TWO friends who met at a North Yorkshire village mother and toddler group have now teamed up to give an extra boost to local food businesses.

Jennifer Middleton who for two years has run PR and marketing consultancy, Lemon Zest, from her Cawood home has now joined forces with journalist and former television PR Jacey Lamerton.

Jennifer said: "Lemon Zest evolved out of a passion for food and a desire to find the best available produce, speciality shops, eateries and unique products that Yorkshire has to offer.

"Jacey and I both feel strongly about fighting for quality food and quality food producers. With the business going from strength to strength, it made sense to pool our complementary talents in PR and journalism."

Jennifer, a former senior press officer at Bonham's Auctioneers, London, recently added three key new clients to the Lemon Zest portfolio the award-winning Wensleydale Creamery, Ripon-based "posh pie" manufacturer I's Pies and Deliciously Yorkshire, part of the Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and the Humber.

Lemon Zest's clients also include York's Dean Court Hotel, Kitchen Guru and Seabrook Crisps.

Jacey moved to Kelfield, near York, three years ago.

A former news editor of TV trade paper Broadcast, she also set up and managed the press and PR offices for two independent television companies Endemol Entertainment (producers of Ready, Steady, Cook, Changing Rooms and Big Brother) and TalkBack (which makes Grand Designs, How Clean is Your House and They Think It's All Over).

After a spell in programme development for TalkBack's lifestyle department, she worked as online editor of a women's magazine.

She has contributed to a number of national newspapers, magazines, radio and television programmes.

Updated: 09:34 Tuesday, November 23, 2004