The Midlands and east England

Central England is a vast and varied region. The counties stretch from the rainy hills of Shropshire in the north-west, to the low plains of Suffolk in the south-east. The region divides the England into north and south, and the climate and cuisine varies accordingly.

Traditional food

One of the most British of all meat dishes comes from the Midlands - Melton Mowbray pork pies. The Tamworth pig is the breed of choice for most of the pork products, which include Lincolnshire and Newmarket sausages, pork scratchings, and traditional dishes based on offal, such as faggots.

Suffolk is also famous for its bacon and ham and Norfolk has its beautiful Norfolk Black turkeys. East Anglia is rich in agricultural land and its coastline provides excellent fish and shellfish

Beef is popular too. Lincoln red cattle (pure bred Lincoln beef available in some butchers) are colourful and renowned, as are the old horned Hereford cattle, of which only 200 are used for meat a year. Jugged hare is a traditional East Anglian dish carried over from a time when beef and lamb were less plentiful. Of the region's coastal towns and villages, Cromer is probably the most well known for its small but fleshy and succulent crabs.

Game

East England is also home to a profusion of game birds which shelter in the marshes of East Anglia - a rich agricultural land with a long stretch of coast. Samphire, a succulent marsh plant, is sold all across the area. Eaten boiled or blanched, its taste resembles a slightly salty miniature asparagus.

Cheese

The high level of milk production makes the Midlands a major cheese-making region - look out for stilton, Derby cheese, Shropshire blue and Leicester.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables grow in abundance across the region. The Vale of Evesham goes green growing asparagus in May, and its plums are some of England's finest. Plums are also a favourite in Lincolnshire where they make plum bread. Pears feature on the coat of arms for Worcester; Hereford has its blackcurrants; and Cambridge boasts a glut of gooseberries and the Cambridge gage.

Water

Spring water is another natural benefit of this region. Buxton, Ashbourne and Malvern all offer water that's particularly good for washing down the cakes on offer. Ashbourne, Grantham and Market Drayton are all famous for their gingerbread, Shrewsbury has its own cake, and don't forget the Staffordshire oatcake.

Chocolate and mustard

The region is also the home of Cadbury's, Fry's and Bournville chocolate, Marmite (a peculiar by-product of the Burton-on-Trent breweries), Colman's mustard from Norwich, Worcestershire sauce and Birmingham's Bird's custard. Look out for Ludlow and its annual food festival in September. Outside London, the town boasts the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK.

Award-winning beef and beer

A couple of initiatives are worth noting. Norfolk Food Futures and Nottingham Food Initiatives Group have done much to promote the region's food. More specifically, Lower Hurst Farm produces award-winning organic beef farmed in the Peak District; Green's Mill in the centre of Nottingham is a working mill producing a range of organic flours; and Adnams Beer - brewers since 1872 - won the Silver Medal in the Champion Beer of Britain Awards 2001 for its bitter.