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

anguk

I'm another one who is struggling. I do get my meat & veg from farm shops or independents, milk from the milkman but it's the basics I'm struggling with, things like flour, butter, pet food etc. There are places I can get them from but they're soooo much more expensive and I just can't afford it.

lil_me, I had a think about your post the other day about your trip to Houghton-Le-Spring and the amount of independent shops there. I used to live there as a teenager (family still live there) and a lot of the shops there have been going for years, some passed down through the family. The reason I think Houghton has still got all those smaller shops is because there's no Asda or Tesco there, there is a Co-op but none of the big supermarkets. I'm actually surprised (but pleased) Tesco haven't built a store there because it's quite a large town, certainly bigger than the town I live in and we've got Tesco & Asda and Tesco are planning on building a huge superstore here too.

greenbee

hex2 wrote: »

Just waiting to see what the fruit &veg box from them is like on friday. The local organic box scheme was good in terms of quantity and tatse but it has all gone off very quickly - the tomatoes rotted overnight, and the three cucumbers went too.

I found my organic tomatoes went over very quickly this week, and cucumbers seem to be doing the same. Maybe its not the best time of year for salads... I'll just have to stick to broccoli!

catznine

I too used to have problems with keeping the organic fruit and veg delivery from going off too quickly, solved it with a packet of Lakeland stay fresh longer bags , the green ones. I wash them and re use so not too bad an outlay.

I would love to have a go at this challenge again, may not manage everything though but will go back to our local farm shop, they sell fairly local meat (frozen but good) and you know where it comes from, eggs, fruit and veg, some pet food, small gifts and cards, and a delicatessans for preserves (I make my own) and all sorts. Might try to get a milk delivery as well. Every other Tues a nice fishman calls. We have so few independants in our town though

hex2

catznine wrote: »

I too used to have problems with keeping the organic fruit and veg delivery from going off too quickly, solved it with a packet of Lakeland stay fresh longer bags , the green ones. I wash them and re use so not too bad an outlay.

I have those, and used them. The carrots from the farm shop rotted too so I have given the fridge a good scrub out. Better luck with the next batch I hope.

parsonswife8

I usually do an online shop about three times a month.

Am determined not to do any for this month and haven't, but I have had to dispatch DH to Lidl or Sainsbugs for fruit and veg..:o

Going to a farmer's market tomorrow if the weather is alright.

Have been using freezer's contents as well as store cupboard.:)

Lily-Lu

anguk wrote: »

I'm another one who is struggling. I do get my meat & veg from farm shops or independents, milk from the milkman but it's the basics I'm struggling with, things like flour, butter, pet food etc. There are places I can get them from but they're soooo much more expensive and I just can't afford it.

I can certainly empathise with you, Anguk. I'm having the same problem finding flour at an affordable cost. Pet food isn't a problem, because my cats' don't eat commercial food. They have raw pet minces, which I have delivered once every few months, and there's also the local butcher and fishmonger for other odds and ends that they eat.
From what I hear, butter has become quite pricey in the supermarkets, and at present I'm paying about 15 pence more for a pat at my local independent. I can't say that I mind that too much, because if I were to enter a supermarket for it, I'd no doubt be tempted by chocolate and suchlike and end up coming out with some junk food and a much lighter purse, than if I'd gone into the local shop.
It is difficult when some things are so much higher priced though, and I do think that we can only do our best with what we have. If that means that some basics have to be bought from a chain, then so be it. You're already making a difference to independents with buying your fruit, veg, meat etc so don't feel too down hearted if you have no other choice but to get the basics from a chain:)

Well, I popped into the greengrocer's today and asked if they had managed to get a larger bag of brown rice for me; unfortunately not, but he's going to try again next week.
They had some Cox's Pippins and russet apples in there and as I love both, but don't see them around often, I bought a couple of pound of each:D

As I don't drive and have to trundle all my shopping home on foot, I decided that seeing as the greengrocer's deliver spuds, I'd ask if they would consider delivering fruit and veg. She said that she'd have to have a word with the owner, and he may require a minimum spend, but other than that, she didn't think there would be a problem. She also said that because I'm local (about a 10 minute walk away), it's unlikely he'll charge for delivery:T
Well, I'd never get that sort of personal service from a supermarket;)

[Deleted User]

if you live in somerset

or
see what can be done in your area

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&hl=uk&v=rI2gFHaQV24

Spiggle

Hello all,

Well I'm still using up my vouchers and points this month with the intention of changing to Coop next month (I buy all meat f&v from local independents already).

But I've contacted Coop to see if they can stock the milk that I buy. It's organic, non-homogenised and produced by a farmers Cooperative in Wales which won an award 2 years ago from the Wales Cooperative Centre. Also they produce on a scale that enables them to supply the big four (well definitely three MrT, MrS and M*rries). So you'd think an ideal supplier for Coop as they have the same ethical standards etc.

I am so disappointed in the reply from the Coop. They have a national contract for milk and that's that. :mad: They don't offer any non-homogenised milk at all in their range and so I'm really stumped as to how I'm going to do this without giving money to the big three that are available to me. :mad:

The other problem I've hit is that my OH went on a hunt to buy supplements in town a couple of days ago. I gave hime express instructions to try the Coop Pharmacy but they only had very small packs at quite high prices (very high comparatively) so he ended up buying them from S*perdr*g on our main street. They are a chain I know but at least it is an open shop on our main shopping street and as so many have closed or become charity shops I suppose they are a benefit to the town in some way.

I think this is going to be a lot harder than I first envisaged. The milk issue is a major difficulty for us (no milk delivery and not in a Milk & More area even if they did supply the locally produced one I want).

So I suppose what I'm saying is that we'll continue with whatever we can locally but I'm not going to be able to exclude the big three entirely. Such a shame.

I also think the attitude of the email from Coop has pee'd me off. 'We have a national contract for milk' you could almost hear the 'so tough' emanating from the email. I really didn't expect that.

I'm in touch with the dairy anyway so will pursue that avenue and see if there is any indepent in town that can supply. I've known the butcher since I was a kid so may be cheeky and ask him. It's got to be worth a try at least.

Sorry for the long moan but I feel hugely frustrated at the moment.

Keep up the great work everyone.

All the best,
Spigs

hex2

Spiggle, I would have expected better of the Co-op.

My £11.99 mixed box from milk&more came today:
6 good sized royal gala, 4 huge navel oranges, kilo bananas, good sized savoy cabbage, kilo carrots, kilo red onions, 250g cherry plum toms, iceberg lettuce and a cucumber. Looks nice and fresh, but priced against Mr S there is a good 20% premium - probably a lot less against the co-op though.

sammiell

im struggling with the milk to Spiggle and i dont want to go back to normal weve had organic for so long now