The Cane Workshop

14/08/2026

Nice article in the local papers News & Star about my Guild of Fine Food 2⭐⭐ award for my Stokoe House Pickled Pears. I've just sold out of them but will make more in the next few weeks.
Plenty of other preserves on my website to tempt you and of course the World's Best Traditional Marmalade 2026! 🍊 🏆 The Dalemain World Marmalade Awards

08/08/2026

Lovely article in the News & Star / The Cumberland News about my 2⭐⭐ Great Taste Award

A local business owner has just won a prestigious national award for one of her products.

01/08/2026

So delighted with my 2⭐ from the Great Taste Awards 2026 for my Pickled Pears to go with & on a cheese board. 🧀
One of the judges comments was that "they were a memorable and stand out product" 🌟
What an incredible year I'm having 🎉 with my Double Gold at the for the best traditional marmalade in the world 2026! 🍊🏆
What's next!!

31/07/2026

Today we have these beauties, picked locally with my helpful son , less than one mile from my kitchen.
These will get made into Stokoe House Garrigill Green Tomato Chutney, rich and smokey in flavour.
Last year I made this mid September so these 🍅 are super early.

28/07/2026

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
2⭐ Great Taste Awards 2026
for my Stokoe House Pears 🍐 for Cheese 🧀
At the Guild of Fine Food
It's been so popular at Christmas time that I make it all year round now 🎉🎉🎉

And now my 2026 Traditional is available in Tebay Services North & South! So excited about this and everyone involved has been so helpful and friendly at Rheged

Onwards!!!!
But back to earth and mire fruit picking this week 🤩

22/07/2026

So no judgement on what on earth I look like- it's hot and I'm fruit for my preserves and the horse fly's can do one 🪰
Luckily my in my village is Carolyn the owner of and I saw one of her posts about this Fly Off stuff for horsey people & horses 🐴 , so I stopped her as she walked past my house to tend her horses and said can I use them just on me?
The next day she gave me two packs to try. Now these air terrorists with wings really, really like me and I react REALLY badly to bites, but happy to say I was not bothered today!
Two days ago I was literally sent running from the red gooseberry patch nearly crying lol 🪰🪰🪰🪰
Thank you

21/07/2026

Picking the stalks off 10 kilos of freshly picked Alston Moor Blackcurrants for my preserves. Todays haul was from the idyllic setting of Kirkhaugh church rectory garden- thanks Kim & Neil 😘
I dragged the teenager with me and he helped without much protest which was nice!
More fruit tomorrow...

15/07/2026

This afternoon's bounty, 5 kilos of red Gooseberries picked in ridonculous heat for Alston Moor 🌞
I battled the heat, thistles, shoulder height nettles and
I probably shouldn't have gone out at 2pm, I'll wait until after 4 pm tomorrow!
But bonus I saw a short eared owl 🦉
preserves

04/07/2026

What a joy it was to meet David as he learnt the of at my day course yesterday, he's nearly 80 and unstoppable!
He came to learn the craft as he has a very precious item of furniture that he wants to restore in honour of his late wife.
Utterly fascinating listening to him all day while we wove, and we had excellent refreshments from Cobbles Cafe -Best in Cumbria 2026!
If you fancy learning to chair cane please drop me a line and I can book you in from September.

26/06/2026

The BEST smells in my kitchen this evening.
Pink Elderflower cordial on the go, I rob/harvest the flowers from about 30 meters from my kitchen 🌸
This goes into my Gooseberry & Pink Elderflower Jam .