<preform>Food & Drink notes</preform>

Made in china; curry in a hurry; Devon sent; bread head

National Trust shops are opening for spring, with food delicacies produced locally and British products in abundance. The Trust is supporting the Stoke-on-Trent family business of Burgess, Dorling & Leigh with this exclusive range of hand-finished Burleigh china. Eighty of the shops are stocking plates (£5), mugs (£10) and small jugs (£15); www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

Made in china

National Trust shops are opening for spring, with food delicacies produced locally and British products in abundance. The Trust is supporting the Stoke-on-Trent family business of Burgess, Dorling & Leigh with this exclusive range of hand-finished Burleigh china. Eighty of the shops are stocking plates (£5), mugs (£10) and small jugs (£15); www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

Curry in a hurry

With four shops open in London, the latest in the Indian fast-food chain, Tiffinbites, opens in Birmingham this week (Unit CU 533, 3 St Martins Square, Bullring; 0800 505 3060). Take away a stack of three boxes - such as paneer masala, tarka dal jeera rice (from £5.29) - or have it heated and eat it on the spot. Deliveries - not by bike - are made in London EC and W1. On top of the boxes there are chaats, wraps, mango lassi and low-carb lunches - and it's all lower fat than most curries.

Devon sent

Ordering food from an organic hotel in Virginstow, Devon, is an extravagance we'd recommend. Percy's is an enterprising pastoral idyll, where animals graze, vegetables grow, and guests stay and dine. Produce includes chutneys, meat, an award-winning lemon tart, seed breads, and this organic chocolate, hazelnut, prune and armagnac tart, one of the most sumptuous we've ever tried. The delivery charge goes down from £7.50 the more you order. Percy's mail order www.percys.co.uk/01409 211236.

Bread head

Liverpudlian Paul Hollywood's a star among bakers. His Hollywood Company Deli supplies top London restaurants with the most upper crust bread. Pick up inspiration and approachable recipes in his '100 Great Breads' (£12.99, Cassell). Apart from basic British loaves like the crusty cob, batch bread and milk loaf, his Italian breads, like this potato focaccia Pugliese, beg to be baked. And there's plenty of time for to get cracking on the tsoureki Easter plait, studded with crimson hard-boiled eggs.