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Home thoughts from abroad?

One of the great joys of being in France was the daily choice of which market to go to, and then to see great looking food to choose from, from small producers, local producers, French producers. Which made us debate how we managed to loose that in the UK.

I mean, the French had rationing and worse, so we can’t blame it all on the war. Why did we embrace the supermarket and ready meals much more readily and rapidly than the French? How did we lose our markets for so long?

No idea of the answer, but these writers all have a view or take on the British relationship with food:

Bad Food Britain: How A Nation Ruined Its Appetite by Joanna Blythman – an interesting analysis of the nation’s dysfunctional relationship with food. Whereas Shopped was more about the supermarkets, this is about the total food industry, plus the role of the government and indeed the family. It also compares our food culture with that of other European countries and the US. Thought provoking and accessible.

Sausage in a Basket: The Great British Book of How Not to Eat  by Martin Lampen – this is not a serious discourse into the subject, but will make you laugh out loud, at just how bad some of the stuff is that we have. Of course other place have these things, but you have to think about how far these are into the national psyche and palate. Enjoyable bit of fluff.

Taste: The Story of Britain Through Its Cooking by Kate Colquhoun- this is interesting around how there has always been innovation and interest in food in the UK since the earliest of times, well before Ready Steady Cook and Masterchef. This is entertaining and informative, although reviews suggest the parts on early food history are better than the later stuff.

British Food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History by Colin Spencer - This book talks about the high points of English cooking from 1100 English  right up to the mid 19th century and also sets out to find out how did we throw all that away. Not only throw it away but forget about great food for so long. A comprehensive view with plenty of interesting information, the stuff you may never have known before, and will amaze your friends with down the pub at a later date.

Sold Out!: The True Cost of Supermarket Shopping by William Young - well, had to get the supermarkets in there somewhere, as they’ve most definitely had a part to play. And of course I accept not all supermarkets are the same, but this gives a good view on what the full implications are of our reliance on supermarkets and the changes they have brought about.

There is so much to enjoy about the British food scene, but there is also a lot of bad years to overcome, at every level in our society I guess. We’ve only to look at some of the reactions to some of the things that Jamie Oliver has done. Whilst you may not agree with his methods or approach, it revealed some deeply held beliefs about food, some not the best. It will take some time to change, but we have to keep working towards a better food future for all, not just a foodie elite.

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