Local produce is on the rise in the UK, with consumers noticing that fresh and local is best, more than ever, Brits are going out of their way to find local produce. Consumers still don’t know how their food is produced, with Primary school pupils thinking cheese is made from plants and 22% of Brits not having a clue about what a farm does. I have experienced this myself, we have a holiday let, and one day, when I went to get the bins, the guests approached me asking what breed of pigs my SHEEP were! I was baffled!
Here are some facts from Statista:
According to Statista “Some 54 percent of respondents from Great Britain preferred purchasing local produce.” Additionally, farmers ranked highly amongst UK consumers when they were asked which food channels they trusted, suggesting that shoppers have more trust in locally produced foods.”
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Here are 7 reasons why local produce is better:
Freshness and Taste
It’s no secret local produce tastes better and fresher. If you haven’t experienced the difference, you definitely should try it. Milk, for instance, tastes completely different. Most milk in supermarkets is pasteurised and homogenised. Homogenisation is the process where fat droplets are emulsified so the cream does not separate, in my opinion, this affects the overall taste of the milk as it takes the creaminess away. Pasteurisation is where the milk is heated up to kill off any harmful bacteria, therefore it is safer for you to drink.
Fruit and vegetables also taste different, supermarkets spray chemicals on them, which makes them last longer. Some can even be stored for 6 months before they get to the shelves of the supermarket! These chemicals consist of fungicides and sanitisers.
Supports the Local Economy
Buying local produce means you will be supporting farmers and businesses from your local community. According to Statista, local shops are in decline, with only 40% of adults shopping locally. Not only that, you know they produce more! At Simmys we source meat and milk from our family farm in Bolton by Bowland. I milk the cows and pasturise the milk myself. Buying from me means you are supporting a local family farm. We also source products from other local suppliers, for example, our bread comes from a bakery just down the road. Everyone benefits from buying locally!
Environmentally friendly
We are lucky that a lot of the food we eat can be produced in this country. This doesnt stop big supermarket chains from producing food where costs are cheeper just so they can earn a profit. Buying food that has been produced in the UK means there is less food milage and therefore in turn supports the environment. I’m not saying that we can source every fruit from this country, for example, Bananas, but where possible I agree that we should try our best to buy British.
Healthier
Fruits and vegetables loose nutrients the longer they are sat on the shelves according to a recent health study. Here at Simmy’s, we collect our fruit and veg every day at 3 am and it is sold that day. Not just that but as produce is sat on the shelves it loses its Antioxidant count, so it is best to eat it fresher. Eating less processed food, for example, vegetables and meat, may even affect how long you live.
Trust
I mentioned this briefly in the local economy section, but in my opinion, I dont think you can beat knowing who you are buying from. Recently Arla, a large milk processor, has announced that their contracted farmers are using a chemical called Bovaur. This is to cut methane emissions from dairy cows. Although Arla says this drug is safe it comes with a male fertility warning and is highly irritant if humans come into contact with it. I personally would not like to drink a product that comes from a cow where this chemical has been used. Buying from local farms, where farmers care about their cows, means you can trust we will not use chemicals like this in our milk.
Eating local teaches you how your food is produced
With being a farmer, I have come to realise the general public doesn’t have a clue about how their food is produced. Clarkson’s Farm has become a massive hit, and I feel as though people want to know but just don’t know how to find out. Here at Simmy’s, this is our main goal above anything else, and we are on a mission to change this! We are going to use a mix of media to help this happen, whether that’s through this blog, YouTube or podcasting.
Eating local is so easy, even a sheep can do it!
Here at Simmy’s, we developed an App that delivers to Clitheroe, Whalley, Barrow and Wiswell within the hour. We have made it convenient, cost effective and easy to order locally sourced produce, which we believe is a first! We hope we educate you to have a better connection with your food because right now the agriculture industry is more fractured than ever.