LOCAL produce is growing ever more popular - if expansions from two Eat Local nominees are anything to go by.

New nominee Food For Thought, at Haxby, York, is doubling the size of its bakery to meet demands, and owner Martyn Scott is delighted.

He said: "We did not have a very big baking area, so we just could not cope with all the demand.

"It is still not a massive bakery, but it feels like it to us.

"We have had requests for more bread, and demand is far outstripping supply, so we are keeping going." Margaret Jones, of Haxby, nominated Food For Thought for the Eat Local competition.

She said: "The owner bakes delicious organic bread, with a wide variety of cakes. He does sell an excellent selection of healthy food, too."

Besides its renowned bakery, Martyn also cooks his own hams, sells local cheeses, and supplies fruit and vegetables from further afield. He said: "It has not been easy keeping going through all this, but it will be amazing when we are all finished.

"The whole shop has been refurbished and I think it is going to be a real boost."

Expanding in terms of produce, if not premises, is Ainsty Farms Shop, near Green Hammerton.

The shop is getting back to the olden days, with rare breeds becoming its newest venture.

Dexter cattle, Gloucester Old Spot pigs and Herdwick lamb are the new - old local favourites.

Owner Sam Blacker said: "All our rare breeds meat is produced within six or seven miles of the shop, so it has everything, it is both local and rare, and is really popular."

Co-owner Stuart Beaton said: "Several times we have had people buy some of the meat, say a joint of lamb, then they have phoned us once they have had their dinner that night and told us they want to buy the rest of the entire lamb - it's really in demand and great for us."

Updated: 09:16 Tuesday, April 15, 2003