Why is it that convenience stores are never actually that convenient? Rural Affairs Editor Nathan Rous has his say.
I sprinted in to my local Londis looking for some fennel, chervil and Scotch Bonnet chillies only to find that they must have had a run on all three as I couldn’t see them anywhere amid the Jammie Dodgers, jars of Ragu and sacks of cat litter.
Believe me, the latter three ingredients were a poor accompaniment to the sea bass.
Of course the food movement relentlessly sweeping the nation means the chervil challenge should become a damn sight easier in the future, but while there seem to be farm shops popping up all over Shropshire, they are not in the high street or “down the parade” because of the sky-high rates.
Instead they are perched alongside precarious sections of the A49, or the A488, or the A5. And given that they do not possess garish signs, by the time you’ve spotted one you’re already half a mile down the road (given that travelling half a mile without stopping on the A49 is rare, few are reluctant to turn around).
Survival of the fittest applies to all sections of industry, even those which have a rumbling PR machine assisting their every move: businesses which can attract customers with a great product, regardless of location or price, will always outlast the fly-by-nights looking to make a quick buck.
Yes, Londis was convenient in terms of location but it fulfilled my shopping list in the same way that a bluebottle fulfils the appetite of a lion. So how did Londis get to be where it is today and will it survive? Are we likely to see the next generation of über farm shops springing up and replacing them?
From new research out this week it would appear that the next generation is exactly where the problems lie. Can we really expect the kids who can’t tell their artichoke from their elbow to be buying up local ewe’s-milk cheese and raving about locally reared meat when they turn into adults?
Perhaps my Jammie Dodger recipe might become a dinner party favourite in 20 years time, only without the sea bass?
There will always be those that break the stereotype, the kids that shun McDonald’s in favour of a fresh green salad, but given the rising obesity statistics those are few and far between . . . like our farm shops will be if their support runs out once our generation starts wearing slippers instead of brogues and keeping the car in the garage.
Local food isn’t just a drum to beat or a bandwagon to jump on; it makes sense for the community, the local economy and, most importantly, your health. If we fail to pass on its importance to our children then not only are we snuffing out industry on our doorstep we are driving our kids to an early grave.
Food is just as much a part of this county’s heritage as the Iron Bridge itself and should be celebrated accordingly. Fidget pie may not be on the list in any of the county’s schools or, indeed, in many of our restaurants, but for those born and bred within these borders it conjures up an immediate sense of place.
The bounty of products which come out of Shropshire will not keep flowing if there is no one to buy them. Farm shops will instead become another version of Londis, with shoppers sprinting in to buy Jammie Dodgers, Ragu and cat litter only to find fennel, chervil and Scotch Bonnet chillies instead.
But what about the next generation?
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