South-west

The south-west is famous for its beautiful, lengthy coastline and its gorgeous beaches, but it's also a key area for organic farming. In fact, it's one of the richest areas for local produce of all kinds.

The south-west has never been a meat-rich region (despite the beef in Cornish pasties) although pork and geese have long been popular, as were the pigeon, rabbit and hare that people could poach from their landlords. The combination of rich Cornish pastures and Friesian cows, however, make for wonderfully decadent golden-yellow cream, mirrored by the vibrancy of the local saffron cake.

Cornish Blue is a well-known cheese from the region. The wonderfully named yarg - a nettle-wrapped cheese, made by Lynher Dairies near the Cornwall/Devon border - is another great local cheese

Cream tea

The happy marriage of Cornish cream and Devonshire butter provide the basis for the great British cream tea. Etiquette is everything in England. Take a tip from us - in Cornwall, put the jam on the scone followed by the cream. The reverse is true in Devon. And if you aren't full after a cream tea or two, there's the toffee and fudge to sample.

Cheese

More of the world's cheese is sold as cheddar than by any other name. Established as early as Tudor times, cheddar cheese still has a huge following worldwide. You see as many tourists with truckles of cheese under their arms as those admiring the geological wonders of Cheddar Gorge. And don't forget the delights of the local cider.

A bit further east, and you can expect to find Wiltshire cheese, and honey in Dorset, as well as the near-extinct but wonderful cheese of the region - Dorset Blue Vinney. Look a bit further south (and across the sea) and you find the benchmark of a good spud - the Jersey royal new potato. To the north, Bath has its Sally Lunn cakes and Bath Oliver biscuits; and Gloucestershire is home to Double Gloucester and Stinking Bishop cheeses.

Local produce

As is only to be expected in such a dairy-rich region, the south-west success stories include Rocombe Farm Ice Cream and Yeo Valley Organics - yogurts, cream and ice cream. But there's more: Smiles Brewery in Bristol has been a success story since 1978; and Bart Spices is one of the best-known spice suppliers in the country. More recently, Hobbs House bakery in South Gloucestershire has won awards for its unusual organic loaves.

Seafood

The region is also famous for its fish, thanks in no small part to Rick Stein. From the sea, there's trout, pilchards, herrings, mackerel and seafood such as crabs, lobster, cockles and oysters, as well as salmon and eels from the River Severn, and eels in the Test and the Avon. The Soil Association (the UK's major organic certification body) is based in Bristol, and there's a mass of local support. Lots of farms across the region participate in organic box schemes, delivering organic vegetables from Land's End to the Cotswolds.