The Horticultural Development Council is stepping up its campaign to promote seasonal fruit and veg with a recipe calendar.

Although the levy board is not allowed to openly push British produce, it is encouraging shoppers to buy seasonally instead. Ready Steady Cook regulars Brian Turner and Ross Burden and children's food writer Amanda Grant, have developed 12 recipes for the calendar.

Each contains up to seven different varieties of fruit and veg to maximise nutrition and health benefits and help people get their recommended daily portions. A spokesman said: "This is a definitive guide to what is in season each month with recipes to show how the produce can be combined to improve nutrition and health."

About 7,000 calendars have been distributed to the public and 500 to journalists.

The HDC is also working alongside the generic Eat in Colour campaign and is lobbying the government to expand the Food Dudes pilot for school children.