A Simpler Life 2018

maryb

Do you know if that meat packing plant is still owned by the brand GQ? There has been a move to outsource large parts of supply chains in order to concentrate on core business (what could possibly go wrong with that?)

Because I suppose that is what ultimately determines whether you are putting money in the pockets of the big corporations - who owns which bit

I use Ecover products quite a lot because they don't set me coughing. I also like Method hand soap because it's parabens free (I only use liquid soap in the kitchen because bars of soap get a bit grimy by the sink with so much water being splashed around - everywhere else it's Imperial Leather). But both those brands have now been sold to a big US corporation that is behind Glade air freshener and Airwick.

Not exactly a match made in heaven. I'd be happy not to contribute to their profits but the only alternative I've come across is Faith in Nature which isn't so easy to get and when I tried it wasn't as good

GreyQueen

That particular plant is no longer there, I don't know who owns the brand. I suspect one of the big companies.

ETA; it's owned by a foriegn company which is itself a co-operative venture.

suki1964

GreyQueen wrote: »

As a student, I spent two summers working on production lines in a meat-packing factory ( I was a vegetarian at the time, amusingly enough).

This company packed and sold its own very famous and heavily-advertised-on-TV brand name. They also packed under the brands of all the major supermarkets and also for M & S.

Yeah, the spec for the M & S products was a wee bit higher than for the other contracts, and the big bosses certainly got in tiswas when the M & S people came to visit, but the product was all much-of-a-muchness across all 'brands'. All that was changing, most of the time, was the 'top web' - the heavy roll of plastic printed with the brand and which was heat-sealed to the 'bottom web' - the one made into shapes to hold the product. Oh, and the prices printed on the top web, natch.:rotfl:

When you think it through, production facilities are multi-million pound investments. How many factories are there in the UK tooled up to produce custard creams? Washing up liquids? How many mills are milling TP and kitchen paper or churning out aluminium foil? Porridge oats? Cornflakes? Soups?

One in every town, yes? Or nope, just a few of them.

We have a chicken processing plant here

The company build the chicken houses, supply the chicks, supply the feed, send in the catchers, and process them for

M&S
Waitrose( we don't have waitrose in this country)
Jamie Oliver
Ocado ( don't have them either)
Sainsburys
Tesco
Spar
Supervalu
Kentucky

They are the same chickens, from the same houses, just different prices

The chicken house in my lane holds 16000, used to hold 20000 until a few years back

dolly84

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

Just found out that one of my heroines, Hannah Hauxwell, has died. If something happened and I felt a bit sorry for myself, I would always think "You may think you have it bad, but I bet it isn't Hannah Hauxwell bad". She put up with so much so cheerfully. I was in awe of her the first time I sat and watched Too Long a Winter when I was small.

Anyone remember her up in the Yorkshire Dales?

Obituary

That's settled tonight's viewing.

Too Long a Winter

A Winter Too Many

She never did stop hoarding:

Hannah Hauxwell: Past and Present

DH & I both felt very sad too, we live in Yorkshire and she was on our local news programme a lot at one time, she just scratched by but seemed so happy - and that voice, I could listen to it all day.

dolly84

GreyQueen wrote: »

As a student, I spent two summers working on production lines in a meat-packing factory ( I was a vegetarian at the time, amusingly enough).

This company packed and sold its own very famous and heavily-advertised-on-TV brand name. They also packed under the brands of all the major supermarkets and also for M & S.

Yeah, the spec for the M & S products was a wee bit higher than for the other contracts, and the big bosses certainly got in tiswas when the M & S people came to visit, but the product was all much-of-a-muchness across all 'brands'. All that was changing, most of the time, was the 'top web' - the heavy roll of plastic printed with the brand and which was heat-sealed to the 'bottom web' - the one made into shapes to hold the product. Oh, and the prices printed on the top web, natch.:rotfl:

When you think it through, production facilities are multi-million pound investments. How many factories are there in the UK tooled up to produce custard creams? Washing up liquids? How many mills are milling TP and kitchen paper or churning out aluminium foil? Porridge oats? Cornflakes? Soups?

One in every town, yes? Or nope, just a few of them.

I've been telling people this for years, we wouldn't be able to move for all the factories, but folks don't listen and the big brands love them for it.

Pooky

We used to have a soft drinks factory in a local town, it made its own brand which was sold locally but made supermarket and big brand stuff too. Just different mix (both liquid and gas mixes were different) different bottles and different labels. They!!!8217;d do a run of own brand stuff for 24 hours then a clean down, switch to supermarket or big brand for a few days then another clean down and change. So yes the ingredients were different but all made in the same factory. The same with anything, value biscuits might have less of one thing and more of another and big brands will be slightly different again. It!!!8217;s not the same product in different packaging but slightly different products made in the same place.

jackyann

Very interesting. As we mostly cook from scratch, we mostly know. Our meat comes from our local butcher, who sources all of the meat from local farms. So I could go and check the source of the beef stew simmering away.
However, as we well know, life's not perfect. This wet and cold morning had me reaching for the February biscuits. Every Xmas, DH must buy a tin of Cadbury chocolate biscuits. He says it's in case we run out. That is, if all our HM cakes and biscuits, and the contributions from generous guests don't last from December 24th to January 1st. Actually, it's so that when they have all been enjoyed, and all the leftovers have gone, there's a tin tucked in the cupboard!

Cottage_Economy

dolly84 wrote: »

DH & I both felt very sad too, we live in Yorkshire and she was on our local news programme a lot at one time, she just scratched by but seemed so happy - and that voice, I could listen to it all day.

When you think what she stripped her life down to and the back breaking physical exercise she had to do to live there and keep her animals cared for, i'm surprised she lived to 91.

I know what you mean about that voice. When she spoke about the view over the reservoir and how her ghost will be there one day...well...I was a bit teary at that point.

Cottage_Economy

suki1964 wrote: »

Have you tried lidls Mayo? It's really nice and isn't jelly like like Hellmans Also I don't know if it's still available but Sainsburys own brand French Mayo was lovely, seriously lovely

I make curry from scratch, it's so easy and you can take control of the salt and oil content

I'm with you on the stock pots, couldn't do without them. However if you look in the Polish food aisle, they do a soup seasoning. I can't think of the name but it's in a blue packet and it's often on at bogof. It is fantastic for soup, :

I can't remember if I have tried lidl's so will get some next time I am there. Defo done every other supermarket but asda, as we don't live near one. Ditto the soup seasoning, although I have to be careful of gluten so that might not work out.

I am going to put my hands up and confess to my husband buying me a smartphone for my birthday so 'the brick' is going in the drawer for emergencies. Used the notes and voice-activated function to construct my shopping list this week as I walked around during week, sent it as a text Dh and he successfully did the week's shop. Yay!

Him and mil also managed to choose, order, collect and put up a blind in her bathroom without involving me at all in the decision-making process.

I went round all the charity shops this week looking for jars to mouse-proof the pantry with, but found nothing. Crucially I didn't buy anything so i'm pleased with that.

Very little ironing again. And I still have an empty drawer after the great linen turf out, my first since I left home 25 years ago. I keep looking in it just to see the space.

Mr Kitty is defo on the mend and serenading me all day from his 'prison'

All forward progress. I am happy with how this week has turned out.

jackyann

Hello Cottage - I suggest Marigold Vegetable Stock, they do a gluten free version. It is expensive, but very tasty, and I use it when I don't have HM stock - even in meat dishes.

Do you use a lot of mayonnaise? We always have a jar in as DH will add it to lots of stuff - but I don't often eat it. When I do, I make it from scratch, and whip up the egg whites as well, fold all in, and it makes a lighter, runnier mayo which I like. Not for anyone who has to beware of raw egg (maybe your m-i-l?) and not to everyone's taste.