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

sandieb

I've just been catching up on reading some of this vast, successful thread!

I liked the comments on "old" cookbooks and would mention the old Be-ro book which is still available for £1.50
http://www.be-ro.com/about.htm

Also someone mentioned the 3 part homemade washing powder but I can't find information on this. It must include washing soda - but what else?

Thanks again to Cool TrikerChick.

tinselfairy

sandieb wrote: »

Also someone mentioned the 3 part homemade washing powder but I can't find information on this. It must include washing soda - but what else?

Thanks again to Cool TrikerChick.

Try this for the thread
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=129142

COOLTRIKERCHICK

kittie......you are still a rebel at heart....:T

what a poo about the meat from craigsfarm....

i am extremely lucky that i have a fantasitc butcher.. ok.. its not organic.. but the way i look at it its not imported....like a lot of the meat in the supermarkets....
plus a lot of it is locally reared....
i spent £35. with him on wednesday.... to top up the frreezer.. with port/leek sausages... mince... beef chunks// lamb steaks local eggs.. new pots etc.....and of coarse the free bones for the dog....:D .. and after i paid he put some gammon steaks in my bag for free....

i realy do hope this doesnt put you off .....might be worth you going through your yellow pages are looking at the butchers advertised in there.. and see if any of them do some organic meat.....even if you got to travel a bit of a distance.. and stock up your freezer.....

in a way this proves a point.. as nearly all of us has had to use a supermarket for something....i use the co-op for high juice.....

but doesnt this prove a point.... that supermarkets have got us cornered.. and we do have to go through their doors... even if its just for one item....if its like that now... it will nice to come back to this thread in... lets say ....5 years..... and compare...and see what is available locally then....or independantly i should say.....:rolleyes:

catznine

Just done my weekly shop:-

£27 at our farmshop for local sausage meat, 10kg potatoes, 4 large lemons, bag of frozen berries, lg natural yogurt, bag of shallots, bag onions, 4 very large sweet potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes,spring onions, carrots, celery, garlic, some gifts - (Easterchoc in shape of shoes, some liquorice sweets, mint cake) sultanas, can't remember what else sorry.

Then onto a friends local shop (independant) and bought caramel ice cream, big bag yeast, pure spread, lots of chocolate:D £9.

Total spend £36 everything very good quality!

[Deleted User]

Too true cooltrikerchick. I`ll never stop being a rebel

I went to mrT with 3 items on my list and came back with 4. I felt quite self-conscious about all the butter (Bridel biologique) in my basket but so what and they are in the freezer now. I was only out an hour in total and I used the cashpoint and posted some letters etc but I would say that mrT, as a store, is thoroughly energy-draining. See that is another spin off. We anti-supermarketeers have more energy for ourselves.

Going there today after such a long break was like going into a nest of scurrying ants and the pace of my life went up two notches

mrT, no thanks from me. I am 100% converted

competitionscafe

kittie wrote: »

I felt quite self-conscious about all the butter (Bridel biologique) in my basket but so what and they are in the freezer now.

mrT, as a store, is thoroughly energy-draining. <snip> See that is another spin off. We anti-supermarketeers have more energy for ourselves.

Going there today after such a long break was like going into a nest of scurrying ants and the pace of my life went up two notches

Waitrose sell that butter too (still a supermarket obviously but a bit more ethical towards suppliers, John Lewis Partnership owned by the staff etc)

So true about the ants and the energy-draining - I really enjoy food shopping but not in a supermarket, always came out in a worse mood than when I went in.

For Meat have you tried Well Hung Meat: http://www.wellhungmeat.com/shop.php or Higher Hacknell: http://www.higherhacknell.co.uk/ - both very good, especialy for beef and lamb, also a farmer who sells at our local farmers market up here 'Well Hung and Tender' is good too: http://www.wellhungandtender.co.uk/ (only does Beef though)

By the way for venison this guy (who is also a vet) is excellent:
http://seriouslygoodvenison.co.uk/ he also has a stall at our farmers market (always has a big queue) and he does mail order too but it about £8 for delivery (!) so only worth it if you ordered a lot..... his little venison pies are addictive though

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the links competitionscafe. I am very tempted by the little monthly box from wellhungmeat but I`ll browse the other sites too. Graigfarm have lost a customer. I believe that they double mince their steak mince so that the marbling is hidden. Low fat my eye, I ended up with 30% fat. They had better reimburse me pronto

competitionscafe

I only tried Graig Farm once but there was a massive c0ck up with the delivery courier and it arrived 3 days late stinking to high heaven Got a full refund though. The Observer Food Monthly Reader Awards have just been announced and I saw Riverford got best farm shop - had a look at their site and they too do a monthly meat box: http://www.riverfordmeatbox.co.uk/

Not used them but might be another one worth considering. I know a company called Devon Rose does weekly meat boxes too with some interesting stuff like nitrate free bacon and free range guinea fowl, but again not tried them - I think a few others on the boards have though and were impressed.
http://www.devonrose.com/

OFM food awards:

Full list of winners and categories:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodawards/0,,1579446,00.html

Best Shop: Riverford Farm Shop
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,2039080,00.html

Best retailer: Brindisa
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,1736814,00.html
(Some good pointers towards other good local shops in the runners up list)

Falko Konditormeister (amazing German bakery) here in Edinburgh won best producer - hooray! http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,2039062,00.html

mah_jong

I pop into this thread from time to time and I have to congratulate the whole lot of you! You're wonderful!!

As has been mentioned in the thread the success of Tesco (THE major supermarket) is mainly down to the British liking for shopping for everything under one roof. The have done just that...everything you can think of, and if you are a share holder, have done it amazingly well ...... but the down side of that is just ........ horrible, death of many shops, villages etc. More choice.???? ...errr no LESS choice!

Thankfully I live in an area without Tesco (maybe 100 miles away?), but I still dont use the edge of town larger supermarket either Simply because I believe in spreading things about, not mention that the amount of errors on my receipt made me think they thought I (the general public) was too stupid to notice!!! Shopping locally is its better for the community and me!

Its great to see that we are not sheep..... we dont need to follow the flock in to the tesco shed!

lil_me

Well loacl butcher managed to annoy me again, I had to use him as couldn't get to farm before school finished. His prices I am sure he just 'imagines a number' as I bought exactly the same items again and this time it was £6.50, last week it was £8.50. Not that I am annoyed that it's cheaper, just the variation in prices. Have paid as low as £3.80 for same order and up to £9.80.

4 slices ham (weight is within an ounce or so)
6oz peas pudding
12 thin sausages (weight usually within few ounces)

Always get the same every Friday, when I get it from farm shop it's £4.50 every time or close to it within about 50p.
Back to the farm shop next week.

Oh that chicken from GoodnessDirect that they said just to freeze which arrived half frozen, did so, defrosted it to use it and it was greenish in colour and stank! Needless to say that went in the bin!

I can understand why some prefer supermarket shopping regularly, getting it all under one roof or even delivered for me this week has been extremely tempting as I have been very busy, also for those who work full time they don't have much choice near me as the local shops are open even less than office hours. If only they would do late night opening one day a week. Have asked a few but the answer was a definate no! Many shut for lunch and half day Wednesday has always been a thing, only the new pet shop owner hasn't done this and she said as noones about she is tempted to close too, everyone just pressumes they are closed. Local hairdresser has changed her opening times and she does a roaring trade. Appropriately called Twilight she opens afternoon to late evening, she's a mum of 5 or 6 herself and said to me the hours fitted in well with her husbands shifts so tried it and worked well.