The devil's in the detail

Thanks to those who emailed with suggestions for making locally sourced hot drinks. The biggest taste-bud teaser turned out to be a tip that a firm called Tregothnan based in Cornwall and Kent grew tea . . .  they do indeed, but it's only grown in Cornwall! The Kent arm specializes in coppicing and charcoal making. After an agonizing web wait (they have possibly the world's worst website after Swale council's) I tasted the caffeine turn to dust in my mouth.

I resisted the idea of nettle tea (ha ha, Lucy, very funny), but did go for sage tea, snipping tenders shoots from the sage bush by the back door at home and making a delicate hot water infusion. It's decades since I had done that and I immediately remembered why I had stopped - it's appalling! Back to water and juices.

However, with some splendid meals of purely Kent produce under my belt I'm beginning to think this local foodie malarkey isn't too bad after all.

Last week we got into the swing by majoring on Kent produce, but we've been using only Kent foodstuffs since Sunday and a paean of praise is due to Mrs Y. Karen has taken the local food thing to heart and hunted down local goodies in the shops, dived into the kitchen and come up with some cracking meals.

So, Lesson No 1 - if a local produce experiment or way of life is going to succeed there has to be someone on board who's a good cook, who enjoys exercising their culinary skills and has time for the job. Happily Karen is on holiday and has been able to throw herself into it! A succession of Kent only roast dinners, flans, puds, chutneys, jams and cakes have made a very welcome appearance.

But, it seems the devil is in the cooking detail . . . where, please, can you buy Kent salt? Where can you buy Kent stock cubes?

Kent yoghurt, butter and cream also seem elusive. I've left a voicemail with Dargate Dairy to ask for butter - a mole tells they make small quantities –and I'm waiting for reply. More anon.