What's in the shops with the emphasis, where possible, on locally produced seasonal and specialty food.

The Honeypot, Hawkshead: Cumberland Honey Mustard (organic) 170g / £2.50 ideal with Honeypot ham - and it really is home-cooked! - £2.79 per 250g.

Watson & Woollard, Kendal: Gammon shanks (Cheshire Oak) £1.50 perfect for pea & ham soup.

Howbarrow organic farm, Cartmel: English organic apples, seven varieties - £1.95 per kilo. Also, seven varieties of English potatoes - 31p/kilo.

Dales butchers, Kirkby Lonsdale: Mark Duckworth's own-make Bacon & Egg Pie - £2 each (2 good portions - or one greedy one!).

Lucy's of Ambleside: Jeremy's Soups (made at Appleby), perfect winter warmers - several varieties including Farmers Feast and Lip-Smacking Lentil - £2.25 per 600g pot.

Higginsons, Grange-over-Sands: Duck legs stuffed with fresh orange & glazed with citrus & herbs (oven cook) - £1.99 each.

Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop: Organic vegetarian ready meals including mushroom stroganoff braised in white wine with lashings of creme fraiche from Swaddles Organic of Somerset (oven cook) - £3.92 per 280g.

Bowland Bridge Stores: Go Organic' carrot, orange & ginger soup - £1.89 / 495g glass bottle Country Harvest.

Ingleton: Haggis from Gronbach of Cowden Beath, award-winning haggis serve with mashed swede & potato - £2.30 / half kilo.

January 16, 2003 09:00