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

lil_me

Broom House are good, but I prefer Aldin Grange Meats for the meat, it's in Bearpark, Durham. Used them for quite some time now and it's fantastic. Even the fat on these was much tougher, the dogs usually get it and this time they were chewing for ages, then the puppy spat hers out and left it! Never happens with farm shop meat! Actually that site saves me looking for something else, farmers market dates, I couldn't remember, thanks ZTD

kscour

A wally trolley??? Argghhhhhh!!!!!:eek:

I bought a smart one (reduced!) from lakeland plastics for my mum for xmas and some expensive moisturizer (sp?) day and night versions - she's just about started speaking to me again!:D She is using them all though!

The trouble with the place I was in on Friday is that to get the stuff back to the car it would be more difficult with the wally trolley than with my bag. On the plus side in every place I went in not one shop assistant looked at me as if I was a nutter when I said I didn't need a bag.

But now I have a more pressing problem - we are nearly out of tomato sauce_pale_
DD's are big addicts of tescos tomato sauce:o
I think perhaps I could make my own but could really do with the tesco or heinz tomato sauce recipe - helppppp!!!!!!!!

competitionscafe

lil_me wrote:

Had a funny one today, DPs never been bothered much about where I buy food (doesn't get involved) but today I'd found 2 steaks I bought in supermarket a while back (yellow stickered) so defrosted them and did them for tea, cooked in same way as always do.

His comment 'If you find any more like that put them in a stew as they are as tough as old boots compared to the usual ones' :rotfl: strange how you don't realise how nice something is until you have the other ones!

One of the reasons supermarket meat is tough is that it is not hung (aged) properly - Beef should be hung for 3 to 4 weeks but this would cost the supermarkets more money/time so they don't; except for their premium products. For example Sainsburys Taste the Difference Jamie Oliver steak is advertised as being hung for 3 weeks - but this should be the case for all beef (and would be at a decent butcher) - not just the 'top of the range one' where they add on a massive price-premium for something which should be the norm!

This site explains it better than me:
<"The longer you hang beef, the longer the enzymes have to break down the muscle fibres, so the meat becomes increasingly tender. A 15-17% weight loss also occurs over a four to five week hanging period, and because this weight loss is moisture, it has the effect of concentrating the flavour.">
More info at: http://www.wellhungandtender.co.uk/acatalog/Why_Well_Hung_.html

By the way if you are in Edinburgh, that farm [Well Hung and Tender] sells at the farmers market (was there this morning) but I think they do mail-order too?

2 of the things I never buy from supermarkets anymore is meat and fish - I think those are the 2 of the things that supermarkets are worst at and generally lower quality than decent high street butcher / fishmonger or direct from farm/farmers market.

looby-loo_2

My beautiful big ginger tom cat went shopping for me today;)

He nipped next door and brought back a whole packet of TESCO Double Gloucester cheese:D > The packet was opened but unused and had just one bite mark top and bottom but his teeth had not punctured it. In a fair exchange for Felix and a little slice off the opened end I said thanks very much and made cauliflower cheese:j

Then I thought does this mean I've failed the no supermarket for a month challenge? Ia) because I've eaten it and b) because I'll have to replace it with the same. Luckily my neighbour likes cats:o

COOLTRIKERCHICK

hi.. looby-loo:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: no you havent failed.....i have had to use the co-op for milk and high juice.. which has been about £4. due to buy more milk and lots of it as the kids are off school this week.....also now no weetabix left :eek: so will be sending hubby to mackro today.....

if peeps have changed one shopping habbit... and start buying one thing.. like meat.. veg..... bread...... etc.....i feel you have won:j as a local independant.. or even mail-order independant has gain a new customer..... so that money will hopefully stay in the community..... by the independant trader buying local produce to sell to you..... or they are supporting some other local trader with their earnings........

i have noticed now that i am not buying impuslse buys.... the junk stuff......at the supermarket........obviously my kids (including me and hubby ) are not snacking becuase there is nothing there to snack on.......except when i cook cakes etc.....i have noticed my electric..... bill going up a bit.....though.....

there is a new oranic shop opened up in ammanford which is about 15- 20 miles away......i go there regular anyway as my mam has a shop there.. plus some of my vintage collection is in her basement.....i have found out that they will deliver to my area..... for a min spend of £15. and no delivery charge...... so will go there prob.. on monday..... and have a look at their prices...... of the type of foods i would buy......obviously it is going to be a lot more expensive.......becuase its organic stuff.......but if i can buy my milk from them and some other bits... with free delivery..... then that will solve my milk problem..... hopefully they do an organic squash.. that i used to buy before.......

so pet food delivered.......

milk and some store cupboard items delivered...

bread from local baker....

fruit and veg... there used to be one that sold from his van... so will have to see they still do it....

and meat...from my butchers.... i know they deliver.... but i doo like to see what i am buying.....as i might go in there thinking i want beef..... but might come out with pork... as the joints of pork shout at me and say buy me.....

well done guys.........really glad you are finding there is a diff in quality...... and prices in alot of the cases.......

and also its sooooo true about the meat..... i dont think i have EVER had a bad piece of meat from my butcher....like i have had from the supermarket on a regular basis.... tasteless. tough... chewy......fatty......

Psykicpup

Browsing around Big Barn this morning, I found this!:-http://www.purpleplaces.co.uk/directory/index.asp
This is the directory page so you can have a look to see what independant stores are close to you!

lil_me

I had a look at that Psykicpup, unfortunately closest to me that are listed on there are over 20 miles away, seeing as my vehicle does 15mpg it'd work out worse in many ways to travel all the way there.

People have used supermarkets for years for the essentials/everydays, I think if people are just makin the effort to buy from independants rather than chains like Tescos, Sainsburys, Coops, Waitrose, Wilkinsons etc etc then we can make a difference. I think everyones doing really well just by making the effort to make a difference. What I find I am looking for more is loclally 'produced' rather than just locally 'sold' as I think that will make much more of a difference. No point me buying from local butcher if all the lamb he sells flies all the way from New Zealand and the farmers still get paid a tiny amount for it. That's just supporting the same madness.

I do use our village store occasionally (have to go there todaay in fact) but only when it works out more with petrol etc if I need something small. I know some rely on the store for everything, but I find them seriously overpriced, freezers aren't best kept etc and I can almost guarantee I will go in and find something well out of date today.

competitionscafe

Do you have an organic box scheme in your area? Quite a few of them do milk (and bread and eggs sometimes too)

lil_me

Organic box schemes locally yes, milk included http://www.butterby.co.uk/. Downside being he doesn't deliver from March - June, so not something you can 'depend on' I get mine delivered unboxed from a lady who delivers locally who I can pick my own from, she also does eggs £2 for 30 (or I can get them from farm shop) dog food (I get the working dog stuff from her £6.80 for 15kg) aswell as many other items she gets in (downside this time was it was chocolate) and I make my own bread. Milk comes from the milkman, as with the rest can't rely on butterby all year round. Down to earth are mean't to be good too. They are listed on http://www.darlington.gov.uk/dar_public/Documents/Development%20and%20Environment/Public%20Protection/Environment%20and%20Sustainability/Buy%20Local.pdf which if you live in or near Darlington you may find really useful as it's a local produce guide which was produced by the council there.

halloweenqueen_2

For heinz tomsauce recipe go to www.topsecretrecipes.com they have lots of clones and they are good!