2012 no supermarket shop challenge

the_cat

~Jem~ wrote: »

Hmmm....

If you have the luxury of being within walking distance then fair enough BUT if you have to drive to these places then you will end up spending more on petrol as well as some things costing more.

You may be right but I have done a costing which suggests that for me it is the opposite

Farm shop is 13 miles away. Petrol calculator says trip will cost me £3.80 approx. I intend to go once a month and do a massive stock up.....
All meat, cheese, cooked sandwich meats, eggs, many groceries (the ones as cheap/cheaper than I can source locally;)) Fruit and veg for at least 2 weeks, plus some to chop up for the freezer. Probably other stuff too but gone blank now

This will save me far in excess of the petrol costs, plus I won't be using petrol here and there to 'pop to the supermarket' as I will plan in advance for the month

Obviously I am lucky that this shop exists. I could get most of what I need there and it is as cheap or cheaper for most things. Having said that, I had discounted it in the past due to thinking it would not be worth it due to petrol costs

Anyone who is interested in the shop btw - its the farm shop run by the rosspa people (essex) If you are too far to travel there yourself, the delivery service has good reviews on here (not tried it myself though)

threemuttleys

if anyone is a little unsure of the cuts of meat, and or want to know how to use the cheapest cuts of meat, then I strongly recommend Hugh FWS River Cottage Meat Book. It has been my bible over the last year or so that I have owned it, fully explains how to use things like Breast of Lamb, and various types of offal to get the best results.

I was actually considering doing something similar. I currently work for Mr T, but fingers crossed I will have a new job In February, so will no longer have staff discount, and plus wont see all the "bargains" when I finish work, (usually waste of money!)

marlasinger

Ok, I've decided to try the local butcher (probably not until XMas is over though). I'll start with what I know, so I can compare quality/prices etc., and then go from there! :T

Bikingbint

Hi
this is very interesting, my nearest butcher is a couple of miles away and you have to pay to park, (town centre).

There is a local market, usually only two stalls neither of which sell fruit and veg. It is usually a plant stall and a CD stall sometimes (not every week) the meat man shows up.

The veg man that used to go opened a shop in the town centre, I have always found him to be no cheaper than the supermarket and the quality rather poor, his fruit/veg is not kept refrigerated and does not keep well at all.

Must give this some more thought.

DebbieR

I'm lucky enough to work in Stockton on Tees town centre so I can usually pop into the indoor market on the way home to buy my meat from the butchers. I find you can budget better this way. I can ask for, say, £3 worth of chicken pieces to make a curry rather than buying a set amount in a pack from Tesco. The qualty of the meat is a lot nicer too.
Fruit and veg I buy from either the market, Lidl or the Co-op(ours reduces a lot of fresh food by 75% or more if you're lucky.) Toiletries etc I get from Home Bargains or Wilkinsons.
We've had a milkman since we moved into our house 9 years ago and though I dread to think how much we've overpaid over the years(currently £2 for a 2 litre carton) I wouldn't cancel it - my DH runs his own business so I do try to support local people.
We do go to Tesco about once every three weeks to stock up on tinned/dried stuff and bulky items that I'd struggle with on the bus. I also buy and freeze enough reduced bread to last me till my next visit if possible. Oh and bottles of wine when the 25% off/3 for £12 glitch was on earlier this month! :rotfl:

RHYSDAD

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

The co-op do have some good bargins,

Look at it another way, are the prices in the co-op and farmers markets etc the true price of food, as maybe the big 4 have squeezed the producers/suppliers sooooooooooooo much they just about exist or need i say it use so low grade crap ingredients/pesdicide sprays etc to make sure they can keep their prices down.

As a Agrochemical supplier I can tell you that any farm contracted to any supermarket would have to jump through a multitude of hoops with regards to pesticide use. Harvest intervals must be strictly adhered to and I no way can a farmer cut corners in respect of a supermarket contract. Tesco et al make regular inspections to their contract farms to ensure compliance. It would help if you researched your replies with fact instead of urban legend myth.... Ta.

geordie_joe

Originally Posted by COOLTRIKERCHICK
The co-op do have some good bargins,

Look at it another way, are the prices in the co-op and farmers markets etc the true price of food, as maybe the big 4 have squeezed the producers/suppliers sooooooooooooo much they just about exist or need i say it use so low grade crap ingredients/pesdicide sprays etc to make sure they can keep their prices down.

RHYSDAD wrote: »

As a Agrochemical supplier I can tell you that any farm contracted to any supermarket would have to jump through a multitude of hoops with regards to pesticide use.

As a forum user could I ask you to explain that? Does it mean

1. They have to jump through hoops to prove they don't use pesticides
2. They have to jump through hoops to prove they do use them.
3. They have to jump through hoops to prove they use the cheapest pesticides.
4. They have to jump through hoops to prove they use the most expensive/best pesticides.
5. They have to jump through hoops to prove they use the right amount of pesticides.
6. They have to jump through hoops to prove they use only the supermarket approved pesticides.

RHYSDAD wrote: »

Harvest intervals must be strictly adhered

And the weather has no say in the matter?

Does it mean they have to harvest at a specific time, regardless of whether the weather is right or the crops are right for harvesting?

RHYSDAD wrote: »

to and I no way can a farmer cut corners in respect of a supermarket contract.

Maybe not, but you haven't explained the contract......... is it to use as much pesticed as possible, or as little, is it to use the cheapest or most expensive.

Do they harvest at the best time, or the contracted date irrespective of the weather or condition of the crops?

RHYSDAD wrote: »

Tesco et al make regular inspections to their contract farms to ensure compliance.

Yes but you haven't explained what that compliance is? Is it to produce the cheapest crops, or the best crops?

RHYSDAD wrote: »

It would help if you researched your replies with fact instead of urban legend myth.... Ta.

It would also help if you reasearched your replies, instead of spouting supermarket spin that means nothing.

Your entire post could have been said in one sentence

"The farmers do what the supermarkets want them to do"

But without telling us what the supermarkets want the farmers to do, your post was completely useless.

Oh, and one more thing, COOLTRIKERCHICK asked a question, it was not a statement of fact, researched or not, it was just a question.

meg72

the_cat wrote: »

You may be right but I have done a costing which suggests that for me it is the opposite

Farm shop is 13 miles away. Petrol calculator says trip will cost me £3.80 approx. I intend to go once a month and do a massive stock up.....
All meat, cheese, cooked sandwich meats, eggs, many groceries (the ones as cheap/cheaper than I can source locally;)) Fruit and veg for at least 2 weeks, plus some to chop up for the freezer. Probably other stuff too but gone blank now

This will save me far in excess of the petrol costs, plus I won't be using petrol here and there to 'pop to the supermarket' as I will plan in advance for the month

Obviously I am lucky that this shop exists. I could get most of what I need there and it is as cheap or cheaper for most things. Having said that, I had discounted it in the past due to thinking it would not be worth it due to petrol costs

Anyone who is interested in the shop btw - its the farm shop run by the rosspa people (essex) If you are too far to travel there yourself, the delivery service has good reviews on here (not tried it myself though)

I have been very impressed with Rosspa even with delivery was less than half the price of the cheapest supermarket and a staggering quarter of the dearest. Great quality too.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

thanks Jordie Joe, for asking for clarification from RHYSDAD

Why i asked.... the question about the true costings of growing/producing food etc...

I have been working out the costings etc of rearing/breeding pigs, and to do it properly it would cost approx £3.50 - £3.95 per kg to produce, but yet the supermarkets ca sell pork as low as £2 odd a kg.

I appreciate when you rear/grow things on a large scale the cost can be lowered dramatically, BUT the £2 odd per kg, also has included, the breeding....rearing.... slaughtering.... butchering.....packaging, transport costs for all stages through the process, etc...

With fruit and veg...take a 2kg bag of carrots sold for approx 76p a bag... the farmer has to buy the seed... sow.. and grow the seed, fertalize sp? ( as the land is used year in year out to grow exactly the same crop) harvest the carrots. Then clean/wash.... grade...weigh and bag... transport to the supermarkets central warehouse... again the fuel costs in all stages.. and of course there is the added cost of 'wastage' where a certain % of the crop is not up to the supermarkets standard/criteria. There is also the added stress of fullfilling the supermarkets on going supply demands... as you can not have a poo year..

RHYSDAD

geordie_joe wrote: »

As a forum user could I ask you to explain that? Does it mean

1. They have to jump through hoops to prove they don't use pesticides
2. They have to jump through hoops to prove they do use them.
3. They have to jump through hoops to prove they use the cheapest pesticides.
4. They have to jump through hoops to prove they use the most expensive/best pesticides.
5. They have to jump through hoops to prove they use the right amount of pesticides.
6. They have to jump through hoops to prove they use only the supermarket approved pesticides.




And the weather has no say in the matter?

Does it mean they have to harvest at a specific time, regardless of whether the weather is right or the crops are right for harvesting?




Maybe not, but you haven't explained the contract......... is it to use as much pesticed as possible, or as little, is it to use the cheapest or most expensive.

Do they harvest at the best time, or the contracted date irrespective of the weather or condition of the crops?



Yes but you haven't explained what that compliance is? Is it to produce the cheapest crops, or the best crops?



It would also help if you reasearched your replies, instead of spouting supermarket spin that means nothing.

Your entire post could have been said in one sentence

"The farmers do what the supermarkets want them to do"

But without telling us what the supermarkets want the farmers to do, your post was completely useless.

Oh, and one more thing, COOLTRIKERCHICK asked a question, it was not a statement of fact, researched or not, it was just a question.

Blimey! I'll try to clarify!
'Jumping through hoops' means that they have to rigidly stick to dilution rates, maximum dose and Maximum residue levels for a specific crop, so number 5 on your list would seem nearest the mark.
A Harvest interval is not when the crop is harvested but the period between pesticide use and the minimum time before it is allowed to be harvested for human consumption.
Also, for a supermarket contract, the farmer has to show that from seed to harvestable crop, that fertiliser rates and storage methods are correctly followed as well as compliance (in accordance with manufacturers and MAPP guidance) is maintained with regards to pesticide usage. it isn't about using the cheapest or nastiest chemical. Very few pesticides are now classified as in the 'nasty' catergory. They were mainly insecticides with are slowly but surely being phased out. It is the insecticides that are the worst in toxicity levels, that are applied to fruit and vegetables (mainly) and therefore the most monitored in terms of harvest intervals, maximum dose and maximum residue levels to guarantee safety with regards to human consumption.

Cooltrikerchick didn't ask a question, she stated that producers use cheap nasty chemicals to maximise profit margins and it's twaddle.

I must say Joe, BTW, you do seem to be an ar5ey old git..... :rotfl: