The National Forest has such a fantastic choice of locally produced food but how do food lovers find out what is available? Well, help is at hand with the summer issue of The National Forest Food Guide out today.

Compiled by local food expert, Barry Smith, the National Forest Food Guide lists where to buy great local food, with details of producers and stockists of everything from meat to mushrooms, beer to bread and cakes to cheese.

Barry said: �As a �food lover� I compiled the list so that it is easier for both residents and visitors to the area to enjoy the wonderful selection of food and drink that we have here.

�I would welcome feedback from readers on the content. Do you know of other great local suppliers that are missing from the list? Let us know and we will update the guide.�

The Food Guide is available on the website www.visitnationalforest.co.uk/food

Website visitors can also read about and submit Food News and events, which include dates of the farmers markets, as well as finding suggestions of places to eat and drink across the area. The National Forest & Beyond Visitor Guide is also available through the website which highlights tea shops and restaurants, attractions and pubs that use local produce. These include Donington le Heath Manor House and Calke Abbey, Staunton Stables and Moira Furnace tearooms where all of the scrumptious cakes are homemade and of course the farmers markets and excellent farm shops in the area that often stock many more unusual varieties of produce than those found in supermarkets. Penny Wilkinson, Tourism & Promotions Officer with the National Forest Company, commented: �There is such a wealth of local food and drink on the doorstep, we want to encourage more people to try these.

�Visitors can combine a visit to one of our excellent attractions with a browse around a farm shop or farmers market on a weekend break in The National Forest. Our latest Visitor Guide has some great ideas on the huge choice of things to see and do in the area.�

As well as the information on local food and drink the National Forest & Beyond Visitor Guide contains details of the many family attractions, places to visit for heritage and history, and suggestions for where to enjoy the woodlands and countryside. It also highlights the interesting activities that people can do such as coracle or basket-making, woodland crafts, survival and bushcraft skills, textile, painting and walking holidays.

To order a copy of the guide, either log on to the website www.visitnationalforest.co.uk, email enquiries@nationalforest.org or telephone 01283 551211.

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The National Forest Company offers regular press trips to The National Forest. Please contact Carol Rowntree Jones on 01283 551211 to discuss your individual requirements, and experience for yourself this Forest in the making. Media contacts: For further information contact Carol Rowntree Jones, Media Relations Officer, or Penny Wilkinson, Tourism & Promotions Officer, at the National Forest Company, on 01283 551211. For background information please visit www.nationalforest.org Digital images available, contact: media@nationalforest.org

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The National Forest area covers 200 square miles of the counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Its objective is to increase woodland cover within its boundaries from an initial six per cent to about a third. No multi-purpose forest on this scale has been created in the UK for one thousand years. To date the proportion of woodland cover in the Forest has already trebled to 18 per cent and over 7 million trees have been planted.

2. Year by year, The National Forest has been steadily turning what was once one of the least wooded areas of England into a multi-purpose, sustainable forest. The National Forest provides environmental, social and economic benefits, including landscape enhancement, creation of new wildlife habitats and major new access and leisure opportunities. It is an excellent example of sustainable development � with environmental improvement providing a stimulus both to economic regeneration and to community pride and activity.

3. To achieve these objectives, the National Forest Company leads the creation of The National Forest, working in partnership with landowners, local authorities, private business, voluntary organisations and local communities and has strong support from Government, politicians and the public. The Company, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2005, receives grant in aid from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.