Supermarket Veg prices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

[bubblewrap]

On a similar topic, can anyone explain the sudden hike in 'value butter' price? It used to be 53p a pack in my local Tesco but suddenly jumped to 70p which means I can no longer afford it. did the rain stop the grass growing or something?

Our milk went from �1 05p to �1 19p in one go. (2 litres)
Cobs 23p to 25p each.

[bubblewrap]

Darn, better go get me a cow then! It will have to be a Dexter - don't think the garden is big enough for anything else.

Buy a goat then??

[veg4681]

We had to do a bit of shopping today, so popped into one of the supermarkets locally, just to stock up on a few bits we can't get elsewhere, and took a look at the prices of their veg!!!!!

3 organic red onions �1!!!!
3 organic white onions 85p!!!!!
Punnet of strawbs �4!!!!!
punnet 250g raspberries �3!!!!
Leeks �1 a lb!!!!!!!
Parsnips 50p a lb!!
White cabbages �1.11 each!!!! (78p a kilo)
Sprouts �1 a lb!!!!
Pumpkins / squashes �1 a lb!!!!!!!

Crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

�4 for a punnet strawberry, that's the most outrageous. Even my local greengrocer is cheaper at �1.99.

All the other vegetables above, I never buy them fresh unless they're reduced to clear down to 20p. I don't mind price of fresh carrots but parsnips!!!!

It's true, vegetables are soooooo expensive, we were eating frozen ones (mostly cauli, broccoli, peas, brussels sprouts, french beans) but since getting harvest from my garden this summer, my freezer veg have hardly been used for months. But it's unavoidable for us to buy salad veggies like peppers and celery but growing lettuce and tomatoes helps. I think if you're a vegetarian, you're better off growing your own vegetables or else go bankrupt (okay I'm exaggerating a bit).

[scared55]

I think if you're a vegetarian, you're better off growing your own vegetables or else go bankrupt.

Don't even ask about the price of meat! It seems to me that vegetarian is the least cost option. That is one of the reasons many non-vegetarians only have meat a couple of times per week.

KK

[veg4681]

Don't even ask about the price of meat! It seems to me that vegetarian is the least cost option. That is one of the reasons many non-vegetarians only have meat a couple of times per week.

KK

Really? Am I living in another planet for being able to eat meat everyday (okay we love our meat so is compulsory in my household). Surely not in Britain or any rich western country although I know people (not middle class though) don't eat much meat in third world countries.

[bubblewrap]

THATS RIDICULOUS! including the 79p for 4 pears at my supermarket when i can eat one freshly off the tree (washing it first) FOR FREE!

Got 15 lbs of pears off a tree on the canal bank also got 30 lbs of apples, 30 lbs of blackberrys & 15 lbs of plums all FREE!

[sewer rat]

Don't wanna put you all on a downer but you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Absolutely everything is gonna get expensive soon. Veg will be more expensive due to Licolnshire and Vale of Evesham having been washed out in the floods and they grow a huge percentage of UK veg produce there. Foot & Mouth although confined to the south of England meant that livestock movement restrictions were imposed throughout the UK. At this tile of year this has had a devastating effect, especially on hill farmers who sell almost all their lambs in one go. One big sale up here, Lairg, was cancelled and it regularly sells over 100,000 hill lambs from over the Highlands. This has had a knock on effect as farmers have no grazing left for them, so they have had to keep any crops they grew for feed, which meant a shortage in the market, which forced buyers to pay a premium so your loaf of bread is gonna be a lot more expensive to produce and so on ad infinitum - and I haven't started on the cost of compensation yet. And all because the Gov't can't keep the bio research facilities under control.
And if you are into conspiracy theories - why were DEFRA stockpiling railway sleepers and coal several months before the outbreak was announced, and why had they contacted all the contract slaughtermen who dealt with the last outbreak at the same time ? Makes ya wonder ????

[bubblewrap]

I'll say it again DEFRA = Department for the Elimination of Farm Reared Animals.

[Alison]

Really? Am I living in another planet for being able to eat meat everyday (okay we love our meat so is compulsory in my household). Surely not in Britain or any rich western country although I know people (not middle class though) don't eat much meat in third world countries.

Loads of people I know are reducing the amount of meat they eat, mostly due to wanting higher quality, ethical reared meat which is far more expensive. We don't eat it every day and then it tends to be a much smaller amount than we used to. Personally I'm much happier with this and am probably heading very slowly heading towards pretty much a veggie diet. Enjoy the challenge of cooking different meals too.

[shirlthegirl43]

Buy a goat then??

My mum used to breed dairy goats - I can't stand the flippin animals any more. Also, I like butter and goat milk doesn't get a creamy top on it to skim for that.

[Winged one]

I guess you'll have to rework your balance sheet Mrs Dobby, and will find you are far more in profit than you expected!

I have been noticing our grocery bills going up and up over the past year or so, despite growing a fair few of our own veg all summer (we got maybe 2-3 meals a week off the plot which we were delighted with as it's our first year). We have reduced the amount of meat we eat. We have reduced the amount of processed foods we eat over the past 2 years or so. We are doing a shop in Lidl every few weeks for certain things that are as nice or nicer than premium shops and a lot cheaper. But everything is going up week by week. And as I am getting towards the end of my various stocks of staples, I am going to have a whopper of a shop coming up when we get the new kitchen in a few weeks time.

I have done my first couple of drafts of next year's planting plans for the plot, and we will be having a lot more of our own, and I hope to grow enough to be able to freeze a lot for the winter next year.

[Headfry]

The HF house hold is much the same....not much meat, but when we do we buy 'ethical' meat, we try to grow most of our own veg.
Supper markets do seem to rip you off hugely on fresh fruit and veg.........why?

[Flummery]

Don't even ask about the price of meat! It seems to me that vegetarian is the least cost option. That is one of the reasons many non-vegetarians only have meat a couple of times per week.

KK

It's a great taste option though KK. Many of the world's great cuisines are totally or almost vegetarian. Sometimes it's because of cost but sometimes because meat would go off too quickly in the climate (I'm talking about traditionally - in the olden days, when there were no fereezers, i.e. even older than me!)

Most 'peasant cultures' have fantastic flavoured dishes. We get lazy and use the strong flavoured meat for the taste. If you don't have that you get creative. Look at some of the traditional Italian and French dishes - even our own pease pudding and cheese and onion pies are really tasty. I love mung dahl. Fantastic stuff.

Personal rant over (nearly!) Mr F is a carnivor but loves vegetarian food as long as you throw him a sausage!

Flum

[Two_Sheds]

I went veggie in '89 when I left home... I couldn't afford to buy meat, still couldn't (income is less than 5K)
I have learned to cook for myself and now grow for myself. OH is a carnivore, but often prefers a veggie dish. I cook for myself, then "throw him a sausage" or a bit of shredded bacon so he gets his meaty kick.
Last night's allotment frittata went down a storm, even tho I really can't cook eggs, not even a boiled one.

[moggssue]

We are going the same way too - nearly all home grown veg now (just buying tomatoes and leeks from the local greengrocer) though supplies will run out very soon due to lack of space to grow and lack of freezer space to store. Our meat comes from a local farm and is sooo much better in taste and quality and so we find we don't need as much of it anyway. I'm starting to think more and more about all the many things I can make myself - even if I have to use bought ingredients it has to be better than buying the final produce full of chemicals and so on. But oh for storage space .... !!!