You'd better whisper it quietly in case the French hear because they might not agree, but we Brits enjoy some local culinary delights and it does look as though British food is experiencing a renaissance. The signs are there and with British Food Fortnight running from 20 September to 5 October, it's a good excuse to explore our food heritage.

And I don't mean ox tail soup, which made well can be good. I mean British food that's evolved from Mrs Beeton, the celebrated author on household management, to embrace everything from European menus and further afield. Indeed today British food may well be a really good curry. After all one of London's most famous Indian restaurants, Veeraswamy, has been delighting the English palate since 1927. The current owner has opened a chain of Indian restaurants, including Marsala Zone, which offer a menu that's different by taking the traditional and giving it a modern twist. This approach to food can also be seen with chefs such as Heston Blumenthal. Along with the solid staples, his food alchemy lifts the basic menu to another level.

"More and more these days British food is about being seasonal, using the best products as they’re harvested."

More and more these days British food is about being seasonal, using the best products as they're harvested. Hence the growth of farmers markets countrywide. British Food Fortnight aims to promote the message that when it comes to food, British often means best. Backed by ARAMARK, the catering company who are the 19th largest employer on the Fortune 500, Budgens supermarket, the Department of Health and over 40 other catering related organisations, the fortnight is all about putting British food on the agenda. Over 9,000 chefs are at the ready to advise schools and help teach children to cook. And if you're out an about in the UK during those two weeks you should be seeing food producers, restaurants and pubs all highlighting local produce.

So, what is British food? Go to London restaurants that promote British menus such as St John and Rules and you'll think it's about game and meat. And that is of course part of the equation. But it's also about food such as potted shrimps from Morecambe Bay in Lancashire. And by that I mean those very tiny crustaceans, not to be confused by what our American compatriots call shrimps, which are to us prawns. Small and tasty, potted in butter, these are at their best on thin triangles of toasted white bread. Scottish smoked salmon which melts on the tongue is second to none. Cornish clotted cream, thick, creamy and rich is by far the best accompaniment to dishes such as apple crumble, which should be on the menu during the fortnight because apples are in season. Add a few blackberries picked from the hedgerow and you begin to embrace British food.

Local, seasonal food will always add flavour whatever the dish. If it's in season in the UK it will have the flavour of the season. Plums and pears picked locally will taste of the countryside. The fortnight is only a month on from the 'glorious 12th August' when the guns ring across the Scottish highland and moors bringing down the grouse. Still in season in September they are a moreish delight, simply grilled. Add wild chanterelle mushrooms with their meaty taste and you are truly eating natural food. For the more adventurous there's always jellied eels a favourite of East End Londoners. And every weekend the gates of Borough Market in Southwark swing open to throngs of people buying the best of organic produce from fruit and vegetables to local British cheeses.

"If it's in season in the UK it will have the flavour of the season."

Tea time is considered a very British affair. And there's no doubt that the traditional cake recipes endure. A light Victoria sponge cake named after Queen Victoria who favoured a slice of sponge cake with her afternoon tea is as desirable now as it was when she came to the throne in 1838. Bakewell tart and Parkin from Yorkshire, treacle tart and Queen of Puddings are all desserts that stand the test of time.

If you need any inspiration during British Food Fortnight you could always try out some of the many food festivals around Britain. Probably one of the most famous, earlier in the month, is the Ludlow Marches Food and Drink Festival. This is a gem in the food calendar. Ludlow is the UK headquarters for Slow Food, a movement which is about retaining the diversity of regional produce. And the town boasts four Michelin star restaurants. Abergavenny Food Festival in Wales, York Festival of Food and Drink, and the Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival are just a few of the food events to delight the taste buds. Add to that the thousands of food activities taking place around the country as part of the food fortnight's celebration of British food, and there's no excuse not to rediscover some tasty British titbits and indulge in a little national pride while you're at it.

For more information visit:

British Food Fortnight - 20 September to 5 October

Ludlow Marches Food and Drink Festival – 12 to 14 September

Abergavenny Food Festival in Wales – 20 to 21 September

York Festival of Food and Drink – 19 – 28 September

Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival – 19 – 28 September

By Michele Nevard