My Personal Food Manifesto

I have foresworn supermarket sandwiches. Indeed, I've foresworn all sandwiches pre-packaged, not made on the premises. After years of being repeatedly disappointed with them, the penny has finally dropped, and I'm giving them up.

I don't know if it's the fact that they're refridgerated, which makes the bread limp and tasteless. Or the fact that they've sat in plastic for hours or even days before they reach my mouth. But they're so awfully bland that I've decided to stop buying them.

I want sandwiches I can taste, made fresh that morning, on the premises.

Pretty obvious, right?

I am only buying meet from butchers, not from supermarkets. This is because I want to know where my meat has come from, and no one in a supermarket knows that anywhere near as well as a butcher. The excellent Jessie's of Cirencester not only tells the breed of the meat on sale, it also advertises where it has come from too. And if you ask them how long it has been hung, they'll tell you, as well as when it gets delivered, and they'll cut it for you, etc etc. Very very satisfying.

I'm also strenuously trying to give up any chicken that isn't free range, and any bread that isn't made with stoneground flour. The second choice is in response to the book "Shopped" by Joanna Blythman, which identifies exactly what They are allowed to put in bread, under the aegis of "flour treatment agents". Bread doesn't need much more than flour, water, salt and yeast.

It's not much, but it's a start.