GREENLANDS Farm Village’s recommendation this week was for Tovey – a soft goats milk cheese made by Thornby Moor Dairy at Carlisle (£2.90/100g).

It is named after legendary chef John Tovey, former owner of the renowned Miller Howe hotel on the shores of Windermere.

Next up, Greenodd butcher Peter Hutchinson suggested whole rump fillets of beef (beef from Caseys of Plumpton) on at £23 per kilo, perfect for a dinner party beef Wellington.

Immediately turning to ‘Great Meat Cookery’ (published by Hamlyn in 1989) for recipe inspiration, I came across former BRMB radio programme controller Mike Owen’s offering for the book, a ‘three fillet roast’, first published in ‘The Miller Howe Cookbook’ (Century Hutchinson ,1988).

Tovey’s impressive take on a ‘wellington, not only wraps beef in a ‘smoked bacon’ overcoat rather than puff pastry, but also includes pork and lamb fillets with the mix.

”It never fails to create a reaction, always positive,” said Mike.

Naturally, I then reached for my ‘Radio Times John Tovey step-by-step all-colour cookbook’ (BBC Books, 1990) just to remind myself of Mr T’s unique style – Miller Howe Utter Bliss, for example; cold sole, spinach and smoked salmon pistachio roll (I remember doing that one donkeys’ years ago and getting a round of applause); and caramelised apple charlotte with coffee custard.

Those were indeed the days!

And so to the best of the rest of this week’s Checkout recommendations including three-bone French-trimmed racks of local lamb (£4 each), also from Peter Hutchinson at Greenodd; six Aberdeen Angus steakburgers (£5) from farmer Brian Jackson at Templand Farm, Allithwaite; and Brennands meat and potato pies from Watson & Woollard butchers in Kendal (£1.20 each), who also recommended their range of family plate pies including steak, steak and ale, and chicken and mushroom varieties (£4.95 each).

For this week’s piscatorial pleasures, Kendal Fisheries recommended fabulous hake fillets (£13.50/kilo); fresh Manx queenie scallops (£1.99/100g), brilliant in a paella or seafood risotto; frozen Thai crabcakes (£4.99 for 20), a super appetiser with a glass of something sparkling; and anchovies in rapeseed oil (£1.99/100g), also good as an appetiser, and simply super in a salad.

Talking of which, Baba Ganoush in Kendal came up with a feast of cured and cooked meats, perfect for your lunchtime platter – black pepper pastrami (£3/100g), sliced Spanish chorizo (£1.80/100g); fennel salami (£2.30/100g); and honey roast ham (£1.85/100g).

I would recommend an accompaniment of ‘real’ bread, courtesy of Hazelmere Café and Bakery at Grange-over-Sands including its ‘farmhouse’ loaf (£1.12), wholemeal (£1.14), and multi-grain and rye loaf (£1.60).

Toast any of those and serve with cheese and herb pate a la Tovey – beat 450g rich cream cheese with two fresh garlic cloves crushed with one teaspoon salt, and two tablespoons of fresh snipped herbs (parsley, marjoram, fennel, chives) and fold in 100g cooled, melted butter.

Finally this week, Low Sizergh Barn farm shop is now stocking the Sharpham Park range of spelt products. As well as honey, and berry spelt breakfast cereals, and pearl spelt (treat the same way as pearl barley), LSB is finding that the ‘speltotto’ is proving a real bestseller.

The £3.40 packs of speltotto serve four; choose from tomato and chilli; pumpkin and shallot; or courgette, garlic and thyme.