Local Shops for Local People

In my previous post I gave you some ways to reduce your food shopping week by week and I wanted to expand on buying locally and explain how it can be less expensive and better value.

Seasonal fruit and veg are much less expensive at my local Greengrocer, plus they get to know you and offer you better deals, for example they know that we make banana bread so give me cheap bananas that are turning.The local market works out even cheaper.

Eat the seasons tells you what foods are currently in season

I am very lucky to live by the sea and can often buy inexpensive fish direct from the fishermen on their boats, which they [park on the esplanade.  But I have also learned to really value my local fishmonger.  His fish tends to be less expensive than the supermarket, plus his knowledge is fantastic and he can often offer me a cheaper fillet that is comparable.  We are now eating fish twice a week on average thanks to be part of the Fish is the Dish campaign.

Buying local also saves on mileage and travel costs, especially if like me you live in a village.  

One of the biggest benefits of buying local for me was demonstrated last winter when we had the really heavy snow fall and our village was virtually snowed in.  The local shops in the village made sure all the elderly got food and staples during the difficult weather.  The co-op took deliveries out and was the only company to actually manage to get milk in to their store for 4 days.

I tend to buy a mixture of the good value and fresh produce locally and then use a budget supermarket such as Aldi for my staples on a weekly basis.  

Local Food Advisor lists the best local food shops in the UK. You just type in your post code to find those nearest to you.