It was all in the name of giving visitors to the county a full-of-flavour Northumberland experience each morning they are here.

The invited guests, who included a number of accommodation providers, were served up a 'great Northumberland breakfast' by renowned chef Richard Sim.

The aim of this breakfast, hosted in Alnwick's White Swan Hotel, was to highlight the wonderful array of breakfast ingredients produced in Northumberland, and to encourage more accommodation providers the use them on their breakfast menus.

On the menu were Northumberland sausages, locally cured bacon, free range eggs, stotties, and black and white puddings. Craster smoked salmon on wholemeal toast and grilled Lindisfarne oysters in fresh breadcrumbs added a touch of aristocratic finery. Guests voted on their favourite breakfast dish from the region and the outstanding favourite was local sausage and bacon with a free range egg.

Richard Sim gave demonstrations to encourage the guests to use local produce on their breakfast menus and to show them how easy it is to source and prepare the ingredients.

The accommodation providers were also encouraged to be proud of serving up a distinctive 'great Northumberland breakfast' and to let their guests know that all the ingredients in their breakfast are sourced locally.

"I am delighted that so much local produce is being used on St Cuthbert's Day. Northumberland has a vast array of wonderful ingredients, giving everyone something to be proud of when serving to their guests," said Angus Collingwood Cameron of the CLA.

Adam Ellis Jones, project manager for Made in Northumberland, added: "We must support our local producers by stressing the importance and benefits of using and promoting local produce to visitors and guests. Everyone who attended agreed that the breakfast was a real treat of Northumberland delights and something they should all be proud to serve."

Anyone wishing to vote for their own 'great Northumberland breakfast' menus can visit: www.visitnorthumberland.com