About us
Food Cumberland was born from the legacy of Food Carlisle and expanded across the entire area of Cumberland following local government reorganisation. Led by Cumberland Council, our partnership now spans the entire region, connecting people, organisations and initiatives that care about food, health and the environment.
We work collaboratively with communities, businesses, farmers, charities and public sector bodies to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our food system - from food poverty and diet-related ill-health to climate change and biodiversity loss.
Our work is guided by the Food Cumberland Strategic Framework, which sets out our vision and priorities across six key themes:
Food Governance and Strategy – embedding the Right to Food in local policy and practice
Good Food Movement – building public awareness and active food citizenship
Healthy Food for All – improving access to affordable, nutritious food
Catering and Procurement – transforming food served in public institutions
Sustainable Food Economy – supporting local producers and ethical food businesses
Food and the Environment – reducing food waste and promoting climate-friendly farming
You can read our Food Cumberland Strategic Framework here: Food Cumberland Strategic Framework | Cumberland Council
Our Commitment to the Right to Food
Cumberland is one of the few places in the UK where the Right to Food is actively shaping local policy and practice. Declared by Cumberland Council in 2022, this commitment places the health and wellbeing of residents at the heart of local decision-making. It means that everyone should have access to adequate, nutritious and culturally appropriate food, along with the dignity, choice and resources to prepare it.
This pledge underpins all of Food Cumberland’s work - from shaping policy and supporting community food projects to transforming public procurement and tackling food poverty. It aligns with the Cumberland Strategic Framework and the Cumberland Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023 to 2028 and reflects our belief that food is a human right, not a privilege.
By embedding the Right to Food across everything we do, we aim to:
- Reduce food insecurity and diet-related inequality
- Support a thriving, sustainable local food economy
- Improve health outcomes and food education
- Promote dignity and choice in how people access food
Read Cumberland Council's supporting policies here:
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Good Food Local Excellence Award
Cumberland has been awarded an Excellence Award after achieving the highest score across NENC in the three‑year local government food system benchmarking programme. This success reflects the collective effort of the Food Cumberland Partnership, working alongside Sustain, the Association of Directors of Public Health, and all NENC councils through Good Food Local North East North Cumbria. Partners have driven significant improvement this year - Cumberland’s overall score has risen from 67% to 86% since the 2024 survey and the score for tackling food poverty has increased from 58% to 79%. These gains demonstrate how partners are shaping priorities, coordinating delivery and collaborating with the Council to ensure progress. Cumberland Council is now demonstrating leadership across 10 themes and is performing strongly across all 13 local authorities - a position made possible by the commitment, expertise and action of our partners and communities. This award is a testament to their leadership and collective impact.
To read more about the Good Food Local North East programme and read the North East report, please visit the Sustain website: Good Food Local: The North East report | Sustain
Our Sustainable Food Places Bronze Award
We’re proud to share that we have achieved the Sustainable Food Places Bronze Award, a national recognition of our commitment to joined-up, place-based food action. This award celebrates partnerships that are driving real change across the food system from grassroots projects to strategic policy shifts.
Learn more about the award and the wider network on the Sustainable Food Places website.
Our Partners
We’re powered by a growing network of passionate partners who bring expertise, energy and local knowledge to everything we do. Our partnership includes:
Action with Communities in Cumbria
Bakes by Gina & Cumbrian Larder
Brampton and Beyond Community Trust
CALC - Cumbria Association of Local Councils
Carlisle Foodbank - Food from local people for local people
Cumbria Development Education Centre
Cumbria Tourism | The Official Tourist Board for Cumbria
Department for Work and Pensions
The Farmer Network | Providing Help & Support to Farmers
Futureproof Cumbria: Supporting Climate Action, Training & Events
Garden Organic - Discover organic growing
Growing Well - Mental health intervention charity, Cumbria
Lancaster & Lancaster Tourism & Hospitality Consultants in the Lake District
Raise: Cumbria Community Forest | Sustainable Woodland Creation To Improve Cumbria
Zero Carbon Cumbria - Carbon reduction action across the county.
Plus our network of community growing groups and community food support organisations.
Are you interested in joining us?
Food Cumberland is powered by enthusiastic people and organisations working together to shape a better food system. Whether you're involved in farming, hospitality, health, education or community action, we’d love to hear from you.
If you would like to join the Partnership, please email: foodpartnership@cumberland.gov.uk