a month without supermarket - new challenge for 2011 starts at post 1013

artichoke

hex2 wrote: »

fruit and veg - grow a lot, freeze some - have an ok farm shop http://www.cooksfarmshop.co.uk will go back to local to leics veg box scheme www.sealwood.com - both A&C and riverford deliver here too. Fruit is the biggest problem, couple of greengrocers a few miles away if I get organised
ETA Artichoke, I like the sound of the direct food thing, I wish there was one round here.

hi

i am not sure where abouts in leics you are but there is Community Supported Agriculture project here that might be of interest to you....

http://www.community-harvest-whetstone.org.uk/

there are a number of Community Supported Agriculture projects supplying veg and meat direct to households - details of projects are here -
http://www.soilassociation.org/Takeaction/Getinvolvedlocally/Communitysupportedagriculture/LocalCSAgroups/tabid/207/Default.aspx

this might be of help to some of you trying to find locally grown producers in different parts of the country...

many CSA's offer work shares where you help out for a number of hours a month in exchange for a much cheaper price for your food..

If anyone wants any further info on these projects just let me know and i will try and help.

The Local Food Hub project is like Community Supported Agriculture and is one that is gradually spreading around the country,:D I will post details of all the ones i know are starting up when i get a bit more time on the computer (ie when schools go back)

looking forward to the No supermarket challenge- my biggest problem is going to be red wine - DH has just walked in with a new wine box from the Co-op - it is fair trade so that is my excuse:o:o and it is NYE.

I am going to start this challenge seriously on wed when kids are back at school...freezer and pantry are full - but it is basic household stuff that we probably need to think about ...


art

parsonswife8

I don't class our Co-op as a supermarket, as it is rather small. Our Lidl, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Morrissons and Tesco, are much much bigger in comparison.

Every week, I will work out the difference of what we have spent and what we would have spent and squirrel it away into my savings account.

Then, we will use that for our summer holidays at our caravan, for eating out, travelling around the area and for a bit of holiday spending.

:T:T:T:T

Spiggle

Ok,

It'll be interesting to see other replies but I will commit to the following from Feb or when I've used up the vouchers/points whichever is the earlier:

Meat, eggs: Local butcher supplies locally reared meats and some from Scotland but still within British Isles (already do this and never deviate).

Fruit & veg: Local greengrocer (it closed for a few months, boy did I cheer when it reopened) wherever possible (already do this) or local Coop if really no other option.

Staples e.g. milk, cheese, butter, other dairy: Coop but will be buying as much locally produced as possible e.g Welsh farmed and produced milk, butter cheese, etc. (I already do this in the big four by the way.)

Household e.g. loo rolls, cleaning stuff, washing liquid, etc.: Coop in town and at large one, there are very few other outlets to get these from in my town as using the B&M seems to defeat the object.

Toiletries, prescriptions and OTC meds: Coop Pharmacy.

Petrol: I do try and find the cheapest option for this but will try to use the station at the large Coop.

Deli foods: We don't buy these too often but there is a very good independent one in town that makes a lot of their stock and normally from Welsh ingredients.

Cat food: Local independent pet shop on our main street which we already do anyway.

We already bake our own bread but thanks very much Artichoke for the tip on the source of flour in Coop.

I haven't put fish down as I don't ever eat it and OH rarely does. There isn't an independent fishmonger anywhere around which is quite sad really. I may investigate some of the online direct producers.

So that's us for grocery shopping. I hope this is achievable, we will be doing our best anyway.

Look forward to joining you in this endeavour.

All the very best and Happy New Year,
Spigs

[Deleted User]

I am starting tonight by preparing my order from the localfood co. I am going to be stumped when it comes to toilet rolls and washing powder as I don`t think ecover is good enough compared to ariel for a cold wash or a long 30 wash but hey I have a ship load in the house and it will take ages to use what I have so I don`t have to think too hard yet

[Deleted User]

re fish I get mine online in bulk for the freezer and it is good too

http://www.frozenfishdirect.co.uk/

sammiell

can i join you please im not sure if i can make it but i will try samx

parsonswife8

kittie wrote: »

re fish I get mine online in bulk for the freezer and it is good too

http://www.frozenfishdirect.co.uk/

We've got a fish monger in our High Street. Opened about 10 months ago.

:T:T:T

parsonswife8

sammiell wrote: »

can i join you please im not sure if i can make it but i will try samx

The more, the merrier. Welcome!:)

artichoke

kittie wrote: »

I am starting tonight by preparing my order from the localfood co.

kittie - i would love to know more details about your local food co - i am in the process of setting up a local food co-op in my area and so would be interested to know the range of produce yours stocks, how often you can order etc....

thanks for any info

art

Lily-Lu

I got sick of seeing local shops close down; less and less personal service and friendly faces behind a counter.
When I thought of how our local community shops used to be, and where it is now, I was really saddened. We used to have a little butcher's shop and a fruit and vegetable shop, just a stone's-throw-away. The butcher has been gone about 13 years and the f&v shop, about 9 years. The F&V shop was a lovely old-fashioned affair, where there was no self-service; you stood at the counter and asked for what you wanted; it was all weighed there and then, and packed up in old-fashioned brown paper bags - lovely:D

After thinking about it, I actully felt a little guilty because I'd been a contributor to their closure by doing most of my food shop in the local supermarket. So earlier this year, I made a conscious effort and went from visiting the supermarket once every 7-10 days for a main shop, to only going in for basics once a month. My basics are flour, rice, pasta and the odd tin. Everything else, such as meat, fruit, vegetables, eggs, milk, cheese, butter etc, I buy locally from independent shops. Yes, it tends to be a little more expensive, but I don't impulse buy, as I was inclinded to do previously in the supermarket; so I would say on-the-whole, I've actually saved money:)

I felt as though I was 'doing my bit' in helping keep our local community shops going. However, after watching the Pamorama programme, I've decided that my own concience won't let me visit the supermarket again. I'm not sure how I'll work around finding my basics, but as I see the co-op as being generally ethical, and don't really see it as a supermarket as such, then perhaps I can get them from there and still have a clear conscience....We'll see:)

I think of local shop closure being similar to the old communities of terraced houses being bull dosered and huge blocks of flats being put in their place. So many people lost what was once a close-nit community when that happened. There will come a time when many communities will have no other choice but to visit a supermarket, and I suspect there are even some places like that now:(
I think whatever steps people can take to keep their local shops' alive, whether it just be visiting the supermarket less, or choosing to buy just a few items regularly from a local independent shop, it'll all go towards keeping them ticking-over:)