Wonky veg
Nothing to do with food really whatsoever, more a comment about 'our' wasreful attitudes, particularly those of the supermarkets. Thing is, would you buy wonky products like these or would you prefer to see these just thrown away?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34647454
Must say we try to use farmers markets and farm shops when out and about in the motorcaravan in an attempt to support local growers. Not always cheaper mind! Oh, but so much easier to park!
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It is nothing short of criminal in my view. People going hungry and perfectly good food thrown away. It is the taste I go for, if it happens to look pretty that is a bonus, I certainly don't mind wonky. Like you mickysf also try and use farmers markets
and farm shop, both to support the local economy and because the quality and taste is better. At home, since we retired, we have also started to buy more and more locally, looking to a time when we may not be able to drive and still want these suppliers in
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We were watching some consumer programme a few weeks back and this farmer had a mountain of wobbly, bent root vegetables and all to be ploughed back into the land, simply because the Supermarkets say the customer prefers straight produce.
Whilst we buy it without commenting / complaining / going elsewhere nothing will change, we grow most of our own on an allotment and consume all shapes and sizes.
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Reminds me of that Blackadder sketch
Blackadder - "Look, Baldrick, a turnip shaped just like a willy".
Baldrick - "Well that's funny, cos I've got a willy shaped just like a turnip!"
(Only some of the words may have been changed, but it made me laugh!
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The programme referred to above, I think, was Jamie & Jimmy's Friday Night Feast in which they've visited farmers and highlighted the waste today because supermarkets say consumers don't want 'ugly' vegetables.
I think Morrison's did a token trial to see if we'd buy ugly veg but, as I recall, they were offering it at the same price as perfect produce.
I'd buy ugly veg as, once it's chopped up, it doesn't matter and, in any case, it all tastes good.
If we're to help the farmers, I think the supermarkets should accept the ugly veg from them at a decent price and then offer it to the consumer at a price lower than perfect produce. That way the consumer and the farmer will benefit. The supermarket will
still make a profit but will be helping to reduce the horrendous wastage.
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I grow veg on my allotment as I don't like to buy veg from the supermarket. To me, I always dislike any veg looking identical to the next veg. Its not natural. I also see it in meat. How many packs of pork chops are identical to each other that each
pack costs the same. I have stopped buying my veg as I grow my own and I never now buy meat, I visit the local market where its cheaper and much better quality. I find s/market meat is full of water0 -
The "ploughing back" seems a bit suspiscious to me as a large proportion of vegetables grown do not go direct to the consumer but into diced and frozen packs, soups, other foodstuffs and the like for the retail and catering trade. I don't think one can
detect the shape of the original when eating a piece of carrot in a chicken and vegetable pie!0 -
We grow as many of our own veges as possible and also help out at our friend's market garden. We get paid mainly in 'wonky' organic veges - often more than we can manage, but they taste great. We hate the way that many supermarkets trim and chop (massacre)
vegetables and sell them sweating in plastic bags.We also raise our own rare breed pigs for pork and they taste far better than anything you get in the supermarkets. At least we have found a butcher who knows which farm his produce comes from, the breed of animal etc.. His meat is often cheaper than
Tesco!0 -
The "ploughing back" seems a bit suspiscious to me as a large proportion of vegetables grown do not go direct to the consumer but into diced and frozen packs, soups, other foodstuffs and the like for the retail and catering trade. I don't think one can
detect the shape of the original when eating a piece of carrot in a chicken and vegetable pie!Exactly! People wouldn't buy the carrots that go into Heinz soup ...... some are honestly as big as your arm, but as said, by the time they've been diced, who would know?
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We also have an allotment. Hardly any of the veg we produce is perfect, most are wonkey - so what, they are organic and taste great! To simply throw away perfectly good veg is a disgrace iMHO
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Asda have started selling boxes of wonky veg, they are selling really well apparently.
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Asda have started selling boxes of wonky veg, they are selling really well apparently.
Perhaps that's because they have relised that people these days like a bargain, and as they are now selling then a good bit cheaper than the "perfect" ones customers will buy them.
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Asda have started selling boxes of wonky veg, they are selling really well apparently.
Perhaps that's because they have relised that people these days like a bargain, and as they are now selling then a good bit cheaper than the "perfect" ones customers will buy them.
Thankfully attitudes seem to be changing, I read that Lidl and Aldi are on the offensive in 'Middle England' now!
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Asda have started selling boxes of wonky veg, they are selling really well apparently.
Perhaps that's because they have relised that people these days like a bargain, and as they are now selling then a good bit cheaper than the "perfect" ones customers will buy them.
Thankfully attitudes seem to be changing, I read that Lidl and Aldi are on the offensive in 'Middle England' now!
I grow my own; wonky with taste.
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Nah, they get turned into Tesco Croissants.
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Having worked in the Food industry for over 40 years and have dealt with all the major supermarket chains throughout the Uk at Head Office level, I blame the Food Technologists that visit Production Units and are very forceful in demanding their requirements, fall in line or you will no longer be a supplier to our Business is their normal tack, if you don't there is another Supplier out there who wants your business, there is no loyalty despite what you here or see on the TV, believe me, I know
Admiral
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Having worked in the Food industry for over 40 years and have dealt with all the major supermarket chains throughout the Uk at Head Office level, I blame the Food Technologists that visit Production Units and are very forceful in demanding their requirements, fall in line or you will no longer be a supplier to our Business is their normal tack, if you don't there is another Supplier out there who wants your business, there is no loyalty despite what you here or see on the TV, believe me, I know
Admiral
..and who is pulling the strings of those food technologists? The directive will come from above, my son has been one of those you mention and he had very strict targets and was given 'missions' to achieve whilst in so called business discussions! One reason he got out was because of the unfair pressure from above placed on both him and the 'grass roots' producers.
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