For something really special to put on the table this year, why not take a trip round the area and stock up on excellent local produce, says Chat Noir chef Yann Ruvoen

The best journeys begin on our doorstep, which is handy in a credit crunch. Christmas is the perfect season for a trip following a trail of local food, in search of good food, good wine and taking a little more time.

This trip centres around the preparation of a delicious beef stew, marinated in cider. A slow cooking, warming dish full of local produce.

Ingredient 1: 75cl of cider

First things first, the journey starts in Ampleforth abbey; Father Rainer produces a pure cider, fruity and dry, perfect for the stew.

You can walk around the orchard, a very relaxing and interesting place, where the abbey tries to preserve old varieties of cider apple trees. For more monastic tranquility try the river walk at nearby Riveaux abbey.

Ingredient 2: Vegetables (2 potatoes; and 1 swede and 1 parsnip roasted in salted butter)

On the way back to Scarborough divert to New Field Organic at Fadmoor, near Kirkbymoorside. The vegetables from their farm are covered in mud but bursting with flavour!

Ingredient 3: Two spoons of plain flour (to thicken the stew)

Not the main ingredient but the flour is so good it is worth stopping at Yorkshire Organic Millers in Appleton le Moors. With the flour you can also bake some home made bread, which will do perfectly for mopping up the stew.

Then just push a little further on to Rosedale abbey, for the scenic route with an old Roman road and vestiges of iron mines.

Ingredient 4: 900g Yorkshire reared beef

Back to Scarborough after a detour through Dalby Forest, to the fabulous indoor market which offers fresh, tasty beef, reared around Scarborough (along with many other delights that make great Christmas gifts).

And finally: 1 bottle Anjou Blanc Ch Pierre Bise

It’s just a step from the market hall to Le Chat Noir. We have a great selection of wines in our off licence, just ask for a recommendation to match your dish.

We work directly with some of the small wine growers in France to get the best they can offer.

This is the last part of the journey, in your head this time, along the French river Layon in the middle of the vineyards of Loire Valley to discover the amazing wine of Claude Papin. The Anjou blanc, a strong and powerful wine, will be perfect with the stew.

You’ll need a few additional ingredients: salted butter(50g), salt, back pepper, cumin and herbes de Provence. Then simply cook everything together in a large pan on a low heat for 2 hours.

Bon appétit and bon voyage!

Yann Ruvoen and Susie O’Neill are proprietors of Le Chat Noir

Home page pic: Tony Bartholomew