Recently a Dorset food supplier launched an initiative to draw attention to small, independent retailers - delis, farm shops, village stores - with the message: Love It or Lose It. Giles Henschel is in a good position to know. His company, Olives et Al, supply, to my mind, the best olives in the UK to a huge range of outlets, but he knows of 53 delis that have closed over the last year.

'The great shame is that our choice of where to buy remarkable food from remarkable people is gradually being shut down,' says Giles.

We at OFM know all too well how many hard-working and excellent small producers are out there. And the Conservative party is now launching a campaign to encourage local producers to register their foods with the EU, making it impossible to reproduce elsewhere (details: www.sort-it.co.uk). Here are a few examples of new foods that have impressed me lately:

Purely Pesto is a small Suffolk company who supply local and a few national delis with an outstanding range of 10 items. My favourites are their rocket pesto and basil pesto, but they also do a wonderful coriander one, plus a butterbean, mint and lime hummus (all £3.50). Be warned: everything contains nut oil. They'll do mail order, but if you're in the area, go to Snape - it's lovely. Contact 01728 689109; www.purelypesto.co.ukpesto

Meanwhile down in the New Forest two friends have started a range of excellent dressings called Salad Daze. Their dark, syrupy dressings are made from Italian extra virgin olive oil and organic balsamic vinegar and are certified by the Soil Association (£4.95). Details: 01725 518294.

You know that apres-ski feeling that combines gluhwein, rosti and Swiss sausages? Scottish meat producers Donald Russell have added a delicious pack of Swiss veal, pork, smoked pork and pork and beef sausages (£16, www.donaldrussell.com). Totally scrumptious and no scary black runs. Another great range of sausages to look out for is from Sharpham Park. Mulberry bag founder Roger Saul has turned full-time farmer on his beautiful Somerset estate, and the sausages are all organically home-grown from his rare breed sheep, lamb, deer and wild boar mixed with spelt rather than wheat. Sausages cost from £6.30 for 500g, mail order on 01485 844 080. They've also launched a fantastic range of pies.

If you're buying sugar it should be best cane from Plantation Reserve from the West Indies Sugar and Trading Company in Barbados. The island has had its EU subsidy drastically cut and this has threatened the sugar production industry. Available from Waitrose, various delis or www.plantationreserve.co.bb, £2.99 for 500g in a good, airtight tin.

And while we're on the subject of consciences ... Borough Market is under threat. Despite fierce local opposition, planning permission has been granted for Thameslink to upgrade the overhead railway track which will mean the demolition of 23 local buildings, including part of the market. Not only is it London's oldest market, this particular corner of Southwark has doggedly retained its Dickensian character as the chrome and plexiglass encroached. Borough Market with its high profile and stellar list of weekend shoppers, from Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson to our own Nigel Slater, has done more to promote small producers than any other food market in this country. This time it's a case of fight or lose it. Go to www.sabmac.co.uk.