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Food

Food Survey

Last November we carried out a survey of shops selling fruit and veg in Bridport. The results of the survey can be seen here (pdf format). Local shops selling locally and ethically produced foods came second, third and fourth in the survey (out of 11) on price. As to quality, who would buy New Zealand Braeburns in November - cold stored for 8 months then transported round the world ? 


TTB Food Stall outside Bridport Arts Centre,

17 December

Last Thursday several of the Food group met at the Tiger . Having seen the half page spread in last weeks View from Bridport we felt that our survey had really had an impact and should be the beginning of a proper campaign concerning fruit and veg. in Bridport.
This is to publicise the fact that only one dreaded supermarket L@#& l was cheaper than two of our local independent green grocers, in the survey we did. And of course we can tell families in Bridport far more than just the price comparison.
 
Sarah and Jasmine Goode are looking at how to make the survey results more friendly to read. we also recommend that you look at the HALFF organisation in Axminster as a future model we might aspire to.
 
In the mean time can you give us a little of your time? We are going to do a blind tasting of Carrots and Apples on that Saturday, as a way of engaging the public on the issues of local, organic fresh food. On the same day there is a craft fair so we will get lots of punters milling about, doing Christmas shopping. It is an ideal time to engage them, with an offer of a free tasting.
 
Ali Edgeley has kindly agreed to provide some carrots from Long Meadow farm and Suntan apples (both organic). She says we can tell people how there are pesticide residue in the supermarket ones and of course the most important thing is that they taste so different.
 
PLEASE EMAIL ADMIN IF YOU ARE WILLING TO TAKE PART, FOR AN HOUR, ON THAT SATURDAY. Then we can organise it in more detail.
 

Fruit and Veg Initiative; Spend Less and Eat Well

This is a paper to start discussion on a new project, involving TTB and the community; where we are actually doing something about climate change and peak oil! Having completed a survey in October 2011 about the cost and quality of all fruit and veg traders in Bridport, we have concluded that we are very lucky to have such a diverse and robust range of independent shops and market stalls. In addition there are many Farm shops and monthly markets too. Considering the local retailers have less packaging and are mostly organically grown, the cost difference between them and the supermarkets is not so great. Add on the long and oil dependent supply chains of these giant retailers and it is a no- brainer to support our three shops and three market stalls which are there week to week.

To summarise - the advantages of using Bridport Fruit and Veg grocers are:

  • There are far less Food Miles on seasonal local produce
  • You are supporting local businesses making Bridport stronger and increasing employment
  • You know where the food is grown and how the soil is treated, giving transparency to the food suppliers.
  • You get to know the shops owners and build up a trusting relationship with them
  • You buy as much as you need, avoiding ‘two for the price of one’ offers and wasted food
  • You learn how to cook becoming self sufficient
  • You spend less money and avoid the enormous carbon footprint of imported and processed food

This new initiative wants to show ordinary Bridders, through education and engagement, that spending less and eating better is possible. With Bridport’s reputation for Food, this should not be too difficult, but needs people to actively help. TTB needs to diverse a marketing campaign where our civic and media personalities can endorse this message. We need strategies to enlighten the public through publicity, information and events


Bridport is already famous as a place that provides high quality locally produced food and drink. TTB has been part of the Bridport Food Festival, organised Bridport's Big Lunch in the summer and recently hosted (together with Friends of the Earth) a viewing of the film Food Inc. at the Arts Centre.

However TTB wants to do far more in promoting local food production both in the town, through community gardens and orchards as well as permaculture and organic farming in our fertile surrounding land. It also wants to educate more Bridport people in how to avoid supermarkets and processed food; to reconnect with the wonder of real food and sharing ideals, visions and provisions with each other!

Bridport Fruit and Veg survey

We spent a Friday recently visiting all the greengrocers, market stalls and supermarkets
in Bridport, to find out how much a seasonal shopping list of fresh food really costs. We soon
realised how lucky we are in Bridport, with real choice, good value and excellent quality. The
results make very interesting reading and the Food group is planning ways of presenting this
information in an easy way to understand.


 If you would like to be part of TTB's Food Group and help to sustain and encourage local food, please contact us or come along to one of our meetings - see What's On.
Did you know....

.....that some foods are treated with pesticides and herbicides much more heavily than others? Here are the top dozen dirtiest and cleanest:

Most treated - try to obtain organic
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes
10. Pears
11. Spinach
12. Potatoes

Least treated
1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn (frozen)
4. Pineapples
5. Mango
6. Peas (frozen)
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Bananas
10. Cabbage
11. Broccoli
12. Aubergine
Some useful foody links

Local:

 Bridport Community Orchard - a valuable and sustainable community space

Bridport & District Allotments Society

 Bridport Local Food Group - promotes regional farmers, food producers and retailers. It organises and runs the annual Bridport Food Festival - next one 18/19 June 2010 - as well as educational projects around the town.

Beyond Bridport:

Incredible edible Todmorden aims to increase the amount of local food grown and eaten in the town. Businesses, schools, farmers and the community are all involved. Vegetables and fruit are springing up everywhere. Public flower beds are being transformed into community herb gardens and vegetable patches.

www.soilassociation.org Info on organically produced stuff to buy
www.jamieoliver.com/jamies-ministry-of-food Info on community teaching of cooking skills
www.lovefoodhatewaste.com Recipes for using leftovers
www.rivercottage.net/landshare Info on growing food on land belonging to somebody without the time or ability to utilise it themselves.
www.foodupfront.org London-based project about growing food in any available space




  
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