Andy Airey and Jan from Abrahams Cafe prepare the delivery drone

A Lake District outdoor retailer is offering hillgoers a novel way to top up their energy levels with an airborne food delivery service.

Keswick-based George Fisher will use specialised drones to deliver lightweight snacks to walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

Customers will be given a special number on which to call George Fisher’s in-store Abrahams Cafe and, as long as they can give an accurate GPS location, lightweight sustenance can be flown in.

There will be a special selection of airborne snacks including home-made flapjacks and cakes, sandwiches and small pies.

The weight limit for food delivered by the new service is 2kg, enough for a hearty hilltop snack, the George Fisher staff reckon.

Director Andy Airey said that the inspiration came from another well known retailer.

He said: “Amazon’s plan for drone parcel delivery is a very interesting development, and we felt that we could take this in a slightly different direction.

“We know that customers love our Abrahams Cafe menu but also like travelling light on the hill, so why not deliver lunch to them direct?

“It’s obviously a weather-dependent service, and we can only deliver within a five-mile radius, but we use one of the more powerful drones and have already trialled it successfully.”

The service will be launched in time for the summer holidays, operating from a roof-top platform on the George Fisher building. Orders can be made initially via phone or text, although the service may be rolled out into social media as well.