IMAGINE if Dorset’s local fresh produce and award-winning restaurants were only for weekends or summer holidays.

For those living in London, this is reality.

You might sample the deliciousness of a Dorset apple cake, only to know you’ve got another year before you can get back to that bakery again.

But one woman is making sure those who love a taste of Dorset can get their hands on our wares whenever they want.

And that local businesses are kept going...

Lindsay Anderson has launched Shop Dorset – a one-stop website stocking local retailers for residents and fans of the county alike.

Renowned producers like Dorset Cereals, Olives et Al, Piddle Brewery, House of Dorchester and Fudges are all aboard.

But Lindsay says it’s just as much about promoting those who operate on a smaller scale.

She said: “Having the bigger guys involved was a really good chance to support Dorset businesses.

“They are very much county-based brands.

“They feel very much like Dorset brands.

“But equally there are some fantastic smaller companies who otherwise wouldn’t have the budget or the know-how to get their products out there.”

Having worked in London and fallen in love with Dorset during holidays, Lindsay knows first-hand how cherished the county’s wealth of produce is to those not fortunate enough to live here.

“Say someone had a nice weekend staying in Burton Bradstock, they want to go home and relive that experience.

“They want to be able to get the things they ate when they stayed in Dorset,” she says.

But Lindsay says it’s more important now than ever that local people are supporting local producers.

She said: “Shopping locally is something that’s really become fashionable.

“We are very lucky here in Dorset to have such a wealth of producers and local businesses.

“We are very lucky to raise our daughter in Dorset, it feels very safe and there’s a lot of comfort in buying local produce.

“They learn a lot in school about produce too – she was telling me all about food air miles yesterday.