Sarah Nelson’s Grasmere Gingerbread
Sarah Nelson’s Grasmere Gingerbread shop is next to the churchyard, and you will smell it before you see it.
This tiny Bakehouse and shop was formerly the village schoolhouse where Wordsworth taught for a time in 1882.
Gingerbread has been made on these premises since the mid-nineteenth century, and the recipe (of Sarah Nelson) is still a closely guarded secret.
Sarah Nelson’s commercial success was all the more remarkable because she was working class, illegitimate, poorly educated and born into abject poverty in Bowness-on-Windermere in 1815.
This 19th-century baker was a woman of substance, a business pioneer, and was unquestionably ahead of her time.
As a result of her recipe, gingerbread is still freshly baked daily according to the original recipe and is the only source of the celebrated Grasmere Gingerbread.
The firm produces 2.5 million pieces of gingerbread each year and employs 17 full-time and six part-time staff.
Part sticky cake, part crumbly biscuit, Sarah’s unique recipe has stood the passage of time.
Consequently, she kept the recipe in a bank vault before passing it on to her niece.
The shop is no longer in the family, but the recipe has been passed down through the generations, and gingerbread is still sold today.
Grasmere – Twice Blessed
Grasmere has often been called “twice blessed” — both for its own natural splendour and tranquil beauty, and for the cultural fame brought to it by William Wordsworth and other literary giants of the Lake District, including Coleridge, Southey, and De Quincey.
Just a short stroll from Sarah Nelson’s shop, the peaceful Grasmere Lake reflects the surrounding hillsides that inspired centuries of poetry and art.
Helm Crag, Rydal Fell, Nab Scar, and Silver How rise proudly around the valley, making this one of the most photogenic and beloved destinations in the Lake District.
Visitors come from across the world not only to enjoy the scenery but also to savour the authentic taste of Grasmere Gingerbread, a unique local speciality that has become synonymous with the village itself.
The blend of history, landscape, and flavour makes Grasmere a must-visit stop on any Lake District itinerary, sitting right at the very heart of Lakeland tradition.
More recently, Sarah Nelson’s shop hit the national headlines over the application to trademark the name of ‘Grasmere Gingerbread’.
The current owners of Sarah Nelson’s have alleged that only their gingerbread has a real right to use the term, a claim hotly disputed by other local businesses.
They believe that the recipe dates back to at least the mid-18th century, when spices, rum, and sugar first arrived at the Cumbria ports. They conclude that traditional gingerbread existed long before Sarah Nelson cooked up her first batch.
As a consequence of the gingerbread’s fame, celebrities travel here to taste it, and brides use it for wedding favours.
The TV chef, Jamie Oliver, among others, swears it is the best gingerbread he has ever tasted.
Due to the coronavirus, the ‘famous green door’ closed for the first time in its 166-year history.
The closure followed government guidelines at the time, but business continued as orders could be placed online.
Fortunes for the business improved significantly in June 2023, as Grasmere Gingerbread opened its second Lake District store.
After having the same Grasmere shop for 169 years, a new store is set to open in Hawkshead at the Corner shop on Main Street.
The shop is a Grade II listed building, which is larger than the original shop in Grasmere.
The shop is open to the public seven days a week from 10 am until 4.30 pm.
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