BOWLAND & BAY
H
aving spent many years in product development, self-confessed foodie Katie Wilson decided to take the plunge and set up Bowland & Bay – taking like-minded people on food adventures to meet artisan producers, from the fells of the Forest of Bowland to the coast around Morecambe Bay.
ARTISAN
ADVENTURES From artisanal ice-cream makers to crafters of some of the finest cheeses, beers and gins in the world, Katie Wilson will take you on an unrivalled food tour of Bowland & Bay
18
NORTHCOTE
Photography: cpictures.co.uk
Photography: Bowlandandbay.co.uk
“Burgundy is known as the prestigious area of France for fantastic food and drink. In the UK, this is our Burgundy. I meet people who come up from London and the south and they can’t believe the breadth of small independent makers who create such fabulous products here in the north. These small artisan producers really put their heart in their homeland,” says Katie, who as part of her degree in American History, spent some time in Oregon as a student.
“I was blown away by the variety of food available out in the States. There was a bit of a hippie culture on the west coast, with an emphasis on natural sustainable food and a lot of micro-breweries – back in the 90s these trends were virtually unheard of in the UK!” Katie’s experience in the US changed her career path and she went on to work in food related roles for a number of national organisations, including the National Trust. But it was the pandemic that sowed the seeds of setting up her ‘artisan food tour’ business: “One of my big regrets has always been never setting up my own business,” recalls Katie.
