Prince Charles visited businesses in Cumbria including Carlisle's Pirelli tyre factory and the Hawkshead Relish Company. 

Prince Charles visited Pirelli to mark its 50th anniversary.

During his 50-minute visit the prince chatted to staff and apprentices and was shown some supercars fitted with Pirelli tyres.

The Dalston Road factory focuses on tyres for premium and prestige cars.

It is Pirelli’s main UK production site and employs about 900 people.

Those he spoke to included 20-year-old mechanical apprentice Katy Mossop from Workington.

Katy has been at Pirelli for two years.

She said: "He asked me if I enjoyed it and if I'd gone to college before this. He was friendly. He seemed really interested."

The prince was shown part of the production process and at the end of his visit unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.

Marco Tronchetti Provera, chief executive officer of Pirelli, said: "This is a special day for Carlisle and a special day for Pirelli."

Prince Charles also visited the Hawkshead Relish Company to mark its 20th year in business. 

He was greeted at the firm's production facility at Esthwaite Old Hall, where he was greeted by owners Mark and Maria Whitehead and their daughters Abigail and Isabella, who then conducted the prince and his party on a tour of the company production facilities.

He met kitchen assistant Catherine Watson, who was working in the development kitchen preparing herbs for batches of product, sales manager Jonathan Robb, Alison Townley, who demonstrated product depositing and invited the prince to assist in depositing Westmorland chutney into jars.

Mark Whitehead then showed Prince Charles a batch of Westmorland chutney in the production kitchen and talked about the processes involved in production cooking.  

In the warehouse, he was introduced to Thomas Seddon and then The Prince of Wales was invited to unveil a commemorative plaque marking the occasion of his visit.

He said: "I have very much enjoyed meeting all of the staff and everyone who works here.’’

He added in light of hearing about the strength of family businesses in Cumbria: "The fact that there are so many other smaller family businesses operating here as I’ve discovered from the Family Business Network.

"A new discovery today, I am so glad to see that Cumbria is leading the way as so often, in these sorts of diversified businesses. I can only wish Hawkshead Relish and the Whitehead family every possible success for the future.’’

He was presented with a small gift hamper containing a selection of Hawkshead Relish products by Abigail and Isabella Whitehead and a set of specially commissioned wine glasses, handmade in Hawkshead by artisan glass maker Emma Mackintosh.

Prince Charles also officially opened the new £20 million Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories, which was officially opened on March 23. 

The Prince of Wales enjoyed a Windermere folk song performed by local school children, before being greeted by Claire Hensman, Lord Lieutenant for Cumbria who presented Martin Ainscough, chairman of Lakeland Arts, Rhian Harris, chief executive of Lakeland Arts and Liz Moss, COO of Lakeland Arts.