I HAVE certainly made the most of local fare in the last seven days. I dined at No 17, Milnthorpe, which was absolutely outstanding, and the sticky toffee pudding one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of eating.

My other half managed to pick up a French stick at Lovingly Artisan, after arriving at Oxenholme Station. The Bakehouse, Arnside, tempted me with a scumptious home-made sausage roll and caramel slice – the perfect ending to a walk up Arnside Knott.

I also had gammon and chips at The Ship Inn, Sandside, the next day after ticking off a few Wainwright fells. And for the first time (shamefully - this should have happened much sooner), I bought some smokey BBQ sausages from Plum-garths.

Due to convenience, I must admit our meat usually does come from the supermarket, but after visiting the Kendal farm shop we are never turning back. I am now on a mission to make my way around the butchers (as well as bakers, fisheries and other local produce shops of course) of Cumbria and north Lancashire and luckily I can find out the best deals from this very column.

If I am in a pie sort of mood I could head just out of the office door to Watson and Woollard, Kendal, where there are pork pies (£1.25) and meat and potato or steak and kidney (£1.30).

Higginsons Butchers, Grange, also have a tempting baked good on sale in the form of their spiced lamb and apricot pin wheels. Encased in puff pastry and ready to put in a pre-heated oven for 35 minutes, these cost £.9.90 / kilo.

If you are more of a bread and cheese person Hazelmere Bakery, Grange, can offer a healthy chia loaf for £2, and a cheaper option in the cheese and onion rustic home-made bread at £1.63.

And The Courtyard Dairy, Settle, will provide the cheese. There you will find a new sheep’s milk cheese from County Galloway, Ireland, called Cais Na Tire (£25/kilo). The lovely Cathy at the dairy described this as ‘really nice and rich and quite sweet’.

She also recommended the Battlefield Blue, made in Leicester (£5.99 for 200g).

At Kendal Fisheries you can buy some fresh wild bass (£16.50 / kilo), smoked eel (£6.50 / 100g) and fresh crevettes (£9.11 / lb).

And Growing with Grace now have baby leaf watercress, their own celery and tomatoes, basil and violet turnips, which will make a scrumptious meal with the fish.

Lastly, Burton Community Stores are stocking some new flavours of Atkinsons coffee beans in the shop. The additional varieties include Ethipian djimmah mocha and Indian monsooned malabar, both £4.50 for 260g. These are also served in the shop.