MAKING fresh bread every day has for thousands of years been a common custom.

But thanks to the rise of supermarket shelves amass with white, brown, whole grain, multi grain, crusts on/crusts off and so much more, it's no surprise that fewer of us are turning to flour, salt, yeast and water.

Bread is the life, soul and character of a nation's cuisine, from which everything else is more or less built upon or around.

France is known for its baguettes and lesser known fougasse, the Middle East for its pitas and flat breads, Scandinavia and Germany for their dark ryes, South Asia for its naans and chapatis and of course Italy for its ciabattas, focaccias and the unforgettable pizza.

Evidence of starch residue from pounding plants has been found in Europe dating back a staggering 30,000 years.

And nowadays bread plays as big a part in our diet, than ever.

Britain has a wealth of its own breads from region to region.

Look to the North East for stotties, Lancashrie for barm cakes or for something more indulgent there are Chelsea buns, crumpets and English muffins.

We only live once, so every morsel should be memorable.

Make this happen by ensuring it is homemade - whether at home or by someone else - in homage to Homemade Bread Day on Monday (November 17).

Hazelmere Cafe and Bakery, Grange-over-Sands, have a 'delicious' range of round and thick focaccias at £1.75. Choose between cheese and herb, garlic or olive, rosemary and olive oil - great alongside a Caprese salad of mozzerella, tomato and basil.

Try their Bishop's Hat sourdough made with French dough at £2.25, a dark German rye or spelt and honey loaf both at £2 for a large cob.

Choose any of those breads and head to Settle's Courtyard Dairy where Andy Swinscoe recommends toasting the bread, and adding bacon before crumbling Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire at £17.50/kilo.

Or make your own bread with flour from Little Salkeld Watermill (available in Booths) and add centimetre cubes of Gruyere at £25/kilo to the mix for little pockets of melted goodness.

Get your maple cured bacon from Watson and Woollard, Kendal, at £7.68 or try their homemade Cumberland sausage at £6.99/kilo for a classic and unbeatable sausage sandwich.

Try your hand at flatbread by simply using plain flour, water, salt and spices of your choice and then frying in a hot dry pan.

Enjoy with chicken from Higginsons of Grange where they have English chicken breasts at £5.99 for four or £10.99 for eight.

Marinate on skewers in Greek yogurt, cumin, coriander, garlic and paprika before grilling, placing on the bread and drizzling mint yogurt.

They also have gammon slipper joints at around £8.99 for 4lb, perfect with sliced bread and homemade piccalilli.

Growing with Grace, Clapham, has green Romanesco or white cauliflowers at £1.80 to add to go with onions, English mustard powder, ground ginger and turmeric, vinegar, garlic, sugar and cornflour for your homemade preserve.

For the bread, Burton Community Stores has a home baked wholemeal tin loaf at 39p, white bloomer at £1.75 and Parisienne baguette at £1.35.