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I was amazed by the fully stocked Fruit and Veg shelves - overflowing with tomatoes, lettuce and the rest. So much they were almost in the aisles. The Chelsea branch.
This either means One Thing for the Rich but Let Them Eat Cake for the poor OR...
Yet again, stupid Media exaggeration (it's a great story).
JK2006 wrote: I was amazed by the fully stocked Fruit and Veg shelves - overflowing with tomatoes, lettuce and the rest. So much they were almost in the aisles. The Chelsea branch.
This either means One Thing for the Rich but Let Them Eat Cake for the poor OR...
Yet again, stupid Media exaggeration (it's a great story).
Yes. It is let them eat cake. The more expensive shops are not bad. Waitrose and M&bloodyS are ok, as is Booths, but there was hardly anything in Lidl, Aldi, Morrisons or Tesco by me, and possibly Asda too, but I would rather we starve to death than go in it.
The price increases hit poor people harder. Shopping is more expensive in general, but the rock bottom lines such as pasta for 45p have mostly been removed altogether.
Wealthier people might be paying 25p more for Napolina (or whatever) at £1.45, but it is nearly a pound more for those who could only afford the forty-five pence version in the first place, and if organic tomatoes are the only tomatoes in town it is quite a jump in price from the "Morrisons Savers" version.
Some of the readies are very good and I must admit my local Tesco, where I go for basics like milk and butter, do seem to have less veg. I don't worry about prices thanks to Johnny Reggae (lay it on me).
Food shopping in the sensibly subsidised EU, including fruit & veg are 30-70% cheaper and mostly organic with far better quality than in the corporate controlled U.S. or U.K.
EU Poultry is 30-50% less costly, and seafood is extremely fresh, with much local variety, much better quality and 50-75% less expensive then in the corporate controlled US or UK.
Though, no surprise, corporate processed foods are also fairly expensive in the EU.
Yes. It is let them eat cake. The more expensive shops are not bad. Waitrose and M&bloodyS are ok, as is Booths, but there was hardly anything in Lidl, Aldi, Morrisons or Tesco by me, and possibly Asda too, but I would rather we starve to death than go in it.
I use Waitrose and M&S but Tesco for basics like milk, butter etc. Close enough to walk. But when I'm in the car (weekends) Harrods and Partridges are great. I like Farm Shops when I'm in the country (especially in France, Italy and Morocco).
Sainsburys for staples Waitrose for better quality meat or fish. Thankfully there are a couple of excellent farm shops in Surrey within a reasonable drive from me.
I hate to break it to everyone, but most of the meat and produce in farm shops is delivered from the same place, on the same truck, as the supermarkets.
Near me, we have a discount meat shop that sells things like "five trays for twenty quid" and they do a lot of unidentifiable objects in barbeque sauce or monosodium glutamate, which has recently been rebranded as "salt and pepper"
They sell EXACTLY the same at their swish farm shop a few miles away.
Four times the price, and the only advantage is that you see a few bits of gingham and china hens while you look at the crap.
JK2006 wrote: I use Waitrose and M&S but Tesco for basics like milk, butter etc. Close enough to walk. But when I'm in the car (weekends) Harrods and Partridges are great. I like Farm Shops when I'm in the country (especially in France, Italy and Morocco).
Honey wrote: I hate to break it to everyone, but most of the meat and produce in farm shops is delivered from the same place, on the same truck, as the supermarkets.
They sell EXACTLY the same at their swish farm shop a few miles away.
It may be different elsewhere of course.
I think practices probably vary Honey. I know that most produce in my nearest farm shop is sourced directly from two small local farms, who cut out the wholesalers. The quality always taste better to me but as I don't receive royalties for Johnny Reggae and GM is slighly deluded about my wealth, I do save my farm shop hauls for special occasions....
Wyot wrote: Honey wrote: I hate to break it to everyone, but most of the meat and produce in farm shops is delivered from the same place, on the same truck, as the supermarkets.
They sell EXACTLY the same at their swish farm shop a few miles away.
It may be different elsewhere of course.
I think practices probably vary Honey. I know that most produce in my nearest farm shop is sourced directly from two small local farms, who cut out the wholesalers. The quality always taste better to me but as I don't receive royalties for Johnny Reggae and GM is slighly deluded about my wealth, I do save my farm shop hauls for special occasions....
The farm shops I go to and markets. I know the produce and meat is sourced locally or at least regional. I agree the taste is better and more gamey, it's a bit more pricey but the quality is amazing. Another reason to support farmers. If you had a gun Wyot, you could shoot pheasents and maybe get a bit of gout in your big toe. However, gout is a rich man's disease.
but I was going to say.. even though I am economically ok I always look for bargains and hate over paying for grocerries and over paying at cafes ..now I take cash since nearly everywhere has introduced profit gouging with credit card surcharges, weekend trading surcharges and public holiday surcharges... some places even have splitting the bill surcharges..
Go to the smaller indie cafe's David, a lot of them their own loyalty scheme; it's just a card getting stamped after every after every visit. They don't sell your data to unknown Third Parties. If a resturant refuses cash then I walk away...biggest turn off for me is that a lot of theatre's are cashless, however most theatre's I go to are near to the pubs and are a little bit cheaper, I vote with my wallet.
I don't buy overpriced merchandise anyway these days, I don't care if the CD is signed. I feel too old to wear a band T-shirt these days. I think only women can get away with wearing a Tee with a band on from the past.
I remember during the plandemic when shops refused my cash, I tried to explain to them it's cheaper for your business. They took it whilst grumbling, one of the shops I deliver booze gives me a cash in hand...if they are fiddling their books that is up to them; but to me cash is still good. I still get a cheque now and then.
Honey wrote: JK2006 wrote: I use Waitrose and M&S but Tesco for basics like milk, butter etc. Close enough to walk. But when I'm in the car (weekends) Harrods and Partridges are great. I like Farm Shops when I'm in the country (especially in France, Italy and Morocco).
Some cafes here are cashless and I know some shops prefer to go cashless to help avoid staff theft.. but really cash is legal negotiable tender, just found this article online..
I only know of one cafe that refuses cash, however they are surronded by 6 dozen other coffee shops.
I don't know any of high street shop apart one bakery/coffee shop that refuses cash, then again I don't live in London or near any big city.
All the big complexes and arenas in Brum are cashless but IMHO I don't feel safe in Brum as it is. Then again the city is so broke and broken, it's hardly worth visiting.
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