The new fight against cheap food - celebrity style- [Added January, 27, 2009]

Times are very tough.  2009 will be easy for no one, even if it is only weathering the endless pessimism of the press.

However, in this new climate, we are seeing a resurgence of interest in how our food is produced.  Perhaps this is something to do with a retreating to the fundamentals of life. Perhaps not.  Waitrose, the most responsible of all supermarkets as far as sourcing and local food is concerned, has seen a drop in sales, as customers move to cheaper suppliers.  

Either way, we are seeing a definite move towards raising awareness of food production.  Jamie Oliver, tireless champion of fundamentally good eating, is now hoping to take on the cheap pork industry with his Great British Food Fight (Sunday 29th, Channel 4).  Like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, he is following the journey of an animal raised for food, and the right, and wrong ways to go about it.  Pork, even good British pork, is currently a very cheap meat in comparison to the equivalent beef and lamb.  

 The humble pig is much under-rated by the British consumer, and we hope that this program will go someway towards redressing that balance.  The association with cheap sausages and unhealthy, salted bacon counts against a meat that is versatile, tasty and delicious.  Not to mention that pigs, and all animals raised for the table, deserve to be treated in a decent, healthy fashion.