Tours & Tasting

Our neighbouring Peak Ales microbrewery set up by a couple back in 2003 in a derelict barn and since many renovations and expansion now housed in a purpose built premises in Ashford in the water with their old barn site now a brewery visiting centre and gin distillery, complete with a shop and tasting room plus venue hire options. You can also purchase their craft beer on their online shop and of course find stockists of their beer in and around The Peak District.

Wincle Beer based in the valley of Wincle surrounded by the hills of the Peak District National Park.  Each and every brew follows rigorous process with every beer leaving our brewery 'Character assured'. Over the last 12 years this means that we have created more than 5 million pints with that same zeal for quality on each and every one.   You can order online for next day delivery and if youre staying at a Peak Venues property within 15 miles of the brewery then they offer a free delivery service.

Off the beaten tracks you’ll find many hidden gems, set back from the hustle & bustle of the tourist areas and a few to mention are Buxton Brewery House, located on Staden Lane, on the edge of town.  The brewery makes upwards of 30 distinct brews of all kinds and has many other special editions both planned and in its back-catalogue.  With a cosy indoor bar area and a large outdoor seating area overlooking the town of Buxton in the distance.  During the summer months they have street food traders where you can try lots of local delicious produce!  

If you’re lucky enough to be staying at our Crewe & Harpur or Green Man properties with the original bar areas then we can also help with putting up to a max of 2 barrels of local ale that can then be pulled through the traditional pumps so that you can pull your own pints or you can fully stock the bar as you wish (please note you cannot supply your own beer for the pumps). To order any ale for this then please visit Whim Ales an established local company who are happy to receive delivery and install in time for your arrival. Please not you cannot install your own kegs.

With the Peak District having such vast open spaces its no surprise there are many festivals held here each year including ‘Beer festivals’, ‘Food Festivals’ and ‘Culture and Heritage’ festivals.

You may have heard of Thornbridge Brewery already as its beer is now sold nationwide and in over 35 countries worldwide, brewing with a passion, the finest, quality beer which you will find in many of our Peak District pubs in the area. Based in Bakewell the large modern brewery has a fantastic Taproom serving brewery fresh beer and handmade pizzas as well as gifts and merchandise they also stock a range of artisanal, locally sourced meat from the Thornbridge Hall estate from animals fed on our breweries spent grains.

If you’re wanting to know more about the story of Thornbridge and learn the history then a Thornbridge Experience is for you with an experience of the history of Thornbridge, the brewing processes, tutored tasting, a Q&A, branded pint glass to take away and a 10% discount in the shop for takeaway beer.

White Peak Distillery is Derbyshire’s first full-scale craft distillery, making award-winning whisky, gin rum with a proud Derbyshire provenance. Learn about the vision for the first whisky distillery in the Peak District and gain insights into what they have planned for the single malt whiskey. There’s also ‘Betty’ their 600 litre spirits still, used to make their award winning ‘Shining Cliff’ gin and rum. Then take a seat in the ‘Still House’ for a guided tasting of their range of gins!

On the edge of the Peak District is  Cuckoostone craft distillery ran by a couple, set on ‘Church Farm’ in Barlow, together they create beautiful artisan spirits including gin, vodka and British Rum. With a great online shop there really is a flavour for everyone and ofcourse these elegant looking bottles make a great gift too.

Distilled Events can host whisky and gin tasting events and masterclasses. They can arrange a private tasting for any group size at your chosen Peak Venues property

The Forest Distillery produces small batches of spirits from wild foraged, locally sourced and organic ingredients combined with their pure, natural spring water. Located high above the clouds in The Peak District this is officially the UK’s highest altitude distillery. With regular friendly distillery tours at weekends based at the ‘Cat & Fiddle’ with a bar open to the public most weekday afternoons it really is a lovely small informal place to visit. 

(photo credit: White Peak Distillery)

Located on the edge of the Peak District in the lovely village of Wessington in the Amber Village is Amber Valley Vineyards.  Explore the vineyard with a tour and tasting experience, gaining an insight into the trials and tribulations of planting and growing grapevines on the edges of the Peak country in Derbyshire. You can also sit back and relax in their beautiful Derbyshire orchard or Cellardoor bar and enjoy a delicious and hearty pre-prepared picnic box or cream tea box – paired, of course, with one of their amazing wines!

Enjoy a day out visiting Holmfirth Vineyard.  Discover the colourful history of the vineyard and learn how they produce their award-winning English wines on a tour and tasting session. Sit back and ‘soak’ up the views of the stunning Holme Valley while enjoying a delicious lunch or afternoon tea, or even ‘breakfast’ with their tour and tasting packages.

You could also try your hand at a bit of 'Cocktail Making' with Giddy up Mobile Events and Hard Days Knight.  

Chocolate Tasting and Making

Host a chocolate tasting session in your Peak Venues property with Cacoa Elora, based in Tansley near Matlock John has been handcrafting his own bean-to-bar for a number of years and produces some lovely small batch chocolates that you will get to try as he takes you through a journey of chocolate tasting.

Bakewell Pudding Making Experience

Learn how to make the perfect famous Bakewell pudding.  This experience requires pre-booking at least two weeks in advance and is for a minimum group of 15 people. Please contact us directly for information about supplements for smaller group sizes.  Our Pudding Making Experience is perfect for hen parties, birthday celebrations, group outings - any occasion you can think of really!

Guided Mushroom Foraging 

Book a space on Wild Food UK's foraging courses and head to Eyam for an afternoon of foraging fun. My Peak Event offer guided walking tours for individuals, groups or team building – a fungi foray is always a great day out.  Alternatively book a spot at Fischers for Foraging Lunch various dates throughout the year.

If you're a big cheese lover, then a one day cheese making course is a brilliant idea. Based in beautiful Bakewell Hartingtons of Bakewell will teach you how to make your own artisan cheese. You will also be tutored on all aspects of this fascinating food by one of the countries leading experts.

Phil, who learnt his skills at Reaseheath College will tutor you in the techniques and theory to allow you to make your own soft cheeses. You will start your day by learning how to make a camembert style cheese. Lunch will include a tutored cheese tasting with a board of UK cheeses when you will be shown how an expert like Phil samples and grades cheese. In the afternoon you will learn how to make a lemon cheese and also a mozzarella. The course also includes an informal light lunch of cheese & merriment.   

Hartingtons of Bakewell also holds inspirational cookery courses and artisan food courses in a lovely, converted mill. They have fantastic bread making courses available, learn all about understanding the bread dough and the interaction between yeast, flour and water by their expert breadmaking tutors. They also offer a fabulous ‘Gourmet supper club’ a 6 course tasting menu - or you can always put together an event tailored for your group whether that be a Hen/Stag, birthday or corporate group.

Coghlans at Stancliffe Hall in Darley Dale, Matlock offers a superb range of cookery courses including Artisan bread making, Indian cookery, Street food cookery, pasta making, tapas making as well as learning the all-important knife skills and meat masterclasses. 

Stella’s Kitchen offers a bespoke, mobile catering service to suit your individual needs and budget.  Offering home cooked Afro-Caribbean foods either in the surrounds of her own farmhouse restaurant situated in ‘Eyam’ in the beautiful Peak District or to take away/ deliver to your holiday property.  Stella provides a fun cooking experience, encouraging anyone wanting to participate to do so or if you want to keep a close eye on what it is she’s cooking and pick up some cooking tips and knowledge on the different dishes from different parts of the world. Recently featured on Hairy Bikers Go North, Stella has become a real gem on the Peak District food scene and her course book up fast. You can also book a spot in her farmhouse kitchen restaurant but be quick as spots are hard to come by! 

(photo credit: Stella's Kitchen).