Those last parts are how they should work, but seldom do.
Farmer's Markets - is the food any better than in supermarkets?
- Thread starter sidevalve
- Start date
On what basis do you make such a generalisation? How many farmers' markets have you visited? The ones I have been to, here in London ARE good quality and the producers are UK based.
Elawin
Guru
I haven't tried them/Waitrose, although I am thinking about it. It's only fairly recently that they would even consider delivering to the area where I live - our milkmen have been mugged a few times even though they never actually carry any cash, and they used to have stuff stolen off the float all the time. Now my milkman has a large Transit-type van which he can lock.
My cousin recommended Riverford, as she said their food was really good quality. They also do meat, poultry, dairy and cooked food as well as, from time to time, products from other organic suppliers such who are not part of their co-operative. She also uses Abel & Cole who had more choice but [at that time] not all their food was organic either.
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We'd one the other week, with stall holders from Turkey and Poland. Hardly local farmers/growers gaining from their selling, or the money staying in the local community! I've lost count of the number I've walked through. Walked through because those doing the selling seem to have less idea of what they're selling than someone working in a large supermarket. "You can tell it's fresh, it's still got the earth on it!", doesn't quite cut it with me.
They are subject to fewer rules, for the same product, than any shop, hygiene standards are lower than most shops. And I've been in some dirty shops over the years. Next one you go to ask what injections the animal had, a true Farmers Market would be able to answer this. And by rights the card should be there for reference. One piece that was put in place for Farmers Markets.
If as you say you're in London, where's the nearest farm, in relation to the farmers market? I can look out the window now, and see the lights on in the cow shed of one local farm. To get an idea of the area, think "Wutherin Heights" & "Happy Valley".
16 years ago, we lost nearly ALL the butchers in the local market, due to restrictions placed upon them. Foot and Mouth. Many were also local farmers. These restrictions didn't apply to the farmers market held outside the same year. Why it should be exempt from DEFRA regulations was never answered. Why they are able to break basic health and hygiene regulations never gets answered. No inspections carried out, so no certificates can be issued.
Raise the question of the use of Paraquat, see what response you get.
Elawin
Guru
I live in east London and our borough has several farms. The nearest one now (mentioned in my post #39) is about 5 minutes away from my house (up the road and round the corner). There used to be a sheep farm a bit nearer but unfortunately that has now been built on. If I care to venture a couple of miles further afield there are plenty in south west Essex too.
While farmers markets are not covered by the FSA, the individual farms have an obligation to register as food suppliers.
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And the farmers markets?
Elawin
Guru
There is only one local one in our market place, although there are others not far from here but, as I said earlier, I have not been to any of them.
BTW I edited my other post to cover the FSA and farmers markets.
Quick search shows most require stallholders to have at a minimum a 3 rating, with most insisting on a 4 or 5. How is that achieved with no inspection?
Elawin
Guru
Their premises have to be inspected - whether they are commercial premises or a private house. Our local kebab van has a 4 star rating, which was more than the local KFC did until recently.
The basics are "overlooked". At least two had blood running downhill, with no attempt made to clear it. Another, discharging into an open sewer. If a shop were to be caught doing either.
The blood isn't a "one-off", confined to one market. It simply gets overlooked/not noticed.
The blood isn't a "one-off", confined to one market. It simply gets overlooked/not noticed.
Elawin
Guru
I lived by a horse slaughterhouse once. The blood used to run down the gutters into the drains at the side of the road. The meat was nice though. Our local "ordinary" slaughterhouse was closed down many years ago - you could smell it a mile off. The nearest one now is the halal slaughterhouse five miles away, and most people don't even know it is there.
There are a few butchers who have stall in our market place and they do seem quite clean. At least a couple of them have generators so they probably have some sort of basic refrigeration, and the Council are pretty strict about clearing up the pitches at the end of the day. I do actually remember one farmers market not to far way. It was in a neighbouring borough and was on hard-standing at a site that was used for boot sales etc. It didn't look very nice, especially the meat stalls, and the cooked food that was sold there too looked disgusting. It was closed down when the hygiene regulations were upgraded about 25 or so years ago.
1976 most of what was then the lower end of the town, was "an enter at your own risk" area, due to the slaughterhouse.
Last local one got closed about two years ago. Opposite a builders yard on the outskirts of town.
Last local one got closed about two years ago. Opposite a builders yard on the outskirts of town.
epicuric
Legendary Member
Guess we must be lucky with our farmers markets, I have never encountered any hygiene issues. The producers are pretty passionate about what they do, and many have reputations built over years. Occasionally we have had the odd wholesale meat vendor turn up in a big shiny lorry offering staggeringly cheap deals over a loudspeaker. A few gullible fools fall for their patter but most avoid them like the plague. They don't stick around for long.
I can't imagine anything that I would want to buy from Turkish or Polish vendors, not being a huge fan of either cuisine but we do occasionally get a French market in town. That really makes my day!
I can't imagine anything that I would want to buy from Turkish or Polish vendors, not being a huge fan of either cuisine but we do occasionally get a French market in town. That really makes my day!
So you are generalising from just one venue then? Hmmm.
We have had this conversation before. I have spoken to many of the stall holders and they are not from abroad (not that this should matter if they are based here in UK and selling home grown produce).
http://www.lfm.org.uk/about-us/
I don't know why you single out Paraquat - don't you know that it's use has been forbidden since 2007 in EU?
It's still in use, and manufactured in the UK.