I'm using Excel 2003. I want to be able to filter merged cells (that are in
one column, covering several rows) so that all the data associated with the
merged cell appears and not just the top line.

e.g. set up a table with two columns and an auto filter at the top. In the
left column put certain categories of data, for example say food types e.g.
fruit or meat, and then in the right column the actual food, so for fruit you
could have apples, banannas and pears. Now for presentation purposes I want
to have the left column merged so that the food category appears once
verically centered in the middle of the rows, but I want to be able to filter
this column to pick up all the data i.e. if I filter for fruit I want to get
apples, bananas and pears not just apples.

Help anyone?