Hugh's War on Waste

moneyistooshorttomention · 29 October 2015 at 8:07AM

I would agree with Caterina on that. No point in having "chips on shoulder" about the fact that the person doing the campaigning has come from a more privileged background.

Sometimes - that person from privileged background doesn't have much idea how things are for "the ordinary person in the street.

BUT - on the other hand - its often a sight easier for people from more privileged backgrounds to have the leisure/mindspace (because that mind isn't so tied-up with having to worry about everyday existence as many people are) to be free to focus on things like this.

He's got the time, the money, the clout to push this - whereas many other people haven't.

Personally - I think its as well to be glad when someone with more "power to their elbow" than many uses it usefully like this.

VfM4meplse · 29 October 2015 at 8:13AM

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I would agree with Caterina on that. No point in having "chips on shoulder" about the fact that the person doing the campaigning has come from a more privileged background.

I have no issue re: his background. (No one can be held responsible for an accident of birth, positive or disadvantaged). My gripe is his double standard, not valuing life but addressing waste.

As I recall he had a stab at supermarket chicken prices and failed.

carrielovesfanta · 29 October 2015 at 9:16AM

I could be mistaken about the situation as I'm not a farmer, and it would be interesting to get the perspective of someone from the farming community, but I don't think it's as simple as an oversupply issue, based on supply and demand.

I would understand it as:

Farmer has a contract with supermarket to supply (say) 10000 tonnes of parsnips

Super market standards mean that the parsnip has a 30% fail rate, based on aesthetic qualities

So the farmer has to grow 14300 tonnes in order to guarantee supply. The farmer has paid for the seeds, the fertiliser and all the labour costs for growing the extra parsnips, but won't get paid for them. Unfortunately, such is the buying power in the market, the farmer cannot set the correct price for the parsnips, based on their expected waste.

If the aesthetic criteria was relaxed, to say a fail rate of 5% or 10%, the farmer will have to grow fewer parsnips in order to fulfil their orders and so will save money in the long run, and there would be less waste.

Caterina · 29 October 2015 at 9:22AM

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I have no issue re: his background. (No one can be held responsible for an accident of birth, positive or disadvantaged). My gripe is his double standard, not valuing life but addressing waste.

As I recall he had a stab at supermarket chicken prices and failed.

I am (99.9% of the time) an almost lifelong vegetarian, with odd foraging into vegan. After many judgemental years I have come to the conclusion, in my older years, that I cannot change the world by bearing a grudge to people who do not live like me.

If you hold a gripe about someone breeding cattle for meat, then you need to hold a gripe with each and every person who eats it too, those who wear leather, wool, silk, who eat cheese, honey, eggs...by implied connection we are all culprits.

It would be lovely to live in an OS run, peacefully vegan society, but it ain't gonna happen in my lifetime, so I just live as lightly as I can, stumbling on my double standards now and then, a fish and chips here, a slice of chorizo there, but trying my best and gently going back to my ways after failing yet again.

So does Hugh and everyone else, we are all human and for one I applaud each and every effort anybody does to improve life for people, animals and the Earth.

Pollycat · 29 October 2015 at 9:25AM

honeythewitch wrote: »

The supermarkets dump a lot of unsold perfectly shaped fruit and vegetables. Probably because they charge too much for it.

Didn't one of the major supermarkts start doing a range of fresh fruit & veg that wasn't 'perfectly formed'?

moneyistooshorttomention · 29 October 2015 at 9:40AM

Pollycat wrote: »

Didn't one of the major supermarkts start doing a range of fresh fruit & veg that wasn't 'perfectly formed'?

Does recall standing there in T*sco last week looking to buy one single organic pepper (and unable to do so again as per usual:mad:) and seeing that the choice of various peppers included a large bag of (non-organic) peppers of all sorts of sizes and shapes being sold at a very good price (think it was £1??) - so maybe its T*sco.
So they are certainly doing at least some mis-shaped veggies.

Pollycat · 29 October 2015 at 9:48AM

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Does recall standing there in T*sco last week looking to buy one single organic pepper (and unable to do so again as per usual:mad:) and seeing that the choice of various peppers included a large bag of (non-organic) peppers of all sorts of sizes and shapes being sold at a very good price (think it was £1??) - so maybe its T*sco.
So they are certainly doing at least some mis-shaped veggies.

I think the big bag of peppers may be the 'value' range, I buy these for risotto and pasta dishes.

I think I recall (although the old memory is not so good any more) some sort of description like 'may not be as pretty (or perfectly shaped) but just as tasty' type of thing.

martinsurrey · 29 October 2015 at 11:19AM

honeythewitch wrote: »

It all depends how much money you have. An awful lot of people cant afford to eat a decent amount of fruit and vegetables. Carrots might be cheaper, but try pricing the recommended "variety" of multicoloured produce, and comparing it to dole money or minimum wages.

Carrots are cheaper in both Lidl and Aldi.

katkin wrote: »

An Iceland Meal For One Beef Lasagne (500g) is £1.00 as are a whole load of other types of traditional easy dinners that cost little to microwave and no time to prepare.

Think of the effort needed to prepare and cook fresh carrots, the cost of cooking them too. In comparison the return on investment cost, the satisfaction and filling cost, the calorie cost just isn't worth it for people on really low incomes.

60p for a kilo of carrots or a tasty, easy ready meal with loads of carbs and energy for the day....If you're skint the choice is easy.

Edit: consider what if you have no pans, no cooker (yep some folks don't), little electricity left, are depressed and down about your economic situation - would you be keen to prepare a kilo of carrots for very little calorific / taste value...

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=253554596

100g - 20p - 20 cal 1 of 5 a day

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=254638565

100g - 6p - 42 cal 1 of 5 a day

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=277812433

100g - 21p - 16 cal 1 of 5 a day

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=288651329

half a pepper - 10p - 1 of 5 a day

add some frozen sweercorn

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=264336705

100g - 11p 1 of 5 a day.

and we're at 5 of your 5 a day, 450g of food, for 68p.

add 150g of potates

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=258423755

thats 9p and now were at a 600g meal with 800+ calories, 5 portions of veg and it cost 77p

for some protein add an egg

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=252114301

8p each.

add in a stock cube or some seasoning for 10p, and its a healthy meal that can be cooked in the microwave in a single bowl.

total 95p its bigger than the ready meal AND healthier than the ready meal

the ready meal takes 13mins in the microwave, all of the above can be cooked in the micro as well, in under 13 mins.

its not as easy, but it IS cheaper.

so if people are lazy, or don't care about a balanced diet, fine, but its not that veg is more expensive.

lessonlearned · 29 October 2015 at 11:25AM

Yes ive noticed that Sainsburys have now extended their basics range to cover f&v - simple packaging - still plastic though. I guess it's the most practical but I would like to see a reduction in the amount of plastics used. Hey ho. We can't have everything.

I'm an Aldis fan and our city is blessed with several. A new one has just opened and they have finally addressed the issue of car parking,the new one has plenty of parking. And what cars.

I freely admit to being a bit of a petrol head - I love a great car. Judging by the cars the other day then it's not only paupers who frequent the discounters.

Which really bears out what i have always found to be true, Namely some of the wealthiest people are also some of the thriftiest people. Rich people can spot a good deal when they see one.

I have no problem with Hugh being wealthy or privileged, if he can pass on his knowledge and learned wisdom for our benefit then all to the good.

More power to his elbow.

As for the old carnivores versus vegetarian arguments well each of us must follow our own consciences on that one,

Humans were meant to be omnivores, that is how we evolved. What is Important I think is animal welfare and good husbandry which is, I would inagine, where the war on waste comes into play.

Treat livestock with the respect it deserves and don't waste precious resources. Anything that helps with this can only be to the greater good, irrespective of whether it's brought to our attention by a "posh Eton boy".

Celebrity chefs who use their fame to promote better food, , better public health, improved animal welfare etc are to be applauded not vilified for their efforts.

Gigervamp · 29 October 2015 at 12:52PM

I stopped eating meat when I was 11, 41 years ago. I got over the militant "everybody who eats meat is a murderer" phase a few years later.

I was a single parent when my first child was born, and I decided that like religion, vegetarianism was something he should decide on when he was old enough to decide. He's still a meat eater, as are all the rest of my children and family.

I happily buy and cook meat. But, I do buy it from high welfare/free range farmers.

Because of my interest in sustainable living, I've made friends with many smallholders. They care deeply about the animals they raise for food and hate the trip to the abbatoir, but it's important to them that the animals they eat and sell for food, have had a good life.

I like Hugh. So what if he's posh, he's passionate about educating people about decent food, something that should be applauded here on Old Style. Same with Jamie and Jimmy Doherty (they did a show about wonky veg and got Asda to sell it).

I'm looking forward to the new show, it's been ages since his last series.

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Hugh's War on Waste

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