They cost pounds 4.60 for 100g (plus p&p), from Rococo, 321 King’s Road London SW3. There are other branches in Bath (01225 466 403) and Stratford- upon-Avon (01789 415 544)Rich, velvety dark chocolate enrobes Rococo’s Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh truffles. With their hint of orange and the delicate essence of frankincense and myrrh oil, eating these comes close to being a religious experience Or you could give them away, if you can bear to. Clockwise from top right: Cerney, a British goat’s cheese coated in ash, pounds 4.75 for 250g; Langres, soft cow’s-milk cheese from the Champagne region of France, pounds 3.75 for 200g; Frais de Brebis, French sheep’s-milk cheese rolled in mixed herbs, pounds 4.95 for 240g; and Boulette d’Avesnes, a fiery French soft cow’s- milk cheese rolled in crushed chillis, pounds 3.75 for 150g (all plus p&p) Paxton & Whitfield is at 93 Jermyn Street, London SW1 Mail-order enquiries: 0207 930 0259. Mail-order enquiries: 0845 300 1707The 200-year-old Paxton & Whitfield cheese-shop has a mouth-watering array of splendid cheeses, including these on the left. pounds 8.95 for 440g (plus p&p), from Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London W1.

Mail-order enquiries: 0171 559 1153This gargantuan pot of Welsh-hedgerow honey has a large honeycomb submerged in its luscious, golden depths. Welsh Chunk Comb Honey, pounds 12.95 for 908g (plus p&p) from Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London W1. Mail-order enquiries: 0845 300 1707These light, crumbly, exceedingly more-ish crackers from Fortnum & Mason’s Biscuits for Cheese selection are made with wheat flour, rye flour, potato flour and poppy seeds, and they come in a pretty duck-egg- blue tin. A tin costs pounds 8.15 (plus p&p) from Le Pont de la Tour Food Shop, 36 Shad Thames,
London SE1. Mail-order enquiries: 0171 403 4030This gleaming bucket of finest Dijon mustard contains enough of the hot stuff to complement the most gigantic platter of Boxing Day cold meats. The 450g tin costs pounds 5.95 (plus p&p) from Bluebird, 350 King’s Road, London SW3.

Seasonal self-indulgence has never been simpler. International extravagances now available by post range from French stuffed prunes to gold, frankincense and myrrh truffles Georgia Lacey selects the best of mail-order gastronomy. Photographs by Xavier Young

Plump and sticky, these ink-black prunes, from Agen in the south of France, are filled to the brim with vanilla prune cream. They do stock some British regional specialities such as McCambridges soda bread or Cartmel sticky toffee pudding, but as I have not tried any of them, I cannot vouch for their quality.More on-line food and drink overleaf. With Sir Rocco Forte as chairman, the emphasis is, not surprisingly, upmarket, with caviar, foie gras and cooked lobster trumpeting the festive season. Prices exclude p&p.OF VARIOUS other food specific sites to visit, including www.village- bakery and www anicsdirect.co.uk, www.lobster.co.uk is perhaps the newest.

Cakes range from the traditional rich fruitcake crowned in royal icing made from unbleached flour, butter, muscovado sugar and vine fruits steeped in sugar (an hour is spent by the confectioner decorating each cake, so the Snowy Iced Christmas Cake costs pounds 20.50), to the louche Italian cantucci (almond biscuits) at pounds 5.98 or chocolate covered panforte, pounds 7.95. Their Stilton is nicely matured, truly creamy with even veining and a fine mellow flavour.BETTY’S BY Post at www.bettysbypost celebrate Christmas with a traditional fruity, vegetarian suet Christmas pudding laced with Old Peculiar Ale This comes in sizes from mini to large. No actual weights were given, but a Medium pudding costs pounds 9.95 (plus p&p). As there were no tasting notes provided on any of the cheeses, you may prefer to play safe and order a classic Stilton. Whole cheeses, weighing 8kg, cost pounds 85, half cheeses cost pounds 45, baby cheeses weighing 2.3kg cost pounds 29, and 500g and 250g ceramic jars cost pounds 15 and pounds 11 respectively All prices include p&p. Each month they have a cheeseboard selection, December’s comprising Smoked Red Leicester, Ragstone, Shropshire Blue and Petite Rabalin (sic). These hams are magnificent meaty affairs, dry-cured for about a month and then hung to mature for a further two months.