Sunday, January 13, 2008

Eden Coffee

Jamie Oliver's Fiften restaurant in Cornwall played host to a special coffee tasting session- the beans used had been grown in the Eden Project's greenhouses. Whilst no-one's pretending it could be a commercial venture, it is cool to know coffee can be grown in this country.

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posted by I at 1:33 pm
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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Local Food - Suburb coffee shop closes down

I'll be honest, I never noticed the Suburb coffee shop on Deansgate and didn't know about it until reading of its demise. This is embarassing because I've been trying to avoid Starbucks and other large chains for a while. Recently my in town non-alcoholic drinking has tended to revolve around Parched in the Arndale's new Market section. I also quite like Oklahoma in the Northern Quarter. Manchester Council have a list of Fair Trade cafes if you're looking for an alternative.

Alternatively, you can make a decent coffee at home for significantly less. The Fair Trade beans I buy from my local health food shop are probably the best value I've ever found. But the most satisfying coffee I ever drank was the stuff I roasted myself.

Remember "Home Roasting is Killing Starbucks"

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posted by I at 10:02 am
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Thursday, March 22, 2007

Invasive species and the retail ecosystem

An interesting piece in the Guardian's Comment is Free section, likening Tesco and other chainstores to the sort of introduced plant or animal species that destroys local ecosystems. There's a Tesco Metro just down the road but, unless I absolutely can't avoid it, I only go in there to get money from its cash till.

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posted by I at 8:13 pm
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Monday, September 11, 2006

Local Food: Manchester's top delis

The Cheese HAmlet in Didsbury and Barbakan in Chorlton have been named the best delis in Britain. I haven't checked out Barbakan yet, but the Cheese Hamlet has been mentioned here before and added to the local food map.

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Friday, August 11, 2006

'Buy local food' call to schools

Scotland's schools are being encouraged to give pupils more locally-produced food in their meals.

The call came from Environment Minister Ross Finnie, who said more local authorities should follow the lead set by East Ayrshire Council.

A pilot scheme in 11 primary schools saw more pupils eating school meals and led to an improvement in the quality of the food on offer.

Mr Finnie said more schools should "buy local and eat local".


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Thursday, May 25, 2006

Local Food- Olive deli


Local Food- Olive deli
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Across the road from UMIST main building and on the edge of the Gay Village I would occasionally get my lunch from here when I was studying at City College's city centre site.

Find the deli on the Local Food Map

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posted by I at 10:46 am
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Local Food- Love Saves The Day deli


Local Food- Love Saves The Day deli
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

This is the third location for Love Saves the Day (maybe fourth, I'm not sure). This one is on the site of the former Atlas deli. The stock's not as good as it used to be, but it's a good place for coffee and sandwiches under the railway.

Find the deli on the Local Food Map.

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posted by I at 10:44 am
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Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Local markets are the super ones

A study comparing the prices and produce in a local London market with a nearby Asda has found that the stalls are better value and have a wider range of produce. Not just that, but they create more jobs and inject more money back into the local economy. Even farmers' markets are cheaper than supermarkets.

Yet still councils roll over before planning submissions by supermarkets and other developers and propose building over local markets.

Researchers found that items in a shopping basket of goods bought from the street market were on average 53 per cent cheaper than at a local Asda store.

Customers spend an average £34 each time they visited Queens Market of which £25 is spent on food, the report says.

This generates around £11.5 million for the local economy each year, in addition to an estimated £1.8 million which customers spend in nearby shops.

The nef says Queens Market is under threat from a proposed supermarket development.

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Thursday, May 11, 2006

Eat Local

Where I live I'm spoilt. Within a mile radius there are three butchers, a deli, four bakers, a health food shop and a couple of grocers. They seem to be thriving as well, despite the best (worst?) efforts of two Somerfields and a Tesco metro. Perhaps I'm not the only one who will buy as much as possible from the small shops before contemplating getting anything from the supermarkets. In fact, I try to use the Tesco only for the cash machine in the store.

Not everyone is as lucky, of course, and some people just don't know what's near to them. Which was one of the reasons I started my Local Food map on Platial.

Sites like Big Barn are a great way to find local organic producers. But the less committed need to see that there is a way to shop more ethically without having to join a box scheme. In fact, they may only need to step out of their house and take a little walk.

As shops are added the map is going to become part of a site dedicated to promoting small local businesses. If you want to tell the world about the butcher or deli on your doorstep then please join Platial and add them to the map, it's open to anyone.

Cross posted from City Hippy

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Friday, May 05, 2006

Big Barn

A useful tool in your search for local food. Type your postcode into Big Barn and it will find suppliers in your area.

via Eco Street

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posted by I at 3:18 pm
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Local Food- Bradshaw Butchers, Withington


Bradshaw Butchers, Withington
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Another family butchers in Withington with a good selection of meat and special offer packs.

Mapped on the Local Food Map

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posted by I at 3:11 pm
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Local Food- Katsouri's Greek deli


Katsouri's Greek deli
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Okay, it's a deli, so a lot of the food they sell will have travelled a fair distance to get here. But this is a lovely little restaurant/ deli/ coffee shop near to the centre of Manchester that provides quality and value alternatives to all the chain eateries nearby.

Mapped on Platial, part of the Local Food map.

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posted by I at 3:09 pm
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Local Food- M Strafford butchers


M Strafford butchers
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

I haven't bought meat from here for a while. For those with a freezer they do good mega pack deals with various pieces of meat in them.

Mapped on the Local Food map

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posted by I at 3:07 pm
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Local Food- Whales fish market


Whales fish market
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

The treasure of the Arndale, I reckon. Buried deep in the Arndale Markets section of the still horrible shopping centre is this large fishmongers. There's a wide and varied selection of sea life on display. I've started visiting it on days when I'm taking the bus back from work, picking a fish and then working out what to make with it when I get home.

Mapped on the Local Food Map

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posted by I at 3:06 pm
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Local Food- Robinsons Butchers


Robinsons Butchers
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

A quality butchers right on Withington's main street. Of the three butchers nearest to us, this is the only one I've been able to find beef dripping in- essential for making good roast potatoes.

Mapped on the Local Food Map

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posted by I at 3:02 pm
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Local Food- Withington Healthfoods


Withington Healthfoods
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Worth visiting for the local honey and big bags of organic muesli.

Mapped on the Local Food Map

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Friday, April 28, 2006

Local food in the Guardian

The Guardian is looking for our suggestions for inclusion in their good food directory.

via EcoStreet

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posted by I at 8:44 pm
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Shop Local First

Friends of the Earth has started a campaign to get people to use their local shops, saying one supermarket produces as much carbon dioxide as 60 greengrocers.

"Popping to your local shop for a pint of milk will no longer be an option unless more shoppers change the way they shop," she said.

"If we all Shop Local First, then we can help save our local shops, boost the local economy and also help to tackle climate change."

The group's supporters aim to create directories of local shops and work with their owners to create loyalty cards, discounts and other customer promotions.

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Saturday, April 22, 2006

Eat Local

Tieing nicely into the Local Food theme, Life Begins at 30 is having an Eat Local Challenge, to start in May. Eat only food produced within a hundred miles of your home, if at all possible.

The Local Food posts include delis, which put paid to the hundred mile challenge. The point is to buy from independent, local shops, where the money goes back into the local community rather than draining away into the fat pockets of supermarket bosses. Local butchers, however, are more likely to have sourced their wares locally, making that part of the hundred mile challenge so much easier.

via Treehugger

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posted by I at 3:44 pm
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Fusion Deli


Fusion Deli
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

A very nice, very modern deli on Lapwing Lane. There is always a large selection of too-tempting cakes on the counter.

Mapped on the Local Food Map

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posted by I at 3:23 pm
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