Food & Drink notes

Core blimey; get on the scales; beam me up, Scottie; lighten up

Core blimey

Core blimey

Chegworth Valley juices flow whatever the season. The Deme family farm in Kent grows traditional varieties of apples and pears, most of which are turned into juices made with nothing but the fruit itself - the classic organic Cox; Bramley for a sharper taste; nutty Russet; and blends of two apples; or apples with other fruit, all grown, pressed, bottled and labelled on the farm. Buy them from London farmers' markets, farm shops and delis for £2.75 a litre.

Get on the scales

Rick Stein has doubled the size of his deli and saved Padstow's last independent butcher from extinction. Keeping traditions alive, the Steins have taken over Murt's Shellfish shop next door to their deli so they could have a wet fish counter and carry on the good work, picking crabs and lobsters. At the same time, butcher Norman Brooks was shutting up shop, so the chef took on his right-hand man to sell meat from around Britain. South Quay, Padstow, Cornwall, 01841 532700

Beam me up, Scottie

Caledonian Connoisseur is a supplier of fresh Scottish produce. Orders ( www.caleyco.com/01750 505100) arrive direct from fishermen, farmers, bakers and smokehouses, for dispatch from Selkirk straight to any UK home. Endorsed by the chef Nick Nairn, the company also supplies venison pies, Aberdeen Angus bangers, Lanark Blue and leek flan. Diver-caught king scallops and Arbroath smokies are among the seasonally changing attractions, and whisky and French wines are also supplied.

Lighten up

Never mind all that macho industrial-looking kitchen kit that men are supposed to fetishise. Do they ever actually use it? Now, and about time too, Rocco Cookware is fighting back with unashamedly girlie saucepans that are just what you need for a bit of light cuisine. There's a frying pan, and three sizes of saucepan, which come in five different enamel-coated colours, including the new pastel shades of pink, eggshell blue and lime green. The non-stick pans are made in Birmingham by a 60-year-old company and are available only by mail order from 01384 898844/ www.roccocookware.com. Prices are from £21.95 for the smallest saucepan and £19.95 for the omelette pan, plus £3.50 post & packing per pan.