Reflecting on the shop local challenge
Posted by Joelle
December 19, 2007
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A week ago I set my fellow Four Good Corners bloggers, and any readers who cared to join in, the challenge to shop for a whole week only in local, independent shops. Of course I made the effort myself, and it is time to report back with a few conclusions.
There’s been a lot of positives, but a few difficulties. I must admit to one failing (trip to Morrisons at 7.30pm for cooking apples urgently needed for chutney making).
The Yays
- Interest: Avoiding the usual Tesco/Boots/Subway trip I have started to look forward to my lunchbreak, to getting out and explore the area around work, which is full of great little delis and cafes. One day I had Swedish food and a cheeky pear cider, one day a bargain jacket potato, one day a fancy sandwich from an extravagantly stocked Italian deli.
- Virtue: Three pairs of shoes well-loved shoes repaired at the local cobblers. Equivalent cost roughly one pair of new shoes. Less exciting maybe but my old shoes have a new lease of life rather than being consigned to the trash, and I can feel like I did the right thing both by my shoes and by the local craftsman who did a super job.
- Passion: I realised what passion good local shops can bring out in people. I asked my colleagues if they knew of a good local butchers nearby, and was impressed by the enthusiasm with which people responded. You’d never hear that about Sainsbury’s. So, I am happy to pass on recommendations for Ginger Pig, Theobald’s Butcher, and my own local James Elliott. Success: I got some excellent steak, some knowledgeable advice with it, and a jar of Muriel’s homemade chilli marmalade.
- Great products: By far the most rewarding bit of this challenge has been in shopping locally for Christmas presents. I have found some really special things that I just know the recipients will love, and that they certainly won’t have seen before. I can’t say any more I’m afraid since I don’t want to give anything away!
The Boos
- Inconvenience: Despite the unpleasantness of the shopping experience, I can see why supermarkets do so well. I had a 15 minute walk in search of steak on a lunchbreak, because the butchers on my way home from work closes mid afternoon. Despite the better service and product, it’s hard for that to compete with the sheer convenience of the one-stop-shop supermarket across the road that is open all evening.
- Cost: I have found tons of wonderful, independently produced and artisan groceries and products on sale around Fitzrovia and Stoke Newington. They are certainly better, but I’d need tons of money to stick to this everyday. Of course cost will depend on the area a lot; my old neighbourhood of Dalston has loads of independent shops too but at the opposite end of the budget and with dirt cheap broiler chickens strung up that would make you shudder. The happy medium shops must be lurking somewhere.
- Unpredictability: The service and products in some independent shops are amazing. Others are so unwelcoming and badly stocked that I wonder how they possibly stay in business. It’s a journey of discovery people! The only way to find the gems is to try places, and to go by word of mouth. Also, fulfilling a shopping list is tricky when you don’t know what you might find in stock in a little shop.
Conclusions
So, the shop local challenge has been great in many ways, but I can’t make a total conversion yet I’m afraid, I’m just not that organised. I will be continuing to explore and to support local shops over big brands wherever I can though. It makes life a lot more interesting.
Shopping ethically covers many things of which shopping locally is just one. Handmade, organic, fair trade, recycled and ethically produced are good choices too, and consumer choice has the power to make the big brands start to reconsider how they source products too. If everyone made good choices just a little bit more often in their shopping that would make a huge difference to the planet, the producers, and the local shopkeepers.
Apologies to those non-London readers for whom the recommendations above are not relevant, but that is kind of the point. Go forth and find your own great local shops. And let us know your favorites!
So how did everyone else get on?
2 comments Categories: challenge, london, shopping
January 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 am
You’ve probably already heard of them, but I’ve just placed an order with Abel & Cole – they deliver all sorts of food (fresh fruit & veg, bread, soups, even wine!) from local farmers. Just thought that may be a good suggestion of a way to support local farmers when it is harder to actually get out to local shops!
January 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Great suggestion Emily! Yes, Adam and I have been getting a veg box from Abel and Cole for a year or two, and I love it. I have become a much more confident cook from making up ways to use different types of ingredients. Though I do find it useful turning off certain vegetable selections – I can’t find many things to do with kale for instance. Their book is good too. I hope you get on well with their stuff.