- Location
- Hampshire
Yes, Somborne vinyards near Romsey make a decent strong red, but it's about £20 a bottle.
Self sufficiency
- Thread starter Barleycorn
- Start date
caveman
Member
- Location
- East Sussex.
Lettuce no problem.
Mrs asked a neighbour to add some celery to her basket for us.
This was replaced by an iceberg lettuce.
They have decided to go halves on the lettuce.
Prawn cocktails secured.
(Is iceberg lettuce any good in a stew?).
Mrs asked a neighbour to add some celery to her basket for us.
This was replaced by an iceberg lettuce.
They have decided to go halves on the lettuce.
Prawn cocktails secured.
(Is iceberg lettuce any good in a stew?).
Last edited:
Yes it should be, but it wont be.
The issue for UK farmers isn't self sufficiency, it is farmgate prices.
Self sufficiency could increase across a range of basic farm produce, and the farmgate price wouldn't rise. Because it isn't so much imports that keep the price down but two, related, issues:
a) The threat of imports.
b) The lack of power in the marketplace.
betternextyear
Member
- Location
- salop
Who the hell wants lettuce, sweet peppers and lemon on New years day? I struggle to eat a full English hangover breakfast after checking the sheep.
Wolds Beef
Member
Right now is the time for the NFU(and I know what people think)to invite the supermarkets to the table. @Guy Smith (please come out of retirement!) Strike while the iron is hot and tell them to up there purchase price to growers and packers in this country. @Lowland1 Can't you, the Read boys and Grant's put some pressure on the right people? Also it is time for the farming industry to help its own by supporting the local farm shop greengrocer and the butcher. SHOP LOCAL !!!
WB
WB
- Location
- South Molton
BBC will just say we are cashing in.....unlike tesburys who have been doing their bit for the country as a whole during the pandemic!
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
It really is all the fault of the Supermarkets the more they compete the tougher it gets for everyone home and away. Anyone thinking that the competition between Aldi and Lidl and Tesco et al is a good thing is very wrong all it does is drive farmgate prices down. In my experience UK produce always gets first choice and best price from the Supermarkets the problem is Supermarkets are not interested in seasonality as that means changing shelves and organising promotions etc what they want is continuity. So if you grow Tenderstem Broccoli in the UK and you don’t want to lose out you get yourself a farm in Spain or Portugal and continue to supply as long as you can. I would presume the Spanish red tractor Carrots would be some large UK grower extending his season and avoiding strawing costs. For us we are struggling this year because we are competing with substandard but cheaper beans from Morocco and Egypt which will come by road through Europe. All the present problems will do is make the Supermarkets look at more resilient supply chains such as direct boat freight from Spain etc to UK cutting out road haulage. Also as I’ve stated lots of the big growers such as Gs, Barfoots and Staples have their own farms overseas and as such won’t be too keen for people to step on their toes by growing more in the UK plus you have the Elephant in the room which is generally people don’t eat as much traditional fruit and vegetables as they did and if they did who is going to pick it.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Well written. I did think about you last Friday evening when I looked at the beans in ASDA Grantham and saw source Egypt. Thought cheaper.
Lidl and Aldi are hailed on these pages as supporting UK fresh produce. Which they do. But there overall business model which mirrors a 1970s Fine fare operation - less choice and put pallets, literally on the aisle, while being frightfully efficient allowing low sale price has blown a complete hole underwater of the established big five (JS/TESCO/ASDA/Morries/Waitrose) who have an historic relatively expensive shop and distribution estate and operation. And thus those businesses are competing on price with these leaner new entrants - and farmers paying for this. Hey hol.
- Location
- South Wales UK
Use and look after products and produce here,First and Foremost ,before importing anything.
livestock 1
Member
It’s always strange to consider that we import the same amount of lamb (roughy) as we export
The eating habits or trends make this as it is
Who set these trends the consumer or the supermarket?
The eating habits or trends make this as it is
Who set these trends the consumer or the supermarket?
- Location
- Carmarthenshire, West Wales
and Sainsbury's saying there could be a shortage of lettuce, it is the middle of winter, Lettuce is a summer salad, of course there should be a shortage now, it's December, time to eat potatoes, parsnips and meat!
- Location
- Cheltenham
Dead right!
kfpben
Member
- Location
- Mid Hampshire
We do! Hattingley Valley.
Have a look at the website or give them a call to find a local stockist.
I get shouted at when I tell Mrs yin we have 2 options in our menu, soup season in winter, potato and leek is my favourite and salad season in summer which hopefully contains as little lettuce as possible.
Somewhere, I heard a story of a french wine expert trying out some English wine. “Aahhh... your wine, eeett tastes like rrraain“
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
Remember a couple of years ago there was a big panic of lettuce shortages due to snow in Southern Spain? Seems that nothing has been learnt. From what I have heard recently, some of the supermarket supply chains seem crazy, with stuff going back and forwards.
thats what woke up agriculture when britian saw war was coming, suddenly food became important, and more important to growers and farmers it suddenly became profitable to grow it ? A book and TV documentary made in the 1980s called 70 summers illustrates that point, before the war in the 1930s his bank called his loan in, the milk company he was supplying cut the price, so he had to retail it to survive, then when war was coming the bank manager was all friends ?
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
Grantham and FineFare next you’ll be remembering Key Markets
Food security: Making sure you don't starve.
Food sovereignty: Deciding who it is, that makes sure you don't starve.
Food sovereignty: Deciding who it is, that makes sure you don't starve.