Summer has definitely arrived and it's time to relax in one of Cheshire's fabulous gardens. Resist the temptation of pre-packed sandwiches, ditch the artificial flavoured crisps and take an old fashioned English picnic. The secret is simplicity using finger food made up of the best regional produce. Try favourite fillings in focaccia bread, chicken legs, slices of local vegetables and meats, smoked fish and salads and why not bake a cake especially for the occasion? If you're too busy, visit your local delicatessen and stock up with the best they have to offer. For drinks buy locally made beers, ciders or fruit juices or try making your own smoothies or fresh lemonade.

Whilst barbecues are great in the garden where the fridge is on hand, picnics are food on the move and it's important to keep it chilled - especially meat, poultry and foods containing cream. But how did they transport foodstuffs centuries ago, long before cool bags? They invented the pie! Pastry is a pretty good foodstuff in its own right, but the idea of using this as a case to house meat to be transported or stored easily, was nothing short of genius. Cold raised pies are a peculiarly British invention, and are generally pork or game pies made from a hot water crust that needs to be raised or moulded into shape.

The best pies have that satisfying melt in the mouth, should be crisp on the outside and softer on the inside but not soggy, with a beautiful golden colour that is nowhere near burnt. It should envelope the right amount of meaty jelly and a chunky pork filling lightly seasoned. The meat should be minced pork with a high content of fat or coarsely minced dark game meat interspersed with layers of breast meat. A highly flavoured and seasoned stock made from the bones of the meat mixed with gelatine should be poured into the spaces left by shrinkage after cooking.

Badly made pork or game pies, do not use good quality meat, and have that awful whitish raw pastry layer, between the over cooked outside crust and the meat, not to mention the synthetic jelly. Better off hunting for the real thing, especially if you can get it delivered to your door. My particular favourite is made by John and Christine Lomas of the Uppercrust Pie Company. Their Cheshire Belle is a blue stilton pie sandwiched between two layers of pork and topped with apple under a lattice crust. A very good range perfect for your picnic hamper can also be found at Clewlow Butchers in Nantwich. They have been making their own pies on the premises since 1988. Try their Traditional Pork Pie or their Pork and Apple Pie.

H.Clewlow Butchers - Nantwich

Phone: 01270 625366. Website: www.clewlows.co.uk

Sold at their shop on Pepper Street

Uppercrust Pie Company - Manchester

Phone: 0161 766 9744. Website: www.uppercrustpies.com

Order online for delivery to your door