Author: Emma Chapman

Supermarkets vs. Local Producers

Local producers struggle to compete with supermarkets. Photo: Emma Chapman
Local producers struggle to compete with supermarkets. Photo: Emma Chapman

Local producers struggle to compete with supermarkets. Photo: Emma Chapman

About 100 years ago, nearly all the food we ate came from 20 miles away from our homes.  Now with transport advances, including shipping and refrigeration capabilities, supermarkets are supplying buyers with all types of fruit and veg, regardless of whether it is in season or not. 

However, supermarkets are apparently supporting local producers by having a ‘local section’ present. Let’s be fair, it’s usually a square metre of aisle at the back of the store.

Ridiculously, even if a particular product is in season supermarkets have been found to still import it.  This is more evidence for claims that we, the consumer, should go back to eating only what is in season to support local producers.  It also makes for exciting times when fresh British strawberries or tomatoes come into season. But right now we have a constant supply of out-of-season produce.

What’s wrong with that you ask?

The issue with importing tonnes and tonnes of goods from abroad is it generates food miles.  The carbon footprint and other environmental impacts that accompany our constant supply of imported produce are huge. Food is now travelling, on average, about 1,500 to 1,700 miles from their growing spot to where we buy them.  

Not only this, local producers are losing out to the supermarket giants.

Granted some supermarket produce is sourced locally but is there enough? Even if local produce isn’t available, surely trying their best to keep their suppliers within the UK would be best?

Services like Fresh from the Fields in Lincoln, supply local goods for a fraction of the price supermarkets do.  Not only does this save us money but it supports the local farmers in not having to battle supermarkets for reasonable prices and having to meet their ‘Class A or One’ specification. 

Who cares if a carrot is misshapen?  Doesn’t it all taste and look the same on the plate?  Sometimes it’s better if all the growing effort has gone into flavour rather than appearance.  

Supermarkets have strict specifications which define the ‘perfect’ shape, size and colour of products which are causing mass amounts of fine produce to be discarded based on its appearances.  Therefore, farmers that devote their entire crop to supplying supermarkets lose out on income and fall victim to large corporate businesses who can dictate what is acceptable.    

It’s not just fruit and veg in suprmarkets we’re talking about, it’s other produce which has an impact.  Issues are circling around packaging as well as the actual product inside it.  Sainsbury’s has recently been targeted for un-necessary packaging. 

Lincolnshire is the biggest agricultural county in the UK, we have mounds of produce on our door steps, we just need to go to these local suppliers and farmers’ market to reap the benefits.

The elite butcher of the Bailgate

Elite Meats, situated in the Bailgate area of uphill Lincoln. Photo: Emma Chapman

Elite Meats, situated in the Bailgate area of uphill Lincoln. Photo: Emma Chapman

Kenny Roberts’ cheeky conservation and welcoming smile, has encouraged customers into Elite Meats, for the past 22 years.

I went into the shop and had a chat with Kenny about the history of the business, his specialities, organic rain and his television appearances. 

Elite Meats has been trading for many years, Kenny says: “It all started many moons ago, I was a Saturday lad and when I left school there was a recession on and no work so my boss said: ‘Would you like to work here as on the YTS (Youth Training Scheme)?'”

This was back in the 80s and Kenny leaped at the chance: “I enjoyed what I was doing”. 

The business was sold onto another butcher and then ended up in Kenny’s hands, he explains: “He weren’t much good, and I ended up showing him how to cut meats and he sold it to me 22 years ago. He taught me some good ideas, learnt my own ideas, watched a bit of telly, going to all the shops having a look at what they’re doing and passed the trade on into one unit so that’s how it started”.

Kenny enjoys his jobs and says: “Meeting customers, having a bit of banter, just having a laugh really… that’s the best bit. Christmas is good as well: pocket full of money!” 

Kenny only sells free range meats in his shop. Photo: Emma Chapman

Kenny only sells free range meats in his shop. Photo: Emma Chapman

All of Kenny’s meat is free range and he prides himself on having the highest quality goods from local producers. “We use local farmers, the beef is from Mr Davidson, he has a little small holding down Skew Bridge, just behind Morrison’s and he just has his cattle, a retired farmer, and just breeds them for me.  That’s nice” says Kenny.

“The pork is from Schofields, based near Market Rasen, they’ve won a lot of awards… award winning for the fat stock, because they do the traditional way, breeding the traditional way and feeding the traditional way so they’ve got a layer of fat on.  If you go into supermarkets you don’t see a layer of fat on the pork anymore, people always say: ‘How do I get the crackling?’  ‘Well buy decent pork to start with’, that’s what I say”.

The window display in Elite Meats. Photo: Emma Chapman
The window display in Elite Meats. Photo: Emma Chapman

“The lambs are from Scayman’s. Dale Scayman he’s a local farmer, we shake a deal with him and he rears good lambs so that’s why we take them”.

When talking to Kenny about organic produce he says: “We can get organic if people want it but I don’t agree with organic because there is no such thing as organic rain.  When the rain comes from the sky, it doesn’t say: ‘don’t rain on there’ does it? Nobody has thought about it. Free range is as good as organic is going to get”.

Nowadays many local butchers are losing trade to supermarkets that are popping up everywhere. Kenny however has plenty of trade coming through the door, saying: “We have our regular supply of customers but if they see a bargain on telly they go off and have a look. They sometimes buy but sometimes they wouldn’t even think about buying meat there.  If it’s half the price I sell it at, they’re going to try it. But I’m not bothered”. 

One thing Kenny is bothered about is supporting the local economy. “It’s a good idea to buy local, it’s good for the local economy, the local traders, and the local producers.  It’s a great idea, keeps all the money in one place”.

The application for the Lincolnshire Sausage to recieve PGI status has it’s roots with Kenny.  “I started it six years ago, because when I started we had a traditional Lincolnshire recipe the old man had, that was passed through generations. That was a proper Lincolnshire sausage, but now you can buy Lincolnshire sausages anywhere and people don’t know what a Lincolnshire sausage is.  So I thought a few years ago, to start the campaign to have Lincolnshire sausage only made in Lincolnshire.”

Kenny's Lincolnshire Stuffed Mushroom, as featured on the Secret Super Club. Photo: Emma Chapman
Kenny’s Lincolnshire Stuffed Mushroom, as featured on the Secret Super Club. Photo: Emma Chapman

According to Kenny the campaign is doing well, he says: “Cornish pasty got it’s PGI status, the Cumberland sausage got it’s status, and we were just behind them when we put the application in, so hopefully this year or next year, it’s going good!” 

Kenny is somewhat of a local celebrity in the area, appearing on several TV programmes including the Channel 4’s Secret Supper Club, he comments: “It’s [a] good bit of PR,  it’s good when they choice you out and put your comments on the box or in the papers or radio. It’s nice, I like it”. 

The Cheese Society: Macaroni Cheese

Macaroni Cheese at The Cheese Society. Photo: Emma Chapman
Macaroni Cheese at The Cheese Society. Photo: Emma Chapman

I selected this as you can’t get a much cheesier dish than this one -whose main ingredient is cheese. After all we were at The Cheese Society.

Macaroni cheese is a personal childhood favourite so it had a lot to live up to, my Dad’s ancient recipe is sacred.  The bar was set.

There was an option available to have the addition of chilli flakes, I’m a fan of spicy food and the waitress was persuasive so I opted for the extra kick.

I broke open the crunchy breadcrumbs and baked cheese on top to reveal the hidden delight: thick, creamy cheese sauce smothering the perfectly cooked macaroni pasta.

The smell was divine, they certainly didn’t skimp on the main ingredients; what a fantastic start.  I couldn’t wait to see if the taste matched it’s beautiful appearance and presentation.

The texture was faultless hitting the most crucial points of smoothness and thickness and the taste didn’t let it down either.  A rich explosion of cheesy heaven with just the right amount of heat in the back of the throat to compliment this classic.

Dad, it’s not yours but competition definitely looms.

Mount Pleasant Windmill and True Loaf Bakery

Mount Pleasant Windmill. Photo: Emma Chapman

Mount Pleasant Windmill. Photo: Emma Chapman

Built in 1875, the traditional four sailed brick tower mill is now owned by Mervin and Marie-Christine Austin, who bought the mill in 2000. 

The Austins reside in the house next door to Mount Pleasant Windmill, which was purchased as one big complex with the land around it as well.

“I’ve always wanted to buy a windmill,” says Mervin.  Prior to  the windmill Mervin was a baker in London so when it comes to the technicalities of milling he says: “I know what flour looks like, or what it should look like, and I’m not totally stupid as far as engineering is concerned so I worked out roughly how to get it and worked out what to do.  I taught myself when we came up here.  The guy gave me four hours instruction and then went.  Never saw him again”. 

The mill now offers 10 different pure stone-ground organic flours using organic wheat from Britain.  The flours are unbleached, untreated and nothing is added or removed.  

The mill is operated daily throughout the year and therefore freshness is guaranteed in all of their products as well as the flour.  Their bread is sold at farmers’ markets and from the tea shop located next to the mill.  The flour is sold wholesale at the co-op, a few bakeries and from mail order.

An 18 tonne wood fired oven was built next to the mill, and bakes the 20 types of organic breads as well as cakes that are sold in their tea rooms and from their website.

Mervin uses organic oats to make his bread. Photo: Samantha Viner

Mervin uses organic oats to make his bread. Photo: Samantha Viner

This iconic windmill has attracted media companies to feature the business on programmes such as The Hairy Bikers, Secret Supper Club and Radio 4, Mervin says: “The media attention is good for business, but it doesn’t keep people interested for long unfortunately”.

When it comes to income Mervin says the business isn’t a big money maker, he has to rely a several sources of income.  People visiting the mill, the café, flour sales and baking classes that Mervin has recently started teaching.

This is the first year that the tea room has been closed over the winter period. Mervin says: “I think it might have been a bad move because the result is like this now [empty]”.  However, Mervin did say that the previous weekend, when they opened again, was successful.  He says: “We need a build up of people getting to know we’re open again”.  

The organic factor is very important to Mervin, he explains why: “You should think about what you eat. I don’t want to eat pesticides basically, especially in wheat.  Any grain is sprayed, and it can be sprayed up to 13 times a growing season, and it’s not washed.  So it goes straight into the combine, straight into the mill and it’s in your food.  With organic, because of the traceability factor, you can be pretty certain it hasn’t been sprayed at all”.

Organic flour is hard to come by in Lincolnshire according to Mervin: “Occasionally I’ll buy off dealers; sometimes I’ll buy off the farmers.  But I can only buy organic so there is very little in Lincolnshire.  There is a lot of imported stuff about at the minute from Kazakhstan, it’s a big organic growing wheat area but it’s not very good wheat, it’s very hard, doesn’t mill very well”.

So what’s next for Mervin? He says: “I quite like the idea of a watermill”.

Jenny’s chutney and jam: tried and tested

Jenny's raspberry jam. photo:Emma Chapman

Jenny's raspberry jam. photo:Emma Chapman

Jenny has been producing jams for the last six years. I sampled her award-winning raspberry jam and faradays chutney to taste her success.

You can see why Jenny’s raspberry jam has been so successful, every sense sprang to life with enjoyment whilst indulging in this treat.  

The initial experiences after popping the lid are mouth watering; a strong smell of ripe raspberries and a rich, glistening red content meeting the eye. 

A thick, sticky jam packed full of seeds and flavour spread onto fresh white bread or even on toast is perfect at any time of the day.  This jam is made with butter which gives an added richness and the tangy-yet sweet fruit of this preserve bursts onto your taste buds with every mouthful.

Spreading the faradays chutney you could see it was packed full of flavoursome juicy rasins.  Once tasted, the apple content gave it a silky texture with the just the right balance of acidity.

The chutney proved to be good with or without an accomplice, however a mature cheddar complimented the flavours perfectly. You can get you hands on Jenny’s Jams from her website.

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