Gillian Cowburn

A LITTLE armchair shopping to set the ball rolling this week...

IT ALL started when pudding queen Lynne Mallinson from Penrith tweeted news of National Pudding Day last week.

CHRISTMAS is coming, the perfect time of year to think local, buy local and eat local.

THIS time last week the sun was so hot we decided to rescue the deckchairs from the dark recesses of the garden shed and crack open the barbecue for a slap-up surf & turf dinner with Heaves Farm rose veal and some tasty wee scallops.

TO ULVERSTON first where news is that tomorrow’s second speciality food market in the town’s market place will boast 17 stalls.

IF BRITISH Food Fortnight wasn’t enough reason to celebrate our rich food heritage, then the bounty of food festivals and themed food weeks on the horizon should have you champing at your culinary bit.

A COOKBOOK title pre-fixed ‘easy’ is always guaranteed to grab my attention; so hats-off to Duncan Baird Publishers for their step-by-step guides to international cuisine at home.

IF YOU also suffer from ‘cookbook-OCDitis’, then you will empathise with my dilemma during a recent de-cluttering session.

WHAT a glut of glorious food news I’ve got for you this week – no prizes for guessing that British Food Fortnight (BFF) is just around the corner.

Our resident robin has performed a few tentative serenades, and I’ve had to rescue my morning condensation window cloth from under the sink – autumn is on its way.