Empty Shelves – Don’t believe the Lies #Blog
Stephen Wundke
1st August 2018
If there is one word that sums up the new social, digital age for me it is “Misinformation”. Not since Nazi Germany has it been so easy to dupe huge sections of the population so readily, thanks to the advent of social media. Whatever our previous media companies may have been, at least most of what they espoused had a modicum of truth (Sun newspaper excepted of course) but not now. Social media is where we consume so much of our daily news and after the many bogus claims made by both sides in the Brexit debate, I note they are now using our food sector to try further scare tactics. For that reason, I felt compelled to write and explain why we won’t have empty shelves if there is the disaster of a “no deal” post Brexit and we simply won’t all starve.
Uk Food consumption origins
Please don’t stop reading because I used that word Brexit. I am not supporting one side or the other here, just explaining the food sector for the benefit of those who are so regularly mislead by self-serving, floppy haired, politicians (you know the type!). So, why are the shelves not going to be empty, it’s simple really. The 2017 statistics kindly provided by The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, show that we produce and consume 49% of our own foods, we buy a further 20% from countries outside Europe and we actually export just on 10% of our own produce to Europe. So, should there ever be no deal with Europe, then we would have a shortfall of 20% of the foods we currently consume to find from somewhere other than Europe. Does that sound like empty shelves to you? Do you think that countries in the rest of the world wouldn’t be queuing up to sell us the 20% we are missing? You bet they would. So, let’s immediately dispel the empty shelves myth and get back to just how this whole Brexit thing becomes a real opportunity, as I will explain.
A recent survey showed that over 60% of all shoppers have said they would like to buy local produce and that price is not the over riding reason for purchase. 48% said they think local foods taste better and that is entirely correct, for which there is a simple reason. When you buy locally produced food you are buying in season with all the flavour created by nature. No forced growing or irradiation to make them last longer, just better products which when they are in season and at their most plentiful are also cheaper! It just makes sense, simple demand and supply, when farmers have more they sell cheaper. Of course, if you want to eat asparagus in October then it will come from Peru or Morocco, or if you want Strawberries at Christmas, they will come from Holland or Spain and although they will look like strawberries, they will taste of nothing – that’s the deal. Ultimately of course it is your choice but eating out of season comes with a compromise on both price and flavour. The difference is that eating in season is just so good for everyone. It keeps money in our local economy and it gives you better tasting, healthier foods.
The Hollies – simply outstanding
So how do you eat locally and in season. Well that’s why we started Taste Cheshire some 6 years ago. To give local food producers a route to market and to link local people to the best available home grown produce.
Weston Biltong – Cheshire made
The easiest way to change your buying habits is to start shopping in one of the many fabulous farm shops and garden centres across Cheshire. Bents near Warrington is an amazing experience and the winners of this years “Outstanding Achievement” award, the Hollies are an incredible success story. Kenyon Hall Farm allows you to shop and pick your own in season, providing a great opportunity to get the kids involved and Bellis Fruit Farms near Holt has an exceptional food section. The growing number of smaller places like Applegate’s on the A41, provide a brilliant outlet for local producers and the regular farmers markets across the county are just some of the places where, when you start to build relationships with real people selling real food, they will tell you what is in abundance, what is good value, what tastes great, how to cook it and how to get more ‘bang for your buck’. This is what people used to do before the Supermarket took over.
Don’t get me wrong, the Supermarket is not the devil incarnate, they are some of the best retailers we have ever seen and the small farm shops have to come up to their standards to compete, but they are and dealing with real people who care, takes shopping to another level, it becomes a pleasure to do so and you know you are getting the genuine article with complete confidence in the food chain. None of your Tesco horsemeat scandal here!!
There is no lack of choice either. At our recent farmers market on Town Hall square in Chester we had a variety of worldwide food on offer, all produced right here in Cheshire, Samosas made by Sanya from Perfect Samosa, Biltong made by Sheryl from Weston Biltong, Big Phil with teas blended by Carslake, Greek Foods, Cheshire farm chips, eggs, cheese and so much more. Your choice of locally made food and drink has never been greater. If you want it, you can find it. We have over 60 local producers all listed on our website who are at markets and in farm shops right across Cheshire.
Applegates Farm Shop
Statistics show that 13.1% of our work force is now employed in the Agri Food Sector and that they employ 3.9 million people which is up by 4.1% in the last 10 years. If we have to beef up our supply chain (no pun intended), we have a dynamic work force that adapts and always will to meet demand and fill our shelves.
In 1947 after the 2nd world war we could only provide 9% of the food we needed to feed ourselves. 10 years later in 1957 we had increased that to 72%. If the demand is there we can do anything. So let’s stop with the scare mongering and all of us take this as a sign, a sign that it’s time we started getting back to what nature intended. Growing, cooking and eating foods that are in season and supporting ourselves. This is a golden opportunity for us all to look at how and what we consume and start doing something that benefits our family, our health and our community. If Brexit achieves nothing else, then that could be something very special.
Isn’t it time to make a change and Rediscover a Taste of Cheshire – this way everyone wins!