Market watch

I just posted a reply to Toru's comments about fish 'n' chips and the maddening inability to find decent nosh in Britain. I think it's worth repeating what I commented here as this 'foreign muck' series gradually comes to a close - maybe three more posts and that's yer lot. I've interspersed the post with shots taken from Toulouse central covered market, Saint-Aubin Sunday market (Toulouse), Saint-Gaudens weekly market (45 mins from Toulouse) and Tesco Supermarket (UK). "Fish 'n' chips is not for everyone. And there's far more bad fish 'n' chips than good. However, I've only met a couple of Asian born Asians who liked it (not that you are of Asian descent) - the rest found it repulsive. It is a 'difficult' taste to get into. Much like the way I first found Kimchi in S. Korea. However, you're quite right about the availability of decent fresh fish in Britain. For an island nation it's shocking, but also indicative of what has happened to Britain's food supply in general since the 1970's.

Supermarkets have taken the simple freedom to taste away from the British consumer. Most Brits do not know what veggies, meat, fish and fruit should taste like anymore. What they are being sold looks fab, but tastes of sod all.

As I always say to folk who go to Britain. There is great food in Britain, but unless you know where to go (and also when - food is seasonal after all. Although how many Brits still realise that I do not know) you will not find it. Whereas in France, Vietnam, Japan... you don't have to hunt for a decent meal or ingredients.

The 'disappearance of taste' from British food is a fascinating topic. This extract from Joanna Blythman's scarily accurate book, Shopped: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets says it far better than I can.

On a more positive note. The mini-boom in organic delivery services and slow growing interest in organisations like Slowfood is helping redress the trend towards crap. I have my reservations about the growth in Farmer's markets in the UK - sterile and dull was my recent experience, but the fact that they are happening is also a step in the right direction.

Don't mean to harp on, but it's a topic I am keenly interested in. TBH, if I hadn't spent so much time out of the UK - and experienced many different tastes - I probably wouldn't question what I was buying either. The Brits 'musn't grumble' attitude explains a lot - we'll put up with any old shit :))"

Comments

[santos]

i think what you've said about british food trends esp. in regards to supermarkets also holds true with the united states. even in southern california, with its ready access to the freshest of produce, you'll find the supermarkets ladened with fruit and veg that's gorgeous, but mealy and bland. however, i do think that the farmer's markets i've been to (only in so.cal and nyc though) are really redressing the situation there, and forcing markets to come up with better produce.

btw, have you seen the guardian's special report on food? the header graphic has the headline: "what's wrong with our food?" on one side, and something on top organic sellers on the other; smack in the middle is a photo of fish and chips. anyway, thought it was rather apropos of this particular post.

[pieman]

"farmer's markets... are really redressing the situation... forcing [super]markets to come up with better produce."

Hmmm... that'll take a while in the UK since the food supply networks the supermarkets rely on are anything but local, even if buying local & in season is the only real way to guarantee freshness and quality. It would be a logistical nightmare for the supermarkets to go local, not to mention unprofitable. The big supermarkets simply aren't designed for it. Plus, a generation has grown up expecting veg and fish to look 'supermarket fresh'. Are they really set to buy wonky carrots and misshapen pears?

I wouldn't be surprised if in a year or two (or sooner) 'Rustic corners' in supermarkets become the hip new thing. You know where there's a local root veg seller one week, a venison guy the next serving at a suitably knackered looking stall - all very country village fete. Maybe even pipe in the smell of the farm.

Actually, that could work really well. OTH, I wouldn't be surprised if the quality local producers of grub in Britain have their books full with regular orders from topnotch restaurants leaving no room for a supermarket snatch. Small producers have been squeezed so much, those that have survived must surely be in big demand from professionals??. I certainly hope they are. Or do they all follow Jamie Oliver down to Sainsbury's - who's he trying to kid?

[toru]

hi pieman...luckily for me my town has a good market where i can get good quality vegetables and fruits....unfortunately, the market stall holders do themselves no favours by not going out of their way to be nice to their customers....this morning a stallholder didnt want to give me a plastic bag to put my vegetables.....its enough to drive someone back to sainsbury or tescos with this kind of penny pinching 'plastic bag' mean-ness...

[santos]

*sigh*. reading back on my comments, i forgot that so.cal is a completely different entity than the rest of the u.s., and the vast majority of the united states relies and expects the cheaper produce from anywhere but here.

i do see the 'rustic corner' as an actuality. whole foods(it owns fresh and wild stores in the uk) thrives on it, revels in the gnarly carrots piled in weaved baskets, the dirt clinging to the roots....all highly romanticized, of course. i would pay good money for an abbatoir to set up shop in the meat department. but while touting rather admirable sustainable land and interpendendence policies, is still a large for-profit organization. it will be interesting to see how far they can sustain their ideals, and whether the future of organics will be compromised. they are already experiencing labour troubles.

do you think that BSE and other diseases have helped the british food industry in any way? i would think with all the food scares in the uk, people would be interested in knowing where all their food is from and that the smaller farmer could benefit.

toru, there's no excuse for rudeness, and you def. deserve a plastic bag or two, but i do notice a high level of brusqueness in the average farmer's market. i'd like to think of it as part of that rustic charm, but eh. it's a tough world for farmers.

[pieman]

Toru - that's a bad plastic bag experience. I got into the habit of taking my own bag to the market as I was fed up with all the plastic bags I'd gather from any shopping trip. Do the same in Saigon.

Santos - I've no idea what folk think regards buying meat post BSE, Foot & mouth etc. My feeling is the trade in meat is as healthy as it ever was. And I must say the Aberdeen Angus beef I had recently was astounding.

[steve symons]

A call for help to the food blogging community. I am one of the organisers of the Soil Association Organic Food Festival held in Bristol, UK on the first week of September. It's probably the largest celebration of organic food anywhere with over 200 exhibitors and 40,000 visitors. This year we are planning an Arts Fringe Festival with all the arts themed around food. So far we have the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, Matthew Herbert's Plat du Jour in collaboration with Heston Blumenthal, Attik Dance Co. with Passion Fruit plus film, sculpture and lots of street theatre. Has anybody got an ideas regarding other artists who may like to take part. We would love to hear from you. (steve@organicfoodfairs.co.uk)

Best
Steve Symons

Best
Steve Symons

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