gourmet Britain

Gourmet Britain!

Nothing defines a gourmet lifestyle like purchasing prowess. The British if nothing else are dedicated shoppers. They avidly read all labels and take note of all E numbers, although not caring what they do, or what they are. They always check on the country of origin, although “Buy one get one free” and “reduced to clear” are not officially recognised as independent countries by the United Nations. (Nanny sate NIMBYism )

Buying British is important but free trade should not be overlooked, and can be ethically beneficial. Equal importance is thus give to UK goods as to the intergalactic republic of Saturn and Jupiter.

Quality marks

Britain is a nation of animal lovers and are environmentally concerned. This is why stringent rules and regulations exist in the UK to ensure animals and crops are farmed ethically and compassionately.

To ensure the public are aware of the high standards various making systems exist. For example the red tractor means expensive, compassion in farming -very expensive, and Organic, don't be daft put it back. All products bearing these markings will remain on the supermarket shelves indefinitely until trumped with a large yellow label clearly stating “Reduced to clear.”

High street vs Supermarkets

The high street is for charity shops, bookmakers, banks, and loan sharks.

Supermarkets is where you buy everything.

It is true years ago there were independent shops selling vegetables, meat, fish, clothes, and groceries. Now this is done by the supermarkets. Supermarkets do no serve the public, they make profit for shareholders. Shareholders compete with other shareholders for market domination. This is called a price war. Price wars are what consumers want and need. During these wars, prime steak can be cheaper than Spam, dairy products cheaper than water, and alcohol cheaper than screen wash.

Innovation is the weapon of the price war. Dairy products can not be sold unless in the shape of a teddy bear, or cheese in strings.

Footfall is vitally important in price wars. The footfall of customers coming into the supermarket indicates how effective price wars can be. The footfall of producers leaving the supermarkets indicates short sighted the profit margin can be.

Vegetables

all supermarkets have fresh fruit and vegetables near the entrance. The waste of fruit and vegetables is phenomenal. Vegetables mature and rot at differing rates. It is a perceived fact that the conversion of vegetable starch into sugar reaches it optimum 4 seconds before the fruit rots. The pursuit of this 4 second fruit Nirvana is all consuming. This is why shoppers head straight for the reduced to clear rack to gain a march on the Nirvana moment. Refrigerators throughout the UK are full of sprouting, mouldy, slimy, fruit, and vegetables that have just past the Nirvana by a second or two.

Meat and Fish

All meat and meat products are hygienically wrapped in disposable wrapping. It is essential this wrapping is disposed of safely. You would not want a child to eat the wrapping as they would have difficulty in discerning the plastic wrapping from the plastic meat. The packaging informs you if the meat is Dry cured, air cured, brined, smoked, hung, beaten or just neglected. It doesn't mention taste, Why should it if there isn't any.

Fish can be sold even if the eyes are dull and there is a strong smell of ammonia providing a reduced to clear label is firmly attached.

Labels and allergens

some people have allergies to certain foods. These can be life threatening, so it is important the food is labelled correctly. This does not mean that labels should be boring and uninteresting. Products containing Whey can be written in Portuguese or Serbo Croat, to stimulate the British linguistic skills.

At present there is little opposition to the domination of the supermarket. Attempts have been made to promote grow your own. This would mean dirty hands broken nails, and looking at snails.

The alternative is Farmers markets. Isn't that what they do abroad?

Fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy products sold by the producer. All food tasty, and traceable, with the ability to talk to the producer about keeping, handling and how to cook.

I doubt if it will take off, just because they do it in the rest of the world is no reason the British should follow suit. After all Britain is a gourmet country.