This week in Bill Buys Local we are conducting an experiment. I mentioned last week that as well as buying local and comparing it to the way I used to shop in the supermarket I saw an article in the Evening Standard where the reporter directly compared a locally sourced shopping basket with exactly the same supermarket products. We are going to recreate this experiment.

We decided that the easiest way to compare meat price was to get a selection and that meant a mixed grill for the boys in the office. We chose a variety of meats and cooked the lot on the barbeque. It was a rare break in the bad weather and the resulting meal was great – everything was really tasty and it certainly filled us up.

So what did we get for the money? The mixed grill was for 4 people so 4 steaks, 4 lamb chops, 4 or 5 pieces of kidney and the same of liver, 8 sausages and 4 slices of black pudding. This all came to £14 from Southall’s in Great Barford, just down the road.

I think the best way to compare with various supermarkets is online so we used “virtual” shopping baskets to compare prices. The total at Tesco came to £16.55 and Sainsburys was £15.60.

I have priced products such as barbeque steaks from the supermarket and the butchers version to make the best comparison. What I think this shows is that for one it is NOT more expensive to go to a butchers and buy free range meat. It also has to be taken into account that the meat from the butchers is more accountable and better produced so even if the price is similar the supermarket products are inferior. One example is that we could have priced meat at the supermarkets of similar quality but 4 organic lamb chops were £11 on their own and you wouldnt have believed me if the supermarket bill was £40 but it could easily have been.

Try it for yourself if you are sceptical. Find a local butchers on BigBarn and buy what you would from the supermarket. See if it is much more expensive and see if it doesnt taste better. Tell the butcher what you are doing and challenge him or her to better the supermarket I bet they will be able to and enjoy proving it to you.

Share your thoughts in the forum.

A local farmer told me a story the other day which summed up an apparently typical and crazy aspect of the food and farming industry.
Farmer David was approached by a very large sandwich maker (ten lorry loads of bread per day) to supply them with iceberg lettuce. As the contract would give David a very good margin and a high volume he jumped at the opportunity and began production. There was one problem however, if any green fly or insect were found on the lettuce the load of lettuce would be rejected.
David used the highest recommended rate of a slow release insecticide but still had problems keeping the fly away in the last two weeks of growth and tried to persuade the processor to wash or discard the outside leaves. The processor refused. As the contract was important David called in the experts who recommended he do as other farmers did in a similar predicament and vastly increase the rate of insecticide used. The fields planted and covered in insecticide pellets became very smelly and were avoided by staff wherever possible and the twice a day spraying as the lettuce matured seemed like a sledge hammer to crack a nut.

Soon after David heard about another farmer being sued for traces of insecticide found on vegetables and had a load rejected as thunder flies were found on the lettuce. As the flies had more likely got into the lettuce in transit David decided enough was enough and gave up the contract.

All very disappointing, how many other stories are there like this? How often are farmers asked to use excessive amounts of poisons just so the processor can keep his costs low or the retailer display a perfect product with a long shelf life? Once again we prove that local is best. Farmer Dave wants to grow lettuces using as little pesticide as possible, and explain to you the consumer that you may have to wash a few outside leaves just in case nature has encroached past the hedgerow in to the field.

If you know of a story like this or have any comment tell us at the forum

Children deserve the best food and drink we can provide, but research shows that most children are eating a dangerously unbalanced diet, high in saturated fats, sugar and salt, and low in fruit and vegetables.

More than one in five children are now overweight, and one in three children have tooth decay before they even begin primary school. A poor diet can mean poor concentration at school, and increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes in later life.

The Food Commission Guide to Children’s Food is designed to help parents and carers distinguish which children’s foods are genuinely healthy, and to spot the unhealthy ingredients which lurk in many popular children’s foods and drinks.

The guide, published in poster format, explains that simply reading food labels and looking for added vitamins is not enough to protect children’s health. Many food products are poorly labelled, and advertisers are happy to promote high fat, high sugar and high salt products as ‘healthy’ and ‘nutritious’.

The poster provides a wealth of information for those who want to improve children222s nutrition and health, and costs only 2432.50 inclusive of postage and packing. The Food Commission is a not-for-profit organisation and all profits from sales are used to continue the campaign for healthier, safer food in the UK.

Copies are available from The Food Commission, Freepost KE 7564, London N1 9BR and can be ordered from this website by clicking on this link: www.foodcomm.org.uk/books.htm

Useful resources

The Food Magazine reports on children’s food and drink and other food issues in the UK. An annual subscription costs 24322.50 (individuals/non-profit) or 24346.00 (corporate). Published every three months.

This week we are going to conduct an experiment. Every Friday at the office we take it in turns to cook lunch. It gives us a chance to catch up with what everyone has done over the week and it is cheaper than going to the pub for lunch every week. I saw an example of this experiment in the Evening Standard a couple of weeks ago and it is so close to what we have been doing already that we had to give it a go.

The experiment is going to involve buying the meat and veg for lunch from local suppliers and then comparing the price with exactly the same food from the supermarket. I think you might be surprised with the results. The last view from the veg patch highlighted just how overpriced single items can be at the supermarket so we will see if this is a theme or a one off.

Once the results are in please join the forum and share your own experiences of buying local or even your veg patch stories. We would love to hear and tips you have whether it is for growing, buying or cooking as long as its local.

My own buying local has settled into a regime now and is ticking along nicely. The veg box works well and I just need to try some more new ideas from the butchers. We had a rolled loin of pork stuffed with apricot stuffing ready to cook from the butcher last week. It shows convenience food doesnt have to come in polystyrene trays. Joints like that are so easy, just leave them in the oven for 90 minutes and do some veg at the end. It is no hassle at all and I often cook roast midweek rather than at the weekend as long as I get home from work in time.

Hello people and welcome to my first recipe. I have been at BigBarn during my summer hols from Portsmouth Uni earning a bit of money. I have been persuaded to submit a few recipes for the food that kept me going during term time.

Understanding that all students are; a) Cheap, b) Lazy and above all c) HUNGRY this recipe and others to follow are easy to make, cheap and filling to boot!

I am going to start with home-made chicken kievs. Now I know what you’re thinking – ‘that sounds like a lot of work’. But really it isn’t at all. It probably takes 25 – 35 mins total to make this and it makes hardly any mess as well.

Ingredients:

For 1 person (hearty portions though)

One chicken or turkey breast
Small bunch of a fresh herb (Either: Basil, Parsley, Rosemary or Thyme)
1 Clove of Garlic
2 slices of bread (this can be slightly stale bread, but no mould please!)
Some flour
1 Egg
Oil
Butter or Margarine

Method:

First things first you need to make some breadcrumbs. As most students don’t have food processors I find that the fine section of a cheese grater does a pretty good job. Put this on a plate.

Next beat the egg in a dish or bowl ready for dipping. Also put a small amount of flour on a plate.

Now for the chicken (or turkey). Make a cut in the side of the chicken breast, the length of the kiev. You are trying to make a pocket for the filling. If you have a sharp knife it should be a very easy job. If you go all the way through its no big problem.

The filling is simply made by chopping the herbsand garlic and adding them to some butter. Now the amount of herbs and garlic you use for this is down to taste. I alway keep some of the chopped herbs behind to mix with the breadcrumbs, but that isn’t necessary.

Spread your butter filling inside the pocket you made in the chicken. At this point you are ready for dipping. First you want to start heating a frying pan with some olive or sunflower oil in, on a medium heat. Then take the kiev first dip it both side in the flour, then transfer it to the egg, both sides again. Next into the breadcrumbs, boths sides and get a good covering. Pat more breadcrumbs wherever there are gaps.

Now transfer this into the frying pan. Make sure the pan is hot before you do. You probably want to fry it for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the kiev. Turning every 5-8 mins to check.

Thats it, I’d serve it with lettuce and some new potatoes boiled and seasoned.

Comments are welcome.

I saw a link to an explanation of MRM (mechanically recovered meat) recently. If there is any better reason that cheap meat used in supermarket sausages and pies is worth avoiding then I would like to hear it.

These methods have been used in the UK since before the 1980’s apparently and the technology comes from the USA. So that is another thing to thank the Americans for. The purpose of MRM is to extract every last scrap of meat from a carcass and therefore maximise profit. You will have to see the link at the end for the specifics of the process because it is a bit stomach churning.

The resultant ‘meat’ is described as ‘more of a slurry than a recognised piece of meat’ or ‘pureed mixture of meat and bone marrow’ – they don’t describe it like that on the packet I’ll bet you.

What can you say about this kind of thing being sold as food? I for one would much prefer to eat good quality liver or kidney from the butchers than an MRM sausage from the supermarket.

In response to a comment on the last home page article on supermarkets it would be safer eating organic potatoes cooked in duck fat once or twice a month than eating a ready meal made with this kind of (you can hardly call it meat but..) meat. The fat content which goes into some ready meals is horrific and if you choose the low fat versions they replace the fat with sugar to provide taste, if you notice some low fat foods just taste bland. The sugar is converted by your body into, guess what? That’s right – FAT. If ready meals do contain fat it is most likely trans fat or saturated fat which are much worse for you than duck fat. Ready meals are also far more expensive than buying the ingredients and making the food yourself. Don’t even get me started on those bags of grated cheese, I mean please!

Some people seem to think that the food we promote on Bigbarn is posh or expensive and organic just means it’s a rip off. There are so many benefits that come from buying food locally direct from the people who produce it and they include the fact that it is cheaper, better quality, not covered in pesticides and you support your local community. Look out for the next Bill Buys Local and you will be able to see a direct comparison between local and supermarket food.

If you already agree that local food means better food then please sign up to our Local Forums where you will have a say in what happens in your area and we can persuade supermarkets that customers want local food.

Here is the link on MRM but please don’t read it while you are eating lunch. I did warn you.

Also if you would like to add your comments on this article please go here

With the Olympic games currently taking place in Athens it would be a travesty not to look at some Greek dishes (at least that’s what the boss just told me).

The Greeks are classic “nibblers” and the tradition is to order a variety of dishes for the table and allow guests to have a little (or a lot) of everything. Recreating this kind of meal in the comfort of your own home may seem like too much hard work, but there are a number of quick and easy recipes that can bring the taste of the Greek Islands into your hojme. Of course, the following recipes have been adapted to make full use of locally available British produce.

Greek-ish Salad

I went on holiday to Zakynthos last Summer and they served an awesome Greek Salad for �3 (£2) from the bar next to the pool. Obviously, a traditional Greek Salad uses feta cheese, but you could try substituting a piece of Caerphilly or similar.

This recipe largely depends on the quality and freshness of the ingredients, so use the best you can get.

For 2

2 or 3 large tomatoes, cut into large chunks
Half a cucumber, cut into large chunks
1 green pepper, cut into rings
Handful of crisp lettuce leaves
1 medium Onion, cut into rings
Large piece of Feta, Caerphilly, Lancashire or Cantal cheese
Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper
Dried Oregano

Half an hour or so before you want to eat, place the cheese in a tupperware container and pour over a good few tablespoons of dried oregano and a few glugs of oil. Pop into the fridge for 30 minutes or so.

When it’s time to eat, mix all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Remove the cheese from the oil dressing and break into bite-sized chunks an add to the salad. Season the remaining dressing with salt and pepper (add some extra olive oil if you think you need it). Pour over the salad, toss and serve.

Stifado

Stifado is a traditional Greek stew and in Zakynthos they made it using rabbit. I suppose though that you could use whatever you like – I have had success with chicken portions and beef, as I have used here.

Serves 4

1lb stewing steak, cubed
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 glass red wine
1 glass red wine vinegar
1lb large ripe tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato puree
Bay leaf
few handfuls of baby onions
Olive Oil
2 tablespoons plain flour
Salt, pepper

Heat a little of the oil in a large, deep pan. Gently toss the beef cubes in the flour and cook in the oil, a few at a time, until browned on all sides. When browned remove the cubes to some kitchen paper. Repeat until all of the beef has been browned.

Now add the finely chopped onion and cook over a medium heat until translucent (you may need to add the rest of the olive oil at this point). While the onions are cooking, boil the kettle. Place the tmatoes in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave for a few moments, then tip away the hot water and replace with cold from the tap. You should now be able to peel the skins away from the tomatoes.

When the onions are cooked pour in the wine and the vinegar. Give the pan a good stir as this will loosen the floury/meaty/sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat and reduce the liquid by three quarters.

Chop up the tomatoes and add to the pan with the tomato puree. Add the bay leaf and return the beef to the pan. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer gently for about an hour and a half. Toss in the baby onions when there’s about 45 minutes to go.

The dish is ready when the sauce is quite thick and the beef is tender.

You can find more Greek recipes in The Food and Wine of Greece

You can discuss this article in the Discussion Forum.

Now we meet the first major flaw in the Bill Buys Local Plan. So far my wife Emma has been very supportive of this idea and gone along with everything at least once (remember the liver incident), but going to the supermarket together was a different matter completely.

You know how it is; we just needed rice and pasta so we popped in on our way home. But we came out with loads more than we went in for (no meat or veg thankfully) and, even with my protesting (I heard at least once but it was 2 for 1 and well where else can you get it from), the short detour became an expedition.

The moral of this very important lesson is: if we do need something from the dreaded supermarket I will be going alone from now on! As Ive said before, its best to have as few reasons as possible to go to the supermarket so theres less chance of getting sucked in with all the clever marketing crap.

Thankfully, the veg box is now a regular order and should stay that way. Ive been most impressed with the scheme which has been easy to organise, on time and full of really good produce every week. Its flexible too so I can phone ahead and get things added or taken away as we want.

I also tried some other local butchers in the area when passing last week (F S Charteress & Son 01767 640216) and got some great sausages for our Friday office lunch.

When you begin to look around, youll start to see plenty of places to buy local produce which are more convenient to visit than the parking and queuing nightmares of the supermarket. Even I keep looking on BigBarn to see what producers are in my local area and, when we move next month, I can check all the producers in my new area.

Dont forget that new producers are registering their details with us all the time and registering yourself with BigBarn will ensure you get sent any special offers in your area too, as and when they happen.

I have just started reading Joanna Blythman’s book ’shopped’ all about supermarkets and they’re domination of the food trade. I must admit I was a great fan of the one stop shop and the range of goods available but am now just plain disappointed.

As a farmer disappointed by the small share producers get of the retail price

By the amount of imported produce

The poor quality of meat available

The devious tactics they use to get us to part with our money ( I will be including many of these in articles over the next few weeks)

But most of all disappointed by the amount of ready meals and rubbish products so many people buy.

I am a fine food crusader convinced that the world would be a better place if we all bought locally produced ingredients, cooked them into a good meal and sat round a table eating with our families.

I am therefor regularly utterly deflated when I see the contents of some peoples trolleys unloaded at the till as I wait my turn to pay. I thought there was enough in the media about the dangers of too much sugar and salt to dissuade people from buying ready meals. I know some people are short of time but why eat food that can increases fat, decreases energy and cause depression.

I have decided I cannot remain silent and will be gently informing those who buy such products of the dangers of consuming them, I might even get to the till quicker. Over the coming weeks I will report on these encounters, including facts from Joanna’s book and update you on how BigBarn is progressing getting supermarkets to have a local food section. Talks have started with ASDA!

Supermarkets are here to stay, all say they are customer led so it is up to us to make them better and more responsible retailers. To have your say make sure you register with us so we can put pressure on your local supermarket to have a local food section and let us know what you think of Carrot Man the movie.