decorate delicious home-made gingerbread house-shaped biscuits with icing and sweetie decorations (all children must be accompanied by an adult)
Storytelling by popular children’s author Elaina Moon
Seasonal crafts with Elaina Moon
Storytelling by Storytelling Laureate Taffy Thomas
Storytelling and book signing by fairytale author Sophie Anderson
Storytelling by Elaina Moon
Seasonal crafts with Elaina Moon
Storytelling by Taffy Thomas
Storytelling & book signing by Sophie Anderson
Sophie Anderson
Sophie Anderson grew up on the Welsh coast and now lives in the Lake District with her family. Her writing is most often inspired by folk and fairy stories, especially the Slavic tales her Prussian grandmother told her when she was young. Sophie’s latest book is A Year of Fairy Tales illustrated by Elisa Paganelli.
Elaina Moon
Former teacher Elaina Moon developed a love of storytelling in the classroom and began writing and illustrating her own children’s stories in 2019. Following visits to The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, Elaina wrote and illustrated ‘Little Robin and the Delicious Gingerbread’ as there was always a cheeky robin close by hoping to pick up some crumbs of Grasmere Gingerbread®.
Taffy Thomas
Based in Grasmere in the Lake District, Taffy Thomas MBE is one of England’s best-known traditional storytellers. In 2009, he accepted the honorary position of Britain’s first Laureate for Storytelling and served from 2010–2012. Known for his warmth and humour, Taffy Thomas seamlessly combines entertainment, education and folklore to inspire his audience.
Now you've seen what's on; its time to enter the competition. Don't wait around as there's not much time left!
Countdown to the Festival