*by Mark
Many Bark Time readers know that we are foodies in our house. For several years now we have followed a simple rule “quality over quantity”, meaning we don’t eat so often but when we do we try our hardest to make sure that what we are eating is amazing and full of flavour.
This is a good idea in principle but fulfilling the ambition can prove difficult, why I may hear you think, simply put it is becoming harder to find proper food in this day and age. Two key factors in my opinion have contributed to this situation.
Firstly our legislative gets ever more comfortable in bed with our food producers resulting in draconian rules and regulations that exclude the small producers. If to comply with legislation you end up spending £100,000 to set up a cheese making business you need to be making a lot more than a dozen cheeses a week like they used to, to say nothing of the fact if your seen using “green” milk (the stuff that made cheese so tasty and popular in the first place) then you will probably run the risk of being shot at dawn!
Secondly the centralisation of our food providers by default ends up pushing quantity over quality just by the sheer volume of demand from customers. When I was young and the family went shopping we would head to the high street and wander through a dozen shops to collect all the items on our list. I recall it was fun and every shop had the potential to surprise or tempt with local produce from a seemingly endless variety of cottage industries producing a complex range of wonderful (in some cases anyways) flavours. Now I can’t remember the last time I went to the high street. Now if I want to obtain amazing truly natural products I will find myself at the end of a country lane knocking on a door and doing deals in kitchens and conservatories or overseas in a more rural country.
So when I heard confirmation of my conspiracy theory on the radio as I drove home the other day you can imagine the warm feelings of validation washing over me.
The Ark of Taste was my validation, try it, read about it and help them out if you can in any way and then later when you are alone weep gently for the demise of choice and taste. Click The Ark of Taste, choose your country of interest and look at what we have lost or are about to lose. Over 2000 products and counting…..
Taste from Mother Nature that has never had a person in a lab coat change it, enhance it, or even synthesis it, true taste.
Very interesting – thanks for sharing. Kaz x
Nothing beats organic food.I always try and buy the best ingredients .
Oh I used to love going to all the different shops. There’s a wonderful warm 15 mins from us that does fresh meat and veg, it’s amazing. So much so you spend a fortune. Great post x
It is a shame to see our choices becoming bland and limited – I do love to use local produce from farmers markets and the like, but like everyone else convenience and price also dictates some of my other choices.
I just heard about it, but I have friend relocated in London and I’d ask her what was her experience.
I love buying locally and artisan products but it’s not always so easy to find them and sometimes they can be cost prohibitive. Really interesting post though, definitely gets you thinking. Off to check out the list now…
That list is actually quite shocking. I will be sharing it around.
I love organic good , it tastes good to me
I prefer to eat great food then a lot of ok food. That make me a foodie?
Very informative read. Got me thinking about what I buy and where I buy it from.
I wish there was more small businesses out there, living in London it is quite an issue, even finding a butcher is a nightmare x
for me , shopping in the butchers and local grocers and farm is my ideal shopping trip ,
I used to love popping into lots of shops to do our shopping – we don’t have a green grocer or a butcher here anymore :0(
Hmm. Interested to learn more about this. Thanks for putting it out there.
Going to go and have a look through this, it is so sad that things are being pushed out because of the quantity counts issue.
Wow I never knew such restrictions were in place. Such a shame for local business
So true! How hard it must be for local producers.Good old Cheshire cheese is on their list. Thank you, this is really interesting.
I’m a foodie too and try to eat as healthy as possible. It’s not easy though.
The tastiest vegetables I’ve ever eaten come from my Mum’s partner’s organic garden. Proof if ever we needed it!
I always insist on quality and quantity but then again I am greedy! It’s a shame that small businesses face such red tape – more should be done to encourage independent businesses. Stephen
Great information! At my house we are also foodies and I agree, quality over quantity, any day!
Going to check that out now. Thanks! 🙂
I’d never even thought about this. I’m off to check out The Ark of Taste
This is a little scary to hear about! I’ll have to look up my area and see what they say about it.
I have a legit food addiction. I could eat, and eat and eat all day long.