Where can I get my hands on specialist foods

A. A specialist cheesemonger who has a great mail order service and a great website is Paxton and Whitfield in Jermyn Street, London SW1. Their website address is www.cheesemongers.co.uk

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In the hard cheese category there's Comte and Morbier, which� has a streak of charcoal running through the middle. For blue cheese there's Bleu d'Auvergne and Roquefort, of course. In the soft cheese section there's everything from Brie de Meaux to Vacherin to Pont l'Eveque, Reblochon and Carrre de l'Est.

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Q. What about other French foods

A. You name it and you'll find it. Differrent sites

specialise either in a type of food or a particular area of France, as the country, and therefore its food and cuisine,�are so diverse.

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La Provence de Galinette www.galinette.com specialises in olive-based products, such as olive oil and tapenade; Pikaboo www.pikaboo.com offers dishes and products from only the South West, such as truffles, fish soup and wild pigeon stew. Bonjour le Sud www.bonjourlesud.com specialises in cassoulet and honey, and Agape www.agape-online.com offer all the pate-type products, including rillettes, foie gras and terrines.

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Q. What about other Mediterranean foods

A. There is a website for these, too. Le Val d'Or www.levaldor.com offers French, Italian and Spanish speciality foods and ready-prepared dishes. These include seafood from Spain, as well as dishes including snails, rabbit and partridge; Italian preserved artichoke hearts, and French truffles and mushrooms.

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Q. Does anyone specialise in German food

A. Yes, a company called Hill German Food at www.hill-germanfood,co.uk.�Whether you are a German ex-pat just longing to get your gnashers around some real Bratwwurst or simply have a longing for proper German mustard (Senf) this is the place.

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Other specialities include Sauerkraut, Rotkohl (red cabbage), Bockwurst (sausage), Lachsschinken (ham), herring fillets, Kartoffelpuffer (potato products) and Alpensahne (cream for your muesli, presumably!).

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By Nicola Shepherd