I SEE the team at www.beelocal.co.uk have bagged another award-winning food producer for their on-line independent food shop.

Now you don't need to go all the way to Hawkshead to enjoy Mark and Maria Whitehead's range of chutneys, jams and jellies et al.

Favourites available on the beelocal website include beetroot and horseradish chutney and Westmorland chutney (eat your heart out Branston). And just in time for Christmas Hawkshead Relish's Boxing Day chutney, rum butter and Hot Toddy (a honey, lemon and whisky mix, just add water - it almost makes having a cold worthwhile).

Beelocal is offering free home delivery (until November 26) so now's your chance to stock up!

More Christmas goodies from Bowland Bridge Stores which has Taylors of Harrogate Christmas Blend ground coffee. This limited rich roast coffee has a very chocolatey aroma (227g / £3.24).

Orders are being taken for turkeys at Hutchinsons at Coniston - whites are on at £3.25 for 500g and bronze at £3.50 per 500g. These hand-plucked birds can be left whole for you to roast, or boned and rolled for easy carving.

You can also buy your Christmas pud from Artisan in Kendal which is now stocking Cartmel Village Sticky Toffee Pudding company's new festive range - £1.75 for the 120g individual version or £5.45 for a one pound pud (454g).

Season's greetings of another kind now ... English sprouts.

Love them or loathe them (I love them), sprouts are really quite a versatile little vegetable. This week's picture shows sprouts stir-fried with cashes, for example. Greenbanks has them on at 45p per lb.

They would be lovely with a pork and cider casserole I think ... Garth Steadman at Sedbergh is doing a special deal on diced outdoor reared Gloucester Old Spot pork from farmer Roger Bainbridge of Middleton, near Kirkby Lonsdale. All cuts available but the best value is the diced which Garth has at £2.55 per 500g.

Meanwhile, Plumgarths at Kendal has free range corn-fed Cumbrian chickens at £2.50 per 500g, which would be lovely roasted whole and served with a couple of 'good-lookers' from Growing with Grace at Clapham - the very sweet January King cabbage (£1 each) and Romanesco cauliflower (£1.44 each).

We have some new boys on the block this week - Grange Bakery is doing a lovely multi-seeded loaf made with malted dough and mixed seeds including pumpkin, sunflower, millet, linseed and poppy (£1.95 per 800g loaf); and a buttery brioche made with free range eggs (£1.95 per small 400g loaf). Grange Bakery boss Paul Hughes says the brioche is scrummy when it's toasted - even scrummier I should imagine if its spread with some Hawkshead Relish strawberry and black pepper jam.

And Cartmel Village Shop is giving you a chance to try before you buy tomorrow (Friday) when it hosts a tasting for the new range of Chase fruit liqueurs (eg: elderflower, raspberry, £9.95 / 20cls) and Chase English potato vodka (£18.99 / 50cls) made by the entrepreneurial farmer behind Tyrrells gourmet crisps. The shop will be open until 8pm for a special festive shopping event.

Finally, if you can't be bothered to cook, then can I recommend beef olives from Richardsons butchers in Bowness - thinly sliced frying steak stuffed with beef, red wine and rosemary sausagemeat in an Italian herb and tomato sauce (£6.95 per half kilo); simply pop in the oven.