Yes, I am that sad stigmatised consumer – I shop at supermarkets. My local shop is Budgen’s, thankfully taken over by the Coop so I feel reasonably ethical none the less. The range is limited and has changed recently to reflect the new class structure in the area. There is now a section of Polish and Irish foods and some exotic delicacies that seem incongruent amongst the more mundane offerings.

Tesco is a short drive but still rather nearer than the farmers’ market. I sometimes use a wholefood delivery but Tesco now has a huge selection of wholefoods so the few staples I cling to, long grain Italian brown rice as opposed to the ubiquitous brown Basmati or American rices for example, are now available with Ketchup and bacon, under one roof.

Budgens has a rural feel to it compared to the huge Tesco store. Service is slower and reflects a very local patronage and staff catchment, it’s a good place to catch up on local news. Tesco ironically is becoming very ‘local’. I find I recognise quite a few of the cashiers now and we catch up on events whilst I pack. That, plus the multiculturalism of Tesco – added to Polish, Irish and wholefood ranges are Halal, Kosher, Indian, West Indian, did I miss anyone? and good ranges of vegetarian, organic and gourmet too.

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Supermarket advetising slogans (for why see http://www.adslogans.co.uk/)

Asda – More for you for less; It ‘asda be Asda, price jingle ditched March 2006 http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=407410&in_page_id=2

Marks & Spencer – Quality, Value, Service; This is not just food, this is M&S food

Morrisons – More reasons to shop at Morrisons

Safeway – Everything you want from a store and a little bit more

Sainsbury – Everyone’s favourite ingredient; Try something new today

Tesco – Every little helps; The price is dropping, on your weekly shopping

Waitrose – Good quality food at honest prices

When the children were young and my budget was tight, I started to think of the cost of meals rather than the cost of individual foods or rather to think of the value of the food cost, the role of the food in our diets. In the supermarket I would calculate how many meals a product would provide -

- a packet of four quarter pound burgers for instance would count as two meals. Such burgers tend to retail at around a minimum 50p each mark making the main component of the meal (the centrepiece in Douglas-speak) around a pound sterling, which if served with carrot and bread would have minimal additional cost, whilst with chips or another processed product the additional cost might be 50p-£1 more. For many years meal prices ranged in £1-2 bracket. Clearly beans on toast would come under that but as my children were never big baked bean fans I couldn’t resort to that too often although egg on toast has always been popular.

And at the other end of the scale are the luxury meals – lamb chops which we all love and nowadays, sushi – expensive, but I calculate based on the nutrient content. I feel the same about ready prepared fruit. They are too expensive ordinarily but when they are on offer I can justify the expense by nutrition – a pack of fresh fruit chunks for instance is a rapid way to increase vitamin intake so irresistable are the chunks, making the product seem a good deal less expensive than if I were to continue to view it as an exotic or luxury item. Many prepared veg are also so delicious that they are eaten with relish – mashed (pureed) carrot and swede, green beans and parsley butter, potatoes of various guises peeled or ready wedged I regularly buy if they are reduced.