Customers could be forgiven for thinking Lancaster-based wood fuel specialist, Logs Direct, has been on the Mediterranean Diet lately, with coffee, olive and pizza-related products all entering its online shop.

However, when they see that it’s also had a significant intake from Yorkshire, hot on the heels of one from the southwest, and alongside one from Sweden, it’s clear that the dedicated company is actually scouring the world for the very best products to market on Lancashire soil and via the world wide web.

Logs Direct has become a key and, in some cases, preferred stockist of some of the most innovative products in the market for those who love to burn logs, create magnificent gardens, live in a ‘green’ manner and enjoy life al fresco.

On the logs front, it is now full of beans at being able to sell the truly innovative Coffee Logs – premium quality, eco briquettes that are a 100% carbon neutral biofuel, by virtue of being manufactured from recycled coffee grounds, collected from coffee shops, office blocks, instant coffee factories, transport hubs and waste management companies.

Each coffee log is made from the grounds of up to 25 cups of coffee, from which oils have been extracted after the grounds have been dried, compacted and coated in wax. What is left is then formed into a briquette, which burns longer, hotter and cleaner than wood, in solid fuel stoves, open fires, pizza ovens, smokers, chimeneas and barbecues. Each log can burn for up to 60 minutes.

When it comes to burning something different, Coffee Logs are not the only choice. Logs Direct is now selling olive wood, perfect for pizza ovens, chimeneas, barbecues and fire pits, as well as being a lovely, long-burning choice for stoves and open fires. With a true Mediterranean aroma, this may be a scent wafting on the breeze this summer.

Pizza oven owners and restaurateurs will also be delighted to hear that Logs Direct is launching its own natural compressed beech virgin wood briquettes – Piccante Logs. These are additive-free, entirely ecological logs that are ideal for ovens used for bread and pizza baking and which are produced in Italy especially for Logs Direct.

In the garden, Logs Direct has some fabulous news for those with green fingers, having become one of the few suppliers of the ultra-environmentally friendly Yorganics - a 0-10mm quality peat-based compost that is 100% made from recycled material, which just happens to be the green waste generated by Yorkshire’s gardeners. As Yorganics has a British provenance and a traceability many composts lack, purchasers can easily reduce their carbon footprint by using it.

Some things have to be brought from further afield, including new Evening Lighter Torches, perfect for evening entertaining on the patio, but also ideal for those making fishing trips, camping and enjoying festival life. These torches create almost a mini-bonfire, within a cylindrical piece of tree, providing light and warmth for around two hours.

All of these exciting products follow hot on the heels of Brackenburn Brackettes, which have featured on ‘BBC Countryfile’. Last October, Logs Direct proudly became the north’s first stockist of these briquettes that are formed entirely of bracken and are a sustainable fuel source, burning hotter and longer than woods like oak, and ideal for use in log burners and on open fires.

All of these products represent a considerable expansion of the Logs Direct product portfolio and good news for the team working at the Halton-based family business, which has already increased by a third over the last three years.

“Our new products create huge talking points and should enable us to increase employment opportunities here,” says sales director, Stephen Talbot, who has been instrumental in sourcing all of the exciting new lines.

“Whilst our core product remains our top quality, kiln-dried logs for wood burners and open fires, we have now increased the number of choices we can offer to customers, ensured that those with very green credentials can buy products that leave them feeling guilt-free and introduced new lifestyle options that are on-trend, as well as useful.

“We are looking forward to the summer ahead, knowing we have superb products at our fingertips.”

More information about the whole Logs Direct range can be found at www.logsdirect.co.uk