Can we create a Big Society or have we gone to far down the road to a ‘I’m not working for nothing’ commercial society?

I think the food industry is a great starting place and could prove the concept. Especially with the help of BigBarn.

Interesting to see David Cameron getting stick for the Big Society, the nature of politics I suppose, the opposition have to oppose.

What is rather silly is that the Big Society has been around for hundreds of years, with people working together for the good of the community, without demanding a fee.

I think the PM is simply trying to get more people doing this and help the process. It is a shame that we have become so sceptical and closed to new ideas in our local community. It seems we are more likely to give to charity having watched the TV, than look out the window at wonder what our local community needs.

The history of the food industry is a great example of our society. After the war the industry was taken over by government and thousands were employed at the Ministry of Food organising rationing then production. Once we had enough food the industry moved to the private sector and we now see the dominance of the supermarkets with brilliant convenience, but the separation of consumer from producer allowing powerful marketing to influence what we buy, and farmers, on average, only getting 9p in the £1 spent on food in the supermarket.

If the supermarkets have their way and control all food shops, I am sure we will see the end of fresh food, replaced by shelves of salty ready meals. Go to the supermarket at Gretna Green where they have no local grocer or farm shop and you will see what I mean.

So we need a Big Food Society and is why BigBarn has been here for 10 years. To help us find local food and the brilliant producers, retailers and community food initiatives around the UK.

We want to continually point out there is a ‘lot in it’ for all. It is really exciting to see that local food is now cheaper and better than the supermarket. Local production is increasing and we can all Crop for the Shop, and a stop to the slide towards shelves of ready meals. Our team at BigBarn will help identify what is working and help spread best practice to other areas.

My only worry is that we get the same sceptical response as the PM. And is why we have become a Community Interest Company, CIC and Social Enterprise to get the Buy-in of the sceptics. Being a CIC means any profit has to be reinvested back into the business for the benefit of our producer and consumer, communities.

Or will people perceive this to mean we are not dynamic enough and will not be able to attract the best staff or investment. Your comments very welcome below, and if you would like to help BigBarn in your area, with possible financial reward, email; ant@bigbarn.co.uk

As requested here is the picture of my latest inheritance. A jar of plum jam and mince meat. Jam dated 4/9/11, mincemeat with a Gollywog.

I am dying to open the jam to see if it is fantastic, or off. And as I don’t like mincemeat should I try and sell it on ebay?

I may even add them both and pledge to give any proceeds to promote BigBarn and our Communities of local food producers and foody consumers.

Did you know, On average for every £1 spent on food in the supermarket farmers only get 9p.

As the middle men and retailers take the lions share of what we pay for food many farmers have gone, or are going, out of business.

How many farmers still grow crops for us to eat? And how long will it be before the only food we can buy is imported from abroad or is a ready meal with dangerous levels of salt and preservatives?

Before it is too late perhaps we should celebrate what we have got and say a new grace before every meal.

So here it is

May we all be truly thankful

That we have great food in this land from west to east
And we still have farmers to grow and rear a regular feast

But let us not become complacent

We must not allow those great big shops
To herd us down their aisles and make us stop
To buy salty ready meals and other such slop

We must buy fresh and direct from local farmers
To encourage them to grow food that doesn’t harm us

So let us hold hands, and give thanks today
In case the chance to buy such food goes away

For great local food every day
Visit bigbarn.co.uk

To start with something basic. Ladies, your man will pander to your every whim for weeks if you cook him a delicious, locally-produced, well hung, juicy, steak. We recommend you look at the BigBarn map to find your local farmer or butcher and ask questions so you can tell your man the story of his meal. Please note that a local sirloin steak will probably be cheaper and better than a supermarket fillet steak.

And you men, forget the sweetie shelf at the local garage, or crappy flowers from the supermarket and give your lovely lady some hand made, high cocoa, aphrodisiac rich, hand made chocolates. If you are feeling like a sustainable drink to go with your great food buy some English wine.

Simply visit the BigBarn map or MarketPlace to find and buy the best local steak or for a huge range of chocolate.

Linseed is a crop that catches the eye in July and August when the blue flowers make a field look like a lake. Like many UK crops it is best to buy the produce before it gets ‘manufactured’ or diluted. Here is the story of Linseed oil and buying it from a passionate producer.

Have you noticed that Omega 3 is now being promoted in a big way on food packaging? From margarine and mayonnaise to fish fingers and breakfast cereal, Omega 3 is now highlighted as an important ingredient. It would seem that the food manufacturers have cottoned onto the benefits of Omega 3 as a marketing tool.

However, the actual health benefits of Omega 3 in many of these processed products could be called into doubt if put under scrutiny. For example, high temperatures may have been used in the pressing process and destroyed the oil’s health giving properties? The oil may have been produced from genetically modified (GM) plants? And to be really good the Omega 3 should come from an environmentally sound source?

You will never find GM seed at High Barn Oils and because their oil is cold pressed on the farm with no heat, solvents or additives, its health giving properties remain intact.

So what are these Omega 3 health-giving benefits?

Linseeds
Omega 3 makes up 25% of every human cell membrane, (a balance of other oils and fats make up the rest). The balance of these cell builders are part of the very building blocks of life. Building cell membranes properly is a basic bodily function and part of a correctly functioning neuron propelled electrical system.

Well made cell membranes are the defence mechanism of a healthy body. The body’s immune system and brain functioning is improved as a result of getting the right amount of Omega 3.

Omega 3 from linseed has an anti-inflammatory property that can help to reduce inflammation naturally in many conditions.

Omega 3 can help kick start your metabolism and so when combined with a good diet and regular exercise, can help you to lose weight, build lean muscle and burn fat.

Omega 3 can help you to look good as well as feel good with healthy glowing skin, glossy hair and strong nails, especially when combined with other linseed oil properties, Omega 6, Omega 9 and Vitamin E. An expensive jar of moisturising cream isn’t the only way to fight the ageing process!

Recent studies have pointed to improved concentration levels in children when Omega 3 was introduced into their diets. Children love the taste of our linseed pods, and the culinary oil is brilliant for whizzing into their smoothies.

So are you getting enough Omega 3 from linseed? Now available in the BigBarn MarketPlace. Simply click here to order your linseed pods or culinary linseed oil. Or if you are near Horsham or passing through go and meet Durwin, the expert and passionate producer.

Most people perceive supermarkets to be the cheapest place to buy food due to their buying power. We have found that over 700 farm shops & small retailers are cheaper, like for like, due to the shorter supply chain.

To help raise awareness to this fact we record the prices of a shopping basket of staple products on a regular basis. This allows farmers, farm shops and independent retailers to see how competitive they are. Those that are cheaper, like for like, can flag themselves on the BigBarn map with a ‘£’ sign. To read more on this click here.

So here are this weeks prices

English apples £1.75/kg
English Pears £1.10/kg
Carrots grade 1 £1.00/kg
Onions grade 1 82p/kg
Potatoes 95p/kg
Brussell Sprouts £1.69/kg
Leeks £2.49/kg
Broccoli grade 1 £1.97/kg
Parsnips £1.55/kg
Swede £1.38/kg
Cabbage, medium 76p each
Cauliflower £1.47 each

Granulated sugar 98p/kg

Fairtrade Demerara sugar 2.29/kg

Free range eggs, medium £1.46/ 6 eggs
Organic Free range eggs £2.04/ 6 eggs

Lean Irish beef mince £5.00/kg
Lean British beef mince £4.79/kg
British rump steak (not hung) £11.49/kg
British lamb chops £15.50/kg
Chicken breast (battery) £11.80/kg
Tesco Finest Bacon £8.00/kg (with additional ‘no added water’ label!!!)

We hope more farm shops and retailers flag themselves on our map so please tell your local shop about this service and don’t be afraid to ask about price.

It is fair to say that in general, the difference between small shops and supermarkets is that the latter mark up different items by different amounts, I have heard that supermarkets are taking advantage of fairtrade advertising and marking up those products at a higher rate. Small shops, however, will buy at the best price they can and add a fair mark up.

Please feel free to add your comments below.

Fantastic because we can get just about every type of food & drink from all over the world, whenever we want, even in the middle of the night, and trolley it all straight in to the car. Or even have a weekly shop delivered! And regulations, to make sure food is safe, packaged properly and with a date to tell us when to eat it.

An industry and retailers driven by commercial profit, where competition drives all to constantly satisfy customer’s needs. As the customer, that must be good for us?

BUT… What effects do these aggressive commercial practices have on the food available to us? Are the regulations too restrictive? And if there is a better alternative will the change be costly or inconvenient for us?

We know that competition means, cutting prices, clever marketing and convenience, but we don’t always see the cost. The monetary cost of marketing, distribution, building new stores, management salaries and shareholder dividends. And the hidden cost of; farmers going out of business, small dairy farms closing and factory farms starting, loss of real foods such as raw milk, reliance on imports, less agricultural diversity, loss of local shops, and reduced animal welfare.

These costs, over the years, must have risen, because at BigBarn we are finding that local food is cheaper, even sugar (a traditional supermarket loss leader) in some local shops. At the same time price cutting and ’shelf life’ has meant that food quality has dropped.

Some meat is factory farmed, contains additives, is not hung and bland, fruit is picked early and ripened in warehouses, and varieties of vegetables grown for yield and shelf life not flavour.

So we strongly recommend that your new years resolution is to try local. Try your local farm shop, butcher, baker, and ask questions about price and quality. And get the ’story’ of the food.

If your shop is very local you may find that it is more convenient than the supermarket and if you don’t save money on the products ( and you should if they are local ) you will save by avoiding the BOGOFs and impulse buys. You may need to get a bit more organised with your shopping list and stock up on tins and washing products on monthly shop.

By changing from a weekly supermarket shop to a weekly local shop you should save money and time, improve the local economy and encourage your local producers to grow a wider range of products. You could even switch to online shopping in our MarketPlace and have everything delivered.

Good for us all, surely? Please comment on this article or send it to a friend and advise them to register for our newsletter to get foody news together with local and national special offers.

If anyone needs some ‘Thank You’ present ideas here are three great books available in the BigBarn MarketPlace direct from the publisher. Sausage making for enthusiasts, the wonders of honey for a healthier life and a book to add variety to my favourite winter lunch, soup.

The Sausage Book
The Complete Guide to Making, Cooking and Eating
Paperback 250 x 210mm £13.60
Author: Johnny Acton, Nick Sandler
The world is in love with the sausage: from the Chinese lap cheong, to Germany’s 1200 varieties of Wurst, almost every country has its own variation. “The Sausage Book” taps into this universal passion for sausages, but is much more than a geographical and historical romp through the wonderful world of sausage. Nick and Johnny show you how to make delectable examples at home, and provide over 80 sausage-based recipes such as Berlin Bratwurst Cooked in Beer, Chorizo and Goat’s Cheese Tart and Smoked Polish Sausage Jumbalaya. Though mostly meat-based, the book also features recipes for vegetarians and those who don’t eat pork. At a time when more and more people are choosing to make their own food from scratch, “The Sausage Book” is a timely and invaluable cooking resource.

Honey
Nature’s Golden Healer
Author: Gloria Havenhand
Paperback 234 x 189mm £10.39
Drawing on her background in the biological sciences, Gloria Havenhand illustrates the many ailments that honey can help alleviate, including IBS and gastric ulcers, and argues it is essential for healthy living – boosting the immune system and helping prevent certain diseases. But honey is also a delicious treat and Gloria claims we should eat it daily, using it as an alternative natural sweetener to sugar, with far fewer calories. She also tackles other bee products, discussing how propolis, a sticky resin produced by bees when making their hive, can help relieve long-term sufferers of skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis, and how pollen capsules can be used by athletes to boost energy and performance. This informative and illuminating book will show us all the links between honey and good health and why protecting the honey bee is important not only for its own survival, but for human longevity.

Soup Glorious Soup
Author: Annie Bell
Paperback 255 x 205mm £11.99
Soup is the food of the world and every culture produces its own delicious variations on this universal theme. At once comforting and familiar, it can at the same time be exotic and exciting. The more than 100 recipes in “Soup Glorious Soup” demonstrate the extraordinary versatility of soup and its ability to lend itself to embellishment and improvisation. Recipes are arranged according to the main ingredient – vegetables and fish, meat, bread and dairy – and include traditional soups such as Pistou, Bouillabaise and Pumpkin, as well as new versions of old favourites such as Green Minestrone with Mint and Almond Pesto. There are also more unusual recipes, such as Syrian Mixed Grain Soup, Curried Aubergine with Cucumber Raita Soup, Broad Bean and Chicken Stew with Pomegranate and Thai Hot and Sour Soup.

Did you know that half the fish caught in the North Sea are thrown back dead?

Can someone please tell me if there are any positive reasons for this?

As far as I can see this is a classic example of politicians and big business arguing over a problem, (costing taxpayers millions of Euros), then coming up with a solution that makes the problem even worse. Please act below to stop this madness.

Last time I tried to buy fish direct from the local fisherman they had very little stock as their small boats were not allowed to go fishing. Yet the big industrial boats were still out at sea, hidden, beyond the horizon.

BigBarn exists to stop this kind of practice across the rest of the food industry. By promoting local food and encouraging local trade the supply chain becomes shorter, and exposed, and governed by the producer and consumer, ie; you.

As opposed to a long supply chain where middle men, big business, marketeers and health and safety ‘executives’ can hide profit margins and dodgy deals.

To stop the fishing madness sign up for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Fishfight here. And to keep your local food industry in view, find and buy great local food that is normally better, fresher, and cheaper than the same produce in the supermarket. Simply type your post code here to see your local food map, and register for local food news and special offers.

And please have your say, or tell me I am wrong, by feeding back below.

Ham shows the history of our food. From the traditional dry salted, old breeds of pork, to the modern, food science reconstituted pressed ham. The latter has ham on the package, may taste a bit like ham, but in some cases, has no ‘original’ meat at all.

Food science has created a wafer thin sliced ham that is actually a mixture of pork meat, bone, fat, salt, water, and additives, forced through a nozzle and then pressed and sliced. Great for those who believe science will always bring us good things, and those who want to give their kids a ham sandwich on a budget. But what about those of us that want the real thing? A ham that has been properly cured, or even, continental style hams.

The great news is that they do exist and there are a number of butchers and enthusiast who have developed their own curing methods to get an incredible flavour and texture to the meat.

Simon Boddy of Best Butchers in Bedfordshire and in the BigBarn MarketPlace is such a man. Over the last ten years, hard work, trial, and a fair number of errors, he has perfected his own curing methods for pork. From dry cured bacon to a ‘Parma’ type ham better than many hams you will find around Parma. Who says we Brits can’t make food like our European neighbours!

So for this Christmas buy the real thing, and if you have trouble justifying the higher cost than the wafer thin pressed version, buy a smaller quantity. And visit or call him if you would like the bigger story.

To buy Simon’s hams or bacon click here or to see a list of other ham and bacon suppliers, here.