TWO friends from Cumbria have looked at the current trend for quality food, and created their own brand of artisan muesli.

Luke Christian and Timothy Cottingham, both from Rosley, have founded Lakeland Mues, which they run from their home village.

The pair produce two types of toasted muesli – The Artman Classic and Tropical Medley – which have been sold at food events around the county and now are set to appear on the shelves of both Pioneer in Carlisle and Cranstons in Penrith.

They are also due to appear in a BBC documentary scheduled for broadcast next year.

The business was started as a sideline last year while both worked in other jobs. But they’ve both now quit their jobs; Mr Christian as a management consultant with Deloitte in London and Mr Cottingham in the timber industry in Carlisle, to work on their food business full-time.

Mr Cottingham said: “We have a friend in Sweden who introduced us to toasted muesli and I thought it was very good and started making it at home for breakfast.”

He added: “I think people are more willing to pay for a quality breakfast product.”

The pair started their venture with a stall at Keswick market. They have since sold it at Taste Cumbria and to hotels around the county.

“It is so much better than the stuff you get in the supermarket,” Mr Christian added.

The ingredients are given a honey coating and then put into an oven – the pair use one in Denton Holme’s community centre at present – to be toasted.

“The unique selling point is our emphasis of quality over quantity,” Mr Christian said.

The name Lakeland Mues came about as a way of noting the firm’s Cumbrian roots and from a quirk among their group of friends which sees them shorten food names.

A BBC documentary on rural business – set to be called Back to the Land – is due to be broadcast early next year and features the pair.

Mr Christian is enjoying the contrast to his life in London. “It was always the dream to run our own business,” he said.