The Truffler

You'll be seeing the V-sign rather a lot over the next few days as National Vegetarian Week starts on Monday - call 0161-925 2000 for a pack persuading you to convert, or check out www.vegsoc.org. But mind that double-decker bus bearing down on you - it'll be the Veggies on the Move charabanc, dishing out information and recipes. All very well, but not very green.

You'll be seeing the V-sign rather a lot over the next few days as National Vegetarian Week starts on Monday - call 0161-925 2000 for a pack persuading you to convert, or check out www.vegsoc.org. But mind that double-decker bus bearing down on you - it'll be the Veggies on the Move charabanc, dishing out information and recipes. All very well, but not very green.

One of the more engaging collections of vegetarian recipes, and with no foreword by Linda or Paul McCartney, is Cooking with Herb - A Cookbook for Kids, published by Barefoot Books, £6.99. Herb the dragon will also be putting in an appearance at shopping precincts, schools, bookshops and vegetarian food shops to promulgate the cause.

Tactless, perhaps, to choose this week to mention a potentially useful website for meat-eaters - but Truffler's never afraid of putting its trotter in it. For carnivores who care where their meat comes from, www.organicbutchers.co.uk lists more than 170 butchers, shops and farm outlets specialising in organic home-reared meat and poultry. The idea is that you can find a local supplier, or if there are none near, choose one that can supply mail order.

Imagine the pall of hot fat fumes that will be hanging over Morecambe and Heysham in Lancashire this weekend. More than a dozen fish and chip shops, cafés and restaurants are taking part in the seaside resort's celebration of the original and most popular fast-food combo. Fish and chip shops outnumber McDonald's by 12 to one in the UK. For a taste of the best, the National Federation of Fish Friers, which represents the country's 8,500 fish and chip shops, will give out samples outside Morrison's supermarket in Morecambe today between 10am and 4pm, and tomorrow from 11am to 3pm. Plus there are all sorts of traditional seaside-type entertainments over the weekend.

In contrast, down south, the odour of cheese and onion (not crisps, though) is likely to prevail at the French country-food market taking place today at Hay's Galleria in London. Although many French producers cross into Kent, and set out their stalls at the farmers' market in Wye, for example, this is the first time the French market from Normandy has come to central London. There will be French bread, cheeses, olives, patisserie, charcuterie, coffee, cider and wines. Remember those French onion-sellers on bicycles? A stall selling onions, garlic and shallots will be there to bring tears of nostalgia to your eyes. The French Market at Hay's Galleria, between Tower and London bridges with an entrance on Tooley Street, is on today until 6pm.