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The food of the South East
A recent revival of interest in culinary traditions and cooking methods has helped keep local food preparations on plates, not only in the south east, but across the country. Try some regional recipes:
Garden of England Quince Marmalade
Hayling Island Saltmarsh Steak with Jersey Royals
Selsey Crabcakes with Pea and Hampshire Watercress Purée

Tipples
Local ales, Perry (a cider, made with Perry pears), fruit juices, cider and wines, are currently enjoying international acclaim as well as local approval. The favourable temperate climate also home to Denies, the largest vineyard in England, located on top of the north Surrey hills.

Out shopping
If you're out shopping at a farmers market or local shop, take your pick from such gems as Dorset-grown fiery chilli peppers, Aylesbury ducks, Romney marsh lamb, Hampshire watercress, Selsey crab, and Essex oysters.

There's an array of soft and hard cheeses, pickles, chutneys, relishes, jams, marmalades and honeys galore - to say nothing of the wealth of farm-made ice creams.

Seasonal fruit and vegetables come up trumps too, especially cherries, damsons, medlars, cobnuts, organic pumpkins.

Around 14 varieties of organic mushrooms are grown in Hampshire - and each species is much sought after in London's top restaurant kitchens.

Producers are turning surplus milk into cheese and ice creams; their quince into jams; lamb into burgers to sell at food fairs. Farmers are also taking the time to hang grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef for at least four weeks to develop flavour.

Many producers in the southeast are aided by government-funded organisations, with the likes of Hampshire Fare, Taste of Sussex, A Taste of Dorset, Produced in Kent helping more people enjoy local food and produce.

Typical treats...
Suet pudding
An extensive range of suet-based dishes are found in the south and east of England - steak and kidney pudding with oysters in London, Essex and Kent; lemon and brown sugar filled Sussex Pond puddings, and dumplings from Norfolk.

Anchovy sauce
Anchovies have traditionally been used to enrich gravies and sauces, and the essences were first produced in south east England, in the late 18th century. Although anchovies are occasionally caught off the British coast, the salted fish has been imported from the Mediterranean since the 16th century.

Leveller gooseberries
Grown in Kent and Sussex, these large, yellow, sweet gooseberries are sweeter than the usual tart gooseberry and are key ingredients in leveller gooseberry fool from the Chailey-Newick district of East Sussex.

Cider cake
This rich, spicy cake is scented with sweet spice and infused with local cider. It's also a popular teatime tree in Suffolk, Dorset and Herefordshire.

Tonbridge brawn
A Kentish speciality, Tonbridge brawn was borne out of pigs foraging in Kentish cherry orchards. Brawn is made the traditional way with the feet, ears and head before being put into a press to firm it up. After the brawn has jellied, it's covered with bread crumbs. Sliced and served.

Carol Godsmark