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

What’s more, thank to our innovative farm shops, delis and butchers, you can bag an extra special bargain or two because, as this week’s Checkout column shows, it’s not just the supermarkets which have deals on at this time of year.

Take Plumgarths farm shop at Kendal, for example, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary; ten out of ten to butcher Paul Harrison who has come up with an enterprising way of marking the occasion.

“Over the last 10 years we have had to adapt to economic trends, so, as well as having an outdoor market stall on a couple of weekends offering tastings and highlighting local festive produce, we are also launching a Christmas savings club to help spread the cost of Christmas.”

What ever the customer saves, they will get an extra 10% to spend on their order, explained Paul, ie: save £50 and get £55. Plus, as a reward, customers will then receive a further loyalty bonus of 10 per cent off everything in January.

“I’m also working on a ‘taster evening’ to promote cheaper and alternative cuts to help customers in these leaner times,” added Paul.

The Plumgarths saving club will run until December 10 and will be redeemable for orders collected during the week December 19 to 24.

Meanwhile, in Sedbergh, butcher Garth Steadman is now taking orders for his famous multi-bird roasts. The three-bird combo is a boned-out turkey stuffed with duck and pheasant, layered with a delicious cranberry and orange forcemeat, which is then reassembled to look like a traditional turkey, complete with drumsticks.

This particular festive fowl costs from £65.99 for 10lb of pure meat heaven.

“We can do up to eight birds,” said butcher Garth, who is also the brains behind a ‘ducken’ – a duck stuffed with chicken and pheasant (£24.99), and a ‘gourmet goose’ which is goose stuffed with chicken (£89.99), serving 10 to 12 people and weighing in at mouth-watering five kilos.

New season game is now available from Richardsons butchers in Bowness – butcher John has pheasant on at £3.90 each, rabbit at £4.95 each, and venison from £4.31 per lb.

Serve with winter squash (various, £3.20/kilo), spinach (£4.50/kilo), or watercress (£2 per 100g), all own-grown from Growing with Grace at Clapham; or what about new season Lancashire sprouts from Greenbanks in Kendal (£1.21 per kilo), where Tony and Helen are also taking orders for fruit baskets, from £10, delivered in Kendal.

Still with festive fare, Grange Bakery at Grange-over-Sands has mince pies on at 50p each, or in a box of six for £2.85. And on the special offer front, if you place an order for a Christmas cake before the end of November, you will enjoy 10 per cent off.

Why not place your order tomorrow (November 11)? Grange Bakery is just one of the stallholders at Ulverston’s latest speciality food market, which is organised by the on-line farmers market collective www.cumbrianartisan.co.uk.

While you are over that way, why not take a detour via Cartmel where the Village Shop is now stocking a feast of yuletide goodies including Cottage Delight’s new ‘spice chest’ featuring spiced cheese pickle, spiced beetroot chutney, Caribbean spiced chutney, spiced cranberry and orange chutney, and spiced mango and ginger chutney.

A perfect gift for spice-lovers, the ‘chest’ costs £16.50 for the five jars.