A sector that employs just under 14,000 people, we’re a diverse county that whets the appetite when it comes to food and drink. From the farmers in West Lancashire providing salad and vegetables to some of the country’s best dining establishments, to the large manufacturers producing everything from ready-made meals, biscuits, crisps, functional foods and pet foods, we have attracted global brands and household names as well as nourishing home grown businesses. The whole food & drink industry supply chain is represented in Lancashire, from raw materials, meat processors, dairies and logistics.

Lancashire is home to some of the world’s leading household names – think PepsiCo, Dr Oetker, Fisherman’s Friend, Farmhouse Biscuits, Stella Artois and Budweiser. Food and drink hotspots like the Ribble Valley and Trough of Bowland, home to well-known products like Goosnargh chicken and duck, are now renowned for their stellar offer, with outstanding provenance and traceability.

We’re also home to many breweries from industry giants to an increasing presence of multi award-winning micro-breweries whose brands are recognised nationally and internationally.

Myerscough College, a leading college in the field of land-based technologies, has recently established a Food & Farming Innovation & Technology Centre and Livestock Innovation Centre, providing livestock production facilities with embedded technology to promote precision farming practices. The college also provides much valued training for food manufacturers as well as food safety in manufacturing.

The Lancashire landscape is integral to the food and drink grown and made here. The heather strewn moorland provides succulent meats, the salt deposits in the low lands around Garstang and Chipping have given us the Lancashire milk fields; an area famed for its cheeses including Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire Cheese which carries the Protected Designator of Origin marquee and is home to nine cheese makers. Rich soil along the coastal plains are perfect for growing potatoes, root vegetables and salads, and our water, rich in minerals, perfect for making quality cask ales as our many Lancashire breweries will testify. The shallow depths of our coastal areas provide ideal conditions for our famous Morecambe Bay shrimps to thrive.

Whatever your taste in food and drink you will find something to satisfy your taste buds. Lancashire’s award-winning restaurants and pubs are diverse ad delicious offering everything from Michelin-starred British cooking to a multitude of international cuisines embracing quality local and seasonal produce in their dishes. You’ll find tasty pub grub and a warm Lancashire welcome alongside real ale and home cooked, seasonal delights, from homemade sausages; melt-in-the-mouth Lancashire hotpot or succulent seafood. Our teashops and cafés offer an indulgent pit stop for tea and cake, after all what could be more appealing than a pot of piping hot tea accompanied by a slab of cake, pile of fresh scones or a doorstop sandwich!