up to 7 pages of reading, and we've covered veal, that the pic is oiut of date, how animals are killed, drifted into how rude Pete is, or not depending on your view and now into capitalism. Its summer fellas, rider yer bikes or get some sun!!
I gave up 6 pages ago @bradders! Nice little trip out this evening on the 848 which feels horrid after the 675....need time to readjust....
so did I, clicked on latest read post and came up top of 7, and was on 10 too much anger in this place...and twice as much self-importance
Thing is, we can blame the supermarkets (I'm all in favour of doing that...) but the people really responsible are the consumers - you and me. If you buy your meat at a supermarket, and your milk etc, then you are telling the supermarket that it is right: this is where you want to do your shopping and that is the price you are happy to pay. If you don't feel like this, you go to a local butcher, or a market; you invest some more energy, lose some time and pay a bit more. Personally, that's what I do for meat, bread, cheese - in fact most things apart from bog roll and cat food. I'm happy to pay more to have something local that isn't vacuum packed. But if supermarkets are so successful, it's because most people don't share my viewpoint. A supermarket is "so convenient". It's the consumers who put the small shops out of business by abandoning them.
Maybe in years gone by, but recent times mean many high streets don't have these things and even if it wasn't a convenience thing either travelling or lack of availability drives you to supermarkets But imho its convenience first that was the tipping point, cost was a byproduct of that
I'd love to use a green grocer, a baker and a butcher but there is only a tesco metro, a sainsburys local and a co-op in the village where I live. I'd have to drive for 5 miles to get to a local butcher, I don't even know where the nearest non-reeves or greggs bakers is and the same for green grocers. I pretty much have to use the supermarket version of a corner shop as that's all there is. My brother lives in Vienna and he is able to eat wonderful food due to the difference in produce and how it's sold.
We have a most excellent baker in Coulsdon (Tudor Baker, I cannot stress enough how much I enjoy their breads). Plus a terrific Butcher up on the hill. Just outside Champagnole we stopped for food in a local artisan meat and cheese producer. I had a plate of cured meats and delicious cheeses etc. This is what we miss. Artisan food. I almost licked the plate clean. We could learn a thing or two about local food from the French. I dont really like soft cheeses such as Brie but the stuff I had there was wonderfully tasty.
You're right in what you say and I don't have a problem with supermarkets as a convenient and cheaper place to shop. I still use my local butcher but the grocers and bakers have gone so have no choice but to use supermarkets and supermarkets have brought some good to the less privelidged in society who can now afford to feed their families for less. The problem I have is how powerful supermarkets have become and how they use unfair dictatorship and bully boy tactics towards the people who supply them with food. The balance of profit is vastly unfair. Supermarkets pay many producers less than the cost of production for the produce they provide putting many out of business, whilst the supermarkets make multi billion pound profits. Tesco's profits have slipped, but no one could say 1.75 billion was measley, but they're used to profits of over 3 billion and want to continue increasing this. Tesco's could quite easily live with smaller profits so they could reduce the price of food to its customers aswell as pay a fair price to its producers. The reason they don't is just pure greed and the fear of losing market control which all of the supermarkets are battling for. The adverts you see on TV where supermarkets say they are looking after 'our farmers' is just an absolute joke and cheap PR stunt to fool consumers. Speaking as a dairy farmer and talking about milk I'll define what 'our farmers' actually means. In this country there are 10000 milk producers supplying milk to various outlets most of which end up on a supermarket shelf. Out of this 10000 Tesco's have offered around 300 milk producers a special contract where they will be payed an extra couple of pence per litre for their milk. In order to qualify for this there is list of stipulations as long as your arm, but of the stipulations is that every one of the 300 has to submit their farm accounts to Tesco so Tesco can study them to see how and where money is spent but also how much the farm makes. It's on the back of these figures Tesco's decides how much to pay. From many famers I've spoken to they say at best it's just enough to keep their heads above water so they can keep supplying the supermarkets. As for the other 9700 like me we just have to put up and shut up.
Interesting thread Where, from the farmers point of view, is the best place to buy milk then? (In London, has to be delivery) Use ocado for most our shopping (and there i try and buy veg from smaller producers, not sure if this helps or not), except for meat really which I buy from ginger pig, or turner and george. The trend in food production in recent times really is unfortunate.
You can't simply buy milk straight from the farm. There is nothing wrong with it and I drink it everyday but for it to be sold to the public it has to be pasturised first. Buying milk form your local milkman is the best way of supporting. But this is the problem. Years ago the milkman used to deliver milk to the majority of the country but with supermarket offers of 4 pints for £1, most milk deliverers can't compete and it's only down to the traditional and faithful that are willing to pay the extra. Also with increased number of supermarkets around nowadays and the fact people are never too far away from one means they shop several times a week and pick up milk whilst they are there. There really is no real alternative that's why the supermarkets have the market stitched up. If you can support local fruit and veg farmers by buying direct you soon realise that the food is fresher and has a lot more taste than from the bigger stores and is worth that bit extra.
How about companies like Abel and Cole? I don't mind paying the extra for milk (or any other food really) if I know the money goes to the right place.
@BIG M are you familiar with the NZ Dairy industry model? The NZ Dairy Co operative, Fonterra, is now NZ's largest exporter, and also NZ's largest importer, we supply over 30% of the internationally traded Dairy products, our farmers have a great deal of political and financial influence in our country.
