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The People's Supermarket - C4 8-9pm tonight

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  • The People's Supermarket - C4 8-9pm tonight

    Great idea via restaurant owner and chef, who went off to the USA to see it working and get some inspiration. But in the USA they offered 40% discount to the members who gave 2 hours a month of their time, yet he offers only 10% and want 4 hours of their time plus £25 membership fee.

    He didn't seem to take into account of the income or lack of it, of the council housing tenants in the flats that he was marketing. So when the 2 older women wandered around and were not impressed with the prices, and then the black woman who also highlighted that things were far too expensive, then the chef felt gutted for all the hard work he'd put in. Yep he'd grafted, but his comment of how he's likely to not get local folk thanking him, just complaints, highlights he's doing it for the fame/praise of saving them and the world.

    It seems he didn't really consider prices, but just bought standard branded products. Okay lots of folk buy coke-a-cola or other fizzy drinks, but I hardly ever do, I'd have wanted to see healthy or at least different options. With the amount of flats that are in that area of London, then it's fair to say that there will be a percentage who are claiming some benefit or other, so are likely to buy cheaper own brand products, never mind paying higher prices for branded products.

    Obviously the idea is a good one, but he failed to take on-board the actual local community he's suppose to be setting it up for. If he was in a well-to-do area, he'd likely have no problem setting up such a system. When I lived in Cambridge many years ago, I often called in for a lovely chickpea curry takeaway or veg soup, on my way home from lectures, from a health food store that was run and owned by the workers.

    However, as these kind of programmes are based on seeing "a personal journey", then no doubt we will see the chef wise up and learn he needs to consider the less well-off and then, they too will be happy to take part more fully in his community supermarket. Although it looks like next week is all about the rifts that are going to arise from the money poor folk who need to watch ever penny, with the more affluent members who have joined to save the world from major supermarkets. No new format of these kind of programmes, but I'm always happy to see them on and raising the same issues. Just remembered, we also had the standard format of a chef skip diving, and serving up a wonderful feast again. It's always a good shock tactic, as I'll never get used to or accept the amount of waste supermarkets are allowed to dump. I don't expect anything new in the next 3 programmes, but no doubt I'll likely enjoy watching it anyway.

  • #2
    I enjoyed reading your response to the programme and I hope you give us further udates with each edition.

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    • #3
      Thanks for your post - I haven't seen the programme and hadn't even seen it advertised. This is the first I've heard of it. I plan to watch from now on and will catch up on the first episode with 4OD.
      My hopes are not always realized but I always hope (Ovid)

      www.fransverse.blogspot.com

      www.franscription.blogspot.com

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      • #4
        Originally posted by maytreefrannie View Post
        Thanks for your post - I haven't seen the programme and hadn't even seen it advertised. This is the first I've heard of it. I plan to watch from now on and will catch up on the first episode with 4OD.
        It will be interesting to hear your views after you watch it on 4OD, as you may see things very differently. Do you know if supermarkets in Cork dump the food and waste as much as we do over here? As the Great Famine is not that long ago, so I'm hoping such waste wouldn't be tolerated.

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        • #5
          Agreed! I've just stumbled upon this tonight not heard a peep about it before

          I agree that it's a smashing idea (I *hate* supermarkets) but that it needs work as you say. Will be interesting how it pans out. They need to balance interesting exciting foods with more standard and economical foods. Going to be hard within such a small space as well.

          Also, and I think this has happened now, they need to train the FOH staff up. It's not fair to expect them to deal with complaints and swearing etc (especially when off their own members!) with minimal training.

          I'll restrain myself from a rant on the nature of customer service

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          • #6
            I saw it last night too, and it confirmed that the chef had just gone off with an ideal, rather than thinking the process through. He still has no idea of what's needed and is still out of touch with the needs of the locals. It finished with the old black lady showing how to shift strawberries and him telling her he wanted and valued her feedback, but to camera said she was difficult. Not a great programme, but no doubt the chef will be pop up in future programmes, not because he's any good, but more likely he has a TV contacts.

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