The cost of food

Yorky said:
Living in a non-developed nation we have minimal pressure from those that you list. However, in the last 20 years fast food outlets (KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, etc) have become more prevalent even here in the sticks and it has been very obvious to me that kids are definitely becoming "fatter" than they were when I first arrived.
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If you haven't visited a UK supermarket in recent years I think you would be very surprised. I was chatting to a manager of our local Tesco store recently, and asked why the wine aisle had shrunk to smaller than the fizzy drink aisle. He told me that it was because Coca Cola were prepared to pay more for the aisle space. Same with the crisp aisle. Big multinationals are paying supermarkets for additional shelf space to generate more sales. There is less margin in most healthy, ethically produced foodstuffs, so how can it's producers compete with the peddlers of obesity inducing cr*p?
 
epicuric said:
Big multinationals are paying supermarkets for additional shelf space to generate more sales. There is less margin in most healthy, ethically produced foodstuffs, so how can it's producers compete with the peddlers of obesity inducing cr*p?
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I'll just respond to the latest post if that's OK.

I didn't realise about multinationals paying for additional shelf space in the west. It may explain why here there are two aisles devoted to fish sauce and two devoted to tinned pilchards and I cannot find a tin of tomatoes anywhere! ("Yes, sir, we have some in the back but no shelf space available").
 
I am ashamed to say that I do not pay a great deal of attention to food cost. I do bargain shop non foods - that is the stuff that can break the bank.

G hunts and fishes. He will come home with a deer at some point this season. I have asked him to hunt for a wild pig. A lot of his fishing is fresh water catch and release - large mouth bass fishing tournaments. He does make several trips to the coastal waters and brings home red fish, speckled sea trout and - a special treat - flounder. The shrimp boat docks are 20 miles from home. We buy fresh shrimp off of the boat - de-head and freeze in water. We make smoked venison/pork sausage, venison/pork fresh sausage, pork sausage - both fresh and smoked. We have even tried our hand at making Italian sausage. For steaks we buy a whole rib eye at Costco. Slice and freeze. Sam's has a 10 lb. tube of 70/30 black angus ground meat. Cut that into thick slices. We have a Seal-A-Meal type machine.

I have 2 4'x4' table height Square Foot garden boxes for seasonal veggies. I also grow herbs in pots. Plan to add 2 more boxes before spring planting.

My downfall is specialty items - things not locally available. Wild caught salmon, milk fed veal, specialty cheese, expensive herbs. A friend raises chickens and gives us eggs. Unfortunately a pack of dogs killed his chickens. He is starting over.

Multiple Farmer's Markets for veggies I do not grow. Local cheese merchants - some wonderful goat cheese.

We both like food. I have altered my cooking habits to accommodate my Honey's dietary restrictions. There is the occasional cheat - my aborigine recipe with shrimp in a cream sauce. BIG cheat!

We are very fortunate. Unless we get crazy and spend stupidly we are financially comfortable. Of course my idea and G's idea of stupid spending are different.
 
I spend on average £20 a week on organic veg box, milk, butter and eggs. The veg box is for 1-2 people, and every now and then I get an overload of veg so I get a fruit box instead. About twice a year, I buy some organic meat off them. A bag of cereal, garlic, and ginger once a month, and tomatoes once a fortnight, makes up the £20 average. I rarely buy fresh food from the supermarket, except for cheese and the occasional out of season vegetable, but do get staples such as flour and rice from them, as well as some tinned foods (pulses and tomatoes). I make all my own bread, cakes, pasta, pizzas and yoghurt, and cook from scratch all the time to keep costs down. All in all I spend about £40-50 a week on everything, which includes cat food, some wet dog food, and pet sundries, plus household goods, and even the greyhound kibble which I get from a local pet shop as they are cheaper than any supermarket.

There was a note in which the veg box this week to say that they are putting their prices up after Christmas for the first time in over a year. It should be about 66 pence per box. The only thing which has gone up in all that time was the butter. which does not come from their own dairy. Some of their stuff is cheaper than Tesco non-organic produce anyway, and everything is way better quality-wise and freshness-wise (no waste), so I doubt I'll be changing my shopping habits any time soon.
 
Yorky said:
As with every country the prices are higher in the metropolis
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I live 2 hours drive from the edge of the Sydney metro region & I buy up big when I get into the suburban areas. Especially those with high pops of Asian peeps. Their butchers are cheap with fresh meat.

If I find an Indian Market I buy up rice, lentils & beans. And spiced.

If I find a middle eastern market the same applies - I travel to one specific one that sells spice by weight. Most of their spices are between $15-30kg. Stupidmarkets sell tiny amounts of stale spice in wasteful amounts of glass & plastic for over $50kg for most things.

At home I buy bulk minced beef, chicken drumsticks & whole frozen chickens. Some frozen hoki because I set a limit of $10kg for protein unless it’s a treat.
When I’m in Sydney I hit up the Asian butchers.
 
We generally shop at 3 different grocery stores, all with in 5 minutes or less from our home. We get the ads from all 3 and look for things that are "bogo" (buy one get one free) for staples. We also shop at a Restaurant Depot, which is a pure wholesale restaurant supply. As an example, we get parmigiano reggiano there. The price in most grocery stores and Italian markets range from $12.00 to $15.00 per pound. The last time I bought some at Restaurant Depot, I paid $7.40 per pound. I had to buy 1/8 of a wheel (about 10 lbs). We have a vacuum sealer for when we buy in bulk or make things in bulk.
 
We average around $100-150 AUD a week on everything from the supermarket. That doesn't include beer or alcohol (that's bought in a bottle shop) not does it cover chicken feed which is also purchased in bulk from a stick supplies warehouse in an industrial estate.
I grow quote a bit in the garden but it had yet to start producing what worth the cold start to the season. I should start to get courgettes at least this week, from then I should get lettuce and other veggie soon afterwards. I've already had several servings of rhubarb and herbs are pretty much year round.

morning glory said:
Just over a quid each then? Not bad - but that is more than I thought it would be. My partner pays £5 for 4 x 500 ml can of 8.5% lager, so that seems as good a deal. Am I working this out right or have I got a decimal point in the wrong place?!
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We buy black ale which is in tiny bottles (330ml I think, possibly smaller) and if bought in a pack of 6 it comes in at around $2 a bottle I think. I'll have to double check next time I'm at the supermarket, but I often see pubs with signs of aging happy hour, $6 a pint. Now that exchange rates in the UK compare to Aus have fallen that equates to £3-4 a pint, but when we got here 18 months ago it was much closer to £5 a pint!
 
I need to check out the Asian and Mexican markets. There are a couple of each that I know of. That would be an adventure.

There is a butcher shop on the perimeter of a not so nice part of town. I shop there around lunch time. They sell plate lunches so there are a lot of people in the store at that time of day. Not going there after dark. :hyper: They carry unusual stuff and will cut to order. They have organ meats - liver, kidney, tripe, tongue, sweet breads, chitlins. I did not look but they probably have or can get ox (bull) tail. G loves braised beef short ribs - $1.59 or $1.79 per lb. $7.49 at Costco. I get pork shank cut to order when I want to make "Poor Man's Osso Buco". Less than $2.00 per lb. Other weird stuff - pig ears, feet and tail - both fresh and pickled. Chicken feet. Turkey necks and wings. Chicken and turkey gizzards, livers and hearts. Pickled quail eggs, local honey, jams and jellies. An assortment of pickled veggies.

Never know what I will find.
 
ElizabethB said:
I need to check out the Asian and Mexican markets. There are a couple of each that I know of. That would be an adventure.

There is a butcher shop on the perimeter of a not so nice part of town. I shop there around lunch time. They sell plate lunches so there are a lot of people in the store at that time of day. Not going there after dark. :hyper: They carry unusual stuff and will cut to order. They have organ meats - liver, kidney, tripe, tongue, sweet breads, chitlins. I did not look but they probably have or can get ox (bull) tail. G loves braised beef short ribs - $1.59 or $1.79 per lb. $7.49 at Costco. I get pork shank cut to order when I want to make "Poor Man's Osso Buco". Less than $2.00 per lb. Other weird stuff - pig ears, feet and tail - both fresh and pickled. Chicken feet. Turkey necks and wings. Chicken and turkey gizzards, livers and hearts. Pickled quail eggs, local honey, jams and jellies. An assortment of pickled veggies.

Never know what I will find.
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Sounds like the sort of shop I'd like to visit!
 
morning glory said:
Yes - I also get spices from Asian shops - luckily there are lots in Maidstone. Some do sell cheap meat but its all halal which puts me off. Is that not the case where you are?
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Most of the Asian shops round here sell spices in little glass bottles! I would have to travel further afield to get larger quantities of spices, although I can buy some organic herbs and spices from Riverford, but then I would have to plan in advance, which is something I do not usually do.

Halal meat does not bother me. The major supermarkets sell halal meat anyway (although they won't admit it), and the large meat wholesaler in this area where most of the butchers get their supplies from is halal too. There are a couple of organic butchers not too far away, but with one the problem is finding somewhere to park, and the other is off the beaten track - not ideal in winter. Riverford do smaller quantities of meat and have a reasonable minimum order value, and I get meat from them occasionally. Some of their meat boxes are a bit too expensive for me.
 
I do not like to purchase spices in large quantities. As soon as the container is opened they begin to lose potency. I prefer to pay more for smaller quantities that will be used before they lose their flavor.
 
ElizabethB said:
I do not like to purchase spices in large quantities. As soon as the container is opened they begin to lose potency. I prefer to pay more for smaller quantities that will be used before they lose their flavor.
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Same here, but some things I use a lot of :laugh: There's nothing wrong with buying spices and herbs in glass bottles providing they come from a decent supplier. I mainly use supermarket own brands, though. Schwartz/McCormick are a bit on the expensive side.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
We buy black ale which is in tiny bottles (330ml I think, possibly smaller) and if bought in a pack of 6 it comes in at around $2 a bottle I think. I'll have to double check next time I'm at the supermarket, but I often see pubs with signs of aging happy hour, $6 a pint. Now that exchange rates in the UK compare to Aus have fallen that equates to £3-4 a pint, but when we got here 18 months ago it was much closer to £5 a pint!
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The last time I was in Oz (Perth) in 2008, beer in pubs was A$9.00/pint. However, all beer appeared to be that price from VB to Guinness so I tended to stick with the latter.
 
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