Taste testing. The varieties of Filberts Bees honey at Bridport Farmers' Market went down a treat. Farmer Mark Rogers, left, produces the honey at his farm near Dorchester.

Emma Goss-Custard gives a bakery demonstration, explaining each layer - all the Honeybuns cakes are made by hand.

Rose and Emily Hallet try some sauces, jellies and other delights from Pinks Organics.

Safari survivors: Enjoying the sunshine and the views over the fields at Honeybuns after a day touring Dorset are, complete with goodie bags, from left: Emma, Margaret, Emily, Emma Goss-Custard and Charlotte Drake-Smith of Honeybuns, and Janet and Rose.

Sally and Nick Woolmer of Alweston Post Office and Stores with some Thunder & Lightning - a truly delicious combination of local flavours.

A LOT of effort goes into each and every one of Honeybuns cakes, made from as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. I was invited on a Dorset bakery safari to see how the team at Naish Farm work, and to meet suppliers and fellow food enthusiasts.

Complete with sturdy footwear (we had been told there would be rough terrain) I arrived at Honeybuns in Holwell near Sherborne to meet my fellow safari trekkers. Welcomed by owner Emma Goss-Custard, we were plied with mugs of tea and an array of Honeybuns cakes.

Tea downed, our first port of call was across the farmyard and the bakery, where we each donned fetching blue caps, plastic aprons and shoe covers before making our way to the 'goods in' end of the building. Emma explained the length she and the team go to to source top quality raw materials, store and track them once they are at the bakery, maximising freshness. "We never compromise on food safety," said Emma, "but always fight for food quality."

Next was the baking area where we were shown the ovens, and a "Blue Peter" demonstration of how the cakes are put together. All the cakes are made by hand, based on Emma's mother's and grandmother's recipes. All are wheat-free, and many are gluten-free and dairy-free, taking time to set before moving on to the next stage of the process - there are 23 people in three teams that work in rotation. A little mathematics was then called for as we worked out exactly how many cakes are made each week - with 10-15 pallets per week, with two-and-a-half-thousand cakes per pallet, the teams are making anything from 25,000 plus cakes a week. Quite a feat, and what a production line. Raw materials in one door and packaged cakes out the other.

Taking two 4x4s, we made our way to Alweston Post Office and Store. I have zipped past in the car quite a few times, but never thought to stop - but I will in future as this unassuming building right on the roadside is a "tardis" of delights. Run by Sally and Nick Woolmer the shop was like stepping back in time with shelves stocked to the ceiling with far too many tempting things. One of their 67 local suppliers, Tom Vickers from Pinks Organics was there, with a table all laid out for a taste-testing of some of their delicious range, including roasted cherry tomatoes and Green Chelli - a chilli and lime jelly to name two.

The Woolmers had also prepared a plate of their own - of Dorset Thunder and Lightning - small squares of currant loaf drizzled with honey from local hives and small dollops of Blackmore Vale clotted cream. Who cares about waistlines when food tastes this good?

Back in the 4x4s we headed towards Bridport and the farmers' market. Filberts Bees from Muckleford, near Dorchester, supplies Honeybuns with as much honey as it can - and we were going to, yes, another tasting session to see why.

Thankfully the traffic and parking gods were on our side and we got to the market as other stall holders were starting to pack up after a busy morning trading. Mark Rogers, who runs the farm at Muckleford, explained the premise behind Filberts Bees, his 40 hives, orchard planting and how they also use the beeswax - which has become a bigger part of the business. The important bit - tasting the variety of flavours and textures of honey, from sweet to sticky to honey with slight granules in it, and honey with the beeswax.

No time to dawdle we were soon back on the road heading back to base for lunch. And yes, we were behind schedule, and surprisingly, quite hungry.
A hearty lunch followed with us back on the road and heading a stone's throw away to Rylands Farm in Holnest. The farm, run by Julie Plumley and Keith Harrison provides a hands-on experience for children and families, showing them first hand about the countryside, from how to care for and feed animals to gardening. Everything from field to fork - and this is where Honeybuns comes in - as they invite groups from Rylands Farm to Holwell, showing the kids what happens with raw materials; completing the loop from field to fork.

Sadly we ran out of time and our (okay, my) much looked forward to visit to the free-range hens at Hazelbury Bryan. These chickens provide Honeybuns with 400-600 eggs a week; almost twice that in a busy week - and I for one wanted to meet the chickens. Perhaps on my next visit.

So - the next time you see a Honeybuns cake - even one of their new mini-cakes range (perfect size for handbags), remember that a lot of Dorset time and effort has gone into each and every one - making their cakes taste as good as they do.