Sunday 19 August 2012

Market Not Supermarket

Until I can morph into Barbara Good (Felicity Kendal from The Good Life, a seventies sitcom for you younger generations) and become completely self sufficient I would shop at our local market everyday, but I can't because it's only on once a week.  I come from an old historic market town whose market days, once upon a time, would bring folk flocking from miles around.  Though, sadly, that was quite a while ago now; the Friday market has declined somewhat over the years.  Why?  In my opinion, one of the factors being is that the supermarkets are squeezing the life out of it.  During a local forum discussion, I suggested a further Monday market should be brought back, if only for the fruit and veg alone. The reply I had was that people no longer have the money to shop a couple of times a week.  I understand we are living in austere times but I beg to differ. 

Here is what I bought from the local market for £1.55.  The supermarket price would have been £3.86 due to having to buy in packages - a saving of £2.31. I have bought exactly the amount I require, therefore there will be no waste.  Not only that, bar the potatoes due to the weight, all came in environmentally friendly, traditional brown paper bags.   None of the excessive plastic packaging.  The taste, compared to supermarket produce, is by far the more superior.  So those people who say they can't afford to buy fresh fruit and veg are obviously not looking far enough (or close enough as the case may be) to see how much they can save. So instead of trying to budget by shopping for supermarket bland names, sorry I mean supermarket brand names, support your local market/greengrocers for those of you who still have them.  To eat well needn't cost the earth in more sense than one.

12 comments:

  1. I second this entirely. It is completely possible to shop local AND save money, and like you say you can buy exactly what you need and not have half a bin full of excess wrapping.

    Sue xx

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  2. I agree, our local market has 2 fruit and veg stalls. Most people I know use them both, just so that we can have both, some of their lines do not overlap.
    I do not use the brown bags, I used old kitchen curtains to make 2 divided shopping bags. no packaging at all. Pam

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  3. Its not possible for me to shop locally. We have no greengrocers and my nearest local shop is Costcutters and besides milk which is cheap, it costs a fortune. Farm shops are expensive so dont bother with them. I suppose Aldi is cheapest for fruit and veg. I like what your blog is about and look forward to following it.

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  4. I wish we had a proper market nearby - luckily we have a reasonably good greengrocers. I hate waste so always cart several resuable bags around with me.

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  5. How lovely to find a new blog via Our New Life in the Country and what a great start you have made - I love your tea light jam jars - you would not believe how many I have seen on sale in Brighton on my day trips and how many times I have thought - you're kidding, they can easily be made! are here they are - I must give it a try. I don't have a greengrocer but there are some farm shops nearby - they seem very expensive though. Must try harder I have got very lazy with my money saving - so will become one of your followers and look forward to following your progress. Betty

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  6. Hello, Sue sent me and I'm glad that she did! I have a local greengrocer with much of their produce coming from their own farm and picked fresh daily. I treat them like gold.

    My sister has an old Moreton Bay Figtree on her property and to me it is The Faraway Tree. Haven't seen Moonface yet alas!

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  7. Hi..popped over from sue's to have a look...and i love your jam jar lights..i have several on my patio and occasionally i do new ones for christmas..they look lovely..we have our own back yard veggie growing going on and 4 of the best egg layers ever..delicious eggs everyday..and i love Enid Blyton and all the Good Life series...my nickname is barbara with Margo tendencies..
    lovely new blog and will follow for inspiration from a fellow green lover..
    sara,fern,iris

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  8. hiya- I'm another of Sue's who's popped over...

    Our "local" is a Farm Shop which is really expensive, and every morning the local fruit'n'veg wholesaler delivers which makes me howl with laughter cos nothing they sell is homegrown at all!

    I think a lot of market veg is tastier and cheaper cos its either homegrown or bought more cheaply from the suppliers as it hasn't got a lot of shelf-life left, and is riper than the picked-green supermarket supplies.

    Whatever, just enjoy good wholesome food! xx

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  9. I usually take my own hand made shopping bags to our local farmers market. Sadly, this market is only on once a month. I so wish it was more often, too. I tend to buy venison shanks as well as fruit and veg when I go there. Venison is very lean meat and does not cost me more than a lamb shank. I prefer the higher quality of produce you can get from farmers markets. Supermarket produce leaves me cold most times. But, as this market only comes at every second Sat. of the month and ends in October completely until the following March, I have to make do with supermarket stuff inbetween. Luckily I do have a very good mediterranean shop and green grocer nearby. Certain things just will not do from supermarkets. Huge watermelons are on offer there at the moment and do not cost much at all. I also buy fresh bunches of herbs there and lovely quality lamb from their indoor butchery department. Just like you, we enjoy good quality produce at fair prices.

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  10. We don't have any local markets. Our market is for me 6 miles away and I don't go into the town very often, as infrequently as I can get away with. I hate driving into the town and always walk miles to avoid paying parking fees.

    Our local shops are: Aldi, ASDA, Home Bargains. There is a fairly local (3 miles away) smallholding where I buy eggs, and potatoes and cabbage when I am in the area. I would love to live within walking distance of a village, say in Cumbria or Yorkshire somewhere!

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  11. Hya, I'm another from Sue. I love this blog, just enough ranting, just enough right and just enough pottiness. Very apt and entertaining but you are quite right too. I hate supermarkets, far too much plastic wrapping, too much traveling for meat and veg - I read somewhere that 'fresh' eggs are actually 3 weeks old by the time some poor soul stacks them onto Tesco's shelves - no wonder they need sell by dates! My mum lives on a little suburban estate and a group of her neighbours complained to the local council about another neighbours hens, apparently saying the hens were unhealthy. The world is mad, Enid's way rules, have fun with your blog, Karenx

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  12. I live in a small town(we have a town hall) but we still call it a village because it only has a small number of shops on the Market Place. We used to have a bakers, a fantastic greengrocers, butchers (not that I need one - I'm vegetarian), a flower shop and a small Co-op as well as an Off License open all hours sell everything shop and a bank. Then Morrisons moved in and built on the site of the old station at the bottom of the hill out of the village centre - result the centre of the village shifted and is now probably Morrisons car park and we no longer have a greengrocers etc but we do have a Tanning studio and three take away shops in their place! Progress - not in my mind - I never use Morrisons but can't use the village either!!

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