Qvc To Start Selling Speciality Food

Food lovers across Britain will be tuning in to QVC, the UK’s leading shopping channel, to watch “Tastes of the Lake District” between 3pm and 4pm on Monday 7th April.

The Pie Mill in Keswick, The Pudding Room on the shores of Lake Coniston, The Old Smokehouse in Brougham, Penrith and Sillfield Farm in Endmoor, Kendal, have all been selected to take part in the programme.

Made in Cumbria, which helps to promote local producers, has negotiated the pilot programme with the producers and QVC. Its food specialist, John Anderson, commented, “We are delighted that QVC has chosen to make a programme on Cumbrian produce. The channel currently runs shows selling produce from Scotland and Wales which are very successful, so they were looking for producers in England. In the end they decided to focus on Cumbria because they were so impressed by the high quality of our local produce.

“If the show proves to be a resounding success we are looking at doing a further three programmes this year followed by regular annual slots. All of which opens the door for other Cumbrian food producers to be featured and get their 15 minutes of fame.”

QVC is one of the largest multimedia retailers in the world. Sales in the UK alone topped £350 million in 2007, with customers buying nearly 14 million individual items. ‘Tastes of the Lake District’ will be presented by top Cumbrian chef, Craig Sherrington. Craig has undergone a series of interviews and screen tests at the London QVC studios in preparation.

Mr Sherrington said, “I was really pleased to be picked to present the show. We will be on air for an hour so we will have lots of time to talk through the products and the benefits of buying good quality food from Cumbria.

“QVC has one million active customers in the UK so we expect sales of the Cumbrian food to do really well.”

Sillfield Farm at Endmoor is owned by Peter Gott who has become famous for supplying celebrity chef Jamie Oliver with pork for his restaurants and appearing on his TV shows. Mr Gott specialises in meat from rare breed pigs, wild boar and Kendal Rough Fell and Herdwick Lambs. He says, “This is a very important development for Cumbrian producers. For the first time we will have the opportunity to sell people anywhere in the country. It shows that we really do have some of the best local produce in the country.

“We are really looking forward to appearing on the show. We will be offering special packs of our fresh produce including our finest Minted Lamb Shanks, Rare Breed Pork Steaks, Wild Boar Mince, Traditional Cumberland Sausage and Traditional Dry Cured Bacon which makes the best British breakfast in the world.”

The Pudding Room, on the shores of Coniston Water was recently created by Helen Boardman. She says, “I’m very excited at the prospect of having my own product on QVC, the whole family have pulled out the stops to help pack the puddings.”

QVC’s food associate buyer, said, “We at QVC are very excited about the launch of the new show to promote premium produce from the Cumbrian region and give our customers the opportunity to purchase excellent quality food, delivered directly to their door.”