Feeling the effects of foot and mouth

I'm really saddened by this latest outbreak of foot and mouth - last time this happened I was living in Cornwall and the effects were really felt, even though Cornwall escaped relatively unscathed. Public footpaths closed, there was a definite army presence, and the drive between the West Country and London would fill the car with fumes from the pyres - all visible as you drove up the M5.

I've been wondering this week how I would notice the effects this time. Ok, I'm now in London, but by making a conscious decision to buy my meat from a mobile butcher at Broadway Market, as opposed to the supermarket, I've been wondering how long they will be able to visit the market, and whether or not their farm has an abattoir on site. Evidently from this announcement in this week's veg bag, the effects are already being felt at the organic farmers market in Stoke Newington:

"our new meat producers at the market, Nigel and Amanda, couldn't take their pig to the abattoir this week...losing a large part of their weekly income. If you go to any supermarket this week and look at the meat section - it's unlikely that you will even notice the difference. In this situation supermarkets just up the amount of meat they import from outside the UK. Meanwhile, local, small, sustainable meat producers who only have one or two animals killed at a time, and whose animals live in good conditions (with plenty of space and fresh air) will be in serious trouble if the foot and mouth crisis continues."

It's hard to say whether or not I'm pleased this evening that the ban on animal movement is to be relaxed - obviously this means producers working on a small scale can try to resume business - but I do sincerely hope that this means the government aren't going to bungle their way through this problem as they did last time.

I guess (and dare I say this?) the thing that I'm most saddened by is that half of the problem diseases like this are such an issue is precisely because of the way that supermarkets exercise pressure on our farmers and producers, and consequently corners are cut. Ok, not in this instance, but by working on a smaller, more sustainable and manageable scale we can hopefully work towards avoiding these problems in the future.

Borough vs Broadway

I went to Borough Market on Saturday. In terms of London markets it's not my first choice. It's a shame - there's no denying the fact that food-wise you won't really see such a good (if somewhat over-priced) selection anywhere else in London. But It does fill me with the feeling that I've been tricked into going to the Madame Tussauds of the food world...

On the other side of the coin I have happily been going to Broadway Market in Hackney for the past couple of years or so. It certainly does have it's fair share of yummy mummy regulars, but this little market has helped me give up supermarkets without costing a penny more, or sacrificing the food I eat. In fact, if anything I would say it costs less. As a shopper you're not sucked into buying all the extras that seduce you as you wander around the traditional supermarket. Not only that but I can buy fresh local organic meat, good cheeses and lots of other things too. In fact one of the highlights is that it is the only place I have found in London selling raw whole milk (which incidentally, has had no dodgy side-affects whatsoever, and is absolutely delicious!)

ps - not proud of my link there to an article by the Daily Mail, but sadly it was the only relevant one I could find!

pps - photo credit to Mr Royston Beddard