Welcome to the shop local feast. This week, we've laid on a festive spread from your local butchers and grocers, farm shops and bakers.

Do you fancy fresh vegetables, newly harvested as the supermarket shelves empty? How about crispy roast potatoes with sweetly charred parsnips, and the earthy flavour of Brussels sprouts from just down the road? Can we tempt you with chestnut stuffing and cranberry sauce made by artisan producers near you, or pigs in blankets using meat from your local butcher, and the meltingly rich flavours of a locally reared turkey or goose? All polished off, naturally, by a locally made Christmas pudding.

December is just around the corner, though it'll be a few weeks before thoughts turn to the annual trolley-jam in the supermarket aisles. Why not do different this year, and start planning your food shop to include your local shops and markets? This year, try vegetables from your farm shop, hoed up from the soil minutes before you buy them. Visit your local butcher to order your locally sourced turkey and traditionally made sausages. See what's in store and fill your basket with all the trimmings and treats that make a Christmas dinner so special.

Shopping local isn't just a question of taste. It's also a question of traceability. Your local butcher will be able to tell you exactly where your food has come from and how it got there, and there's a very good chance you'll be able to see your Christmas vegetables growing in the fields when you drive in to your local farm shop.

You get a bit extra when you shop local too. Farm shop staff and butchers aren't just in the business of producing food; they're also founts of knowledge with lots of handy tips and recipes to make this year's festive meal the best yet.

Christmas tastes best when it tastes local, and once you've tried it, you may find that nothing else will do.

Introducing the Shop Local app

Local shopping and eating out in our region just got easier – and smarter.

Download the Shop Local app and find your way to local shops, restaurants and services in the blink of an eye. Easy to use and easy to browse, simply navigate through the list of categories to find everything from the perfect Christmas gift to an evening out – and book yourself a taxi home afterwards.

You'll find plenty of information, including contact information, website links, directions and a handy map showing you where you are, and how to get to where you want to go.

Shopping local was never this easy. The app is available for Android and iOS users, and can be yours for free.

• Click here to find out more about the Shop Local This Christmas campaign.