18 minute read
Eat Smart
Food for thought
As the cost of living continues to soar, we’re here to help anyone feeling the pinch to look at ways to feed their family in the most cost-effective way
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As we recover from the pandemic of the last two years there was always going to be economic fallout and now seems to be the time most of us are going to feel it. National Insurance costs have risen, the cost of living is still climbing, fuel prices are breaking records and of course our energy bills are increasing at a terrifying rate. Here at Shire we’re not pretending to be experts in finance, and can’t claim to offer the proper support and advice that sadly many people will need, but if there is one subject close
to our hearts that we can help you with it’s food. You know we champion and celebrate local producers and suppliers across the food industry whenever we can so we thought we’d put a few pages together that might help you rethink your eating and feeding habits in light of these financially tricky times. When it comes to making your money go further and feeding a family on a budget, there are some great sources of advice and support across the Shire patch. One brilliant organisation - that is associated with the Citizens Advice Bureau – is the Shropshire Larder, a non-profit group with the aim of bringing local networks and foodies together to make sure people are eating well, and eating smart. They have shared the following hints and tips with Shire.
DID YOU KNOW? The UK throws away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in a single year, and one third of all food produced is lost or wasted
Buy it right...
As prices increase it can be really difficult to keep down the costs of your food shop. The Shropshire Larder experts have shared their top tips for getting the best bargains in the first place when shopping on a budget.
1. Write a meal plan before you go shopping
Check what you already have in the cupboard, then plan your meals for the week to use up these ingredients.
2. Don’t be afraid to substitute
Recipes are just ideas. If you already have a similar ingredient – use it rather than buying something new.
3. Write a list and stick to it
Supermarkets are experts in getting customers to buy more than they need or try new products. Shopping with a list means that you can focus on buying exactly what you need, with no money wasted.
4. Investigate the tinned aisle
Tinned food lasts longer and tinned fish, potatoes and fruit are usually all cheaper than buying fresh.
5. Buy frozen vegetables
Frozen vegetables cheaper, are often pre-chopped and don’t end up going limp in the bottom of your fridge.
6. Get on your knees
Supermarkets plan their layouts very carefully, with their standard and premium products at eye level. Value branded items tend to be near the floor, so make sure you look down.
7. Downshift one brand at a time
Be price conscious. If there is a cheaper version of your usual item, give it a go. You might be surprised that there is very little difference in taste.
8. Take a walk
Don’t just stick to the supermarket. Walk around your area and see what else is available. Some foods can be cheaper in smaller shops.
9. Buying in bulk doesn’t always mean it’s cheaper
Check the price per 100g.
10. Take a pen or calculator with you
Add up your basket as you go around the shop to keep track of how much you are spending.
Once you’ve stocked up efficiently and come home with your bags of bargains and savvy supplies, make sure you look after your food so it doesn’t go off and end up wasted. There is nothing worse than finding expensive fresh veg and salads in the fridge that are only fit for the bin so the key to food staying fresher longer is savvy storage. Use the Shropshire Larder’s advice to avoid costly mistakes…
• Most fresh food should be kept in the fridge • Potatoes and onions prefer a cool dark place • Bananas prefer the fruit bowl • Bread is better in a cupboard or freezer • Store fresh stuff on the top shelf of your fridge so you remember to use it • Keep your salad fresher for longer by adding a piece of kitchen roll to your salad drawer or your bag of salad • A fridge temperature at or below 4°C will keep your food fresher for longer
Check out some of the online access to brilliant bargain or even free food…
www.approvedfood.co.uk sell products that are over or near their best before dates at up to 70 per cent discount and will deliver for a small fee.
Olio is a food sharing app you can download on your phone. On OLIO, you’ll find millions of people giving away food and other household items to their neighbours, all for free.
Too Good To Go is another app that lets you buy and collect food at the end of the day from supermarkets, cafes and restaurants - at a great price - so it gets eaten instead of wasted.
Cook it right...
Armed with all the right ingredients, stored all the right ways, you’ll be set to cook up a storm and feed a family a feast happy in the knowledge that you’re on budget. Here are a few top tips from the Shropshire Larder.
1. Embrace meal planning
Planning meals and snacks ahead is essential. You’ll create a more focused shopping list and end up with less waste. If you’re on a very low budget join a Facebook group devoted to a food budget of just £1 or 50p a day.
2. Use budget recipes
Use online resources like Cooking on a Bootstrap or Feed your family for £20 to find budget friendly recipes.
3. Cook in bulk
Cook once, eat twice. Either eat the leftovers the following day, or freeze for an easy meal another time.
4. Use a slow cooker
Slow cookers are great at maximizing flavour and getting the best out of cheaper cuts of meat. Prep at breakfast time and come home to a delicious meal.
5. Use what you have
Don’t buy special ingredients for a meal - use something similar you already have in the cupboard. Use up fresh food first to stop it going to waste. Use a site like Supercook to see what you could make with the food you already have.
6. Don’t let dates on packaging baffle you into throwing good food away!
The USE BY date is the only date label you need to worry about. The BEST BEFORE date is just a quality date and has nothing to do with food safety. DISPLAY UNTIL and SELL BY are just guidance for the shop – you can ignore them! You can freeze food right up to the use by date. Just make sure that you cook and eat it on the same day it is defrosted.
7. Go meat-free two or three days a week to cut your food bills down
Vegetable based meals are cheaper and you they will help you reach your five a day target. For more advice and support on buying, cooking and feeding the family on a budget, visit www.shropshirelarder.org.uk ›
Family friendly freezable favourites
Perfect for bargain buying and batch cooking – these simple meals shouldn’t cost the earth but will ll you and your freezer!
Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves, crushed 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 6 pork sausages 150ml whole milk 350g pasta OPTIONAL - grated parmesan to garnish or some basil or chilli flakes while cooking
Method
Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 7 mins. Add the garlic and chilli if you want and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the tomatoes and simmer for 20 mins. Heat the remaining oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Squeeze the sausagemeat from the skins and fry, or simply chop up the sausages as they are, and simmer for 5-7 mins until golden. Add to the sauce with the milk, then simmer for a further 5 mins. To freeze, leave to cool completely and transfer to large freezerproof bags. Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain and toss with the sauce. Scatter over the parmesan and basil if you have some.
Fish Finger Pie
Ingredients
700g potatoes, peeled and chopped 50g butter Tbsp flour 75ml semi-skimmed milk 10-pack fish fingers 1 leek, thinly sliced 200g frozen peas
Method
Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 15 mins or until tender. Drain and mash with 20g of the butter. Meanwhile, put the fish fingers into a 20 x 30cm baking dish and cook for 10 mins or until heated through. Put the rest of the butter into a small saucepan and fry the leek for 3 mins, sprinkling on some flour and mixing with a bit of milk to create a creamy sauce. Add the frozen peas and cook until defrosted. Pour the sauce over the fish fingers in the baking dish and top with the mash. Bake for 15 mins until the top is golden brown.
Grow it
One obvious way of saving your pennies when it comes to food is by growing your own and the National Allotment Society says that doing so has more than just financial benefits
It may seem like a good, frugal idea to be as self-sufficient as possible and reap the benefits of a bountiful harvest from your garden. But this is not as simple as it seems and many people decide to take their garden growing to a new level by getting an allotment so they have both the space, and the surrounding fellow experts, to increase their chances of a good yield. The National Allotment Society has a North West branch and a Midlands branch as well as a Wales group so covers the whole of the Shire patch and offers invaluable advice, member events and access to allotments themselves. Their experts have shared some insights below into the world of allotment owning for anyone who fancies saving their vegetable budget by growing their own.
Dig Deep
If managed properly, an allotment can produce enough food to supplement a family’s weekly shop, with fresh fruit and vegetables over the year. Allotment gardeners can choose to garden organically and avoid ingesting chemicals that are likely to be present on shop bought fruit and vegetables. In a survey of National Allotment Society members nearly every person said their love of allotment gardening comes from the fresh air, home grown produce, healthy lifestyle and like-minded people this activity offers. As many new plot-holders discover, growing vegetables requires acquiring new knowledge and skills and the satisfaction gained from eating their first home grown tomato or new potato makes them taste even more delicious!
DID YOU KNOW? Today, there are an estimated 300,000 allotments in the UK, yielding about 215,000 tons of fresh produce every year for their keepers!
Regular spells of activity really does help gardeners keep fit
... or Grab it
Other Benefits
Working a plot year-round means that allotment holders experience the seasons, witness the behaviour of birds, insects and other animals and gain an understanding of the eco-system. There is a growing awareness of the role that gardening plays in both preventing and alleviating mental ill-health. The physical benefits of regular spells of gardening help plot-holders to keep fit even if they have sedentary jobs, and the physical exercise and being surrounded by nature also contributes to their mental well-being. Find out more about allotments near you at
www.nsalg.org.uk
There are many health and wellbeing benefits to running an allotment
What to plan in your plot
Choosing where to start on your journey to home grown glory is a tricky one – this is the top ten easy to grow vegetables as recommended by the experts on Gardener’s World…
1 Beetroot 2 Salad leaves 3 Bush tomatoes 4 Potatoes 5 Peas 6 Radishes 7 Miners’ lettuce 8 Japanese and Chinese salad leaves 9 Chillies 10 Courgette
... or Grab it
The ultimate money-saving way of feeding yourself has to be through foraging and helping yourself to nature’s bounty – but there are ways to do it and potential hazards so approach this method with caution!
It sounds great to wander out into the wild and help yourself to berries, leaves, mushrooms and flowers that you can transform into a feast for free. But not only is this not as simple as it sounds, it risks damaging the sustainability and diversity of the natural environment if you do it wrong, not to mention poisoning yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing. Luckily, foraging is an increasingly popular pastime and there are several groups locally happy to take you out and teach you the ways of the wild before you do any harm. Shire suggests that anyone interested in collecting some food from nature does a proper course beforehand and we spoke It is highly recommended to take to Dave Winnard from Discover the Wild who part in a foraging course runs foraging courses in North Wales. He said: “We offer a range of seasonal foraging workshops which help you look at the plants and fungi on your doorstep, how to safely identify them, if they are edible, medicinal or poisonous and also how they fit in to the larger eco-system. We like to get hands on with the stuff we find, so people on our courses can expect to be nibbling on the tastier wild food you find as we walk around!” Find out more or book a course so you can safely help yourself to nature’s bounty at www.discoverthewild.co.uk
Wonders of the Wild
Dave’s thoughts were echoed by fellow foraging expert James Wood, founder of Totally Wild, who runs courses across Cheshire including on the Wirral, at Delamere Forest and in Northwich. He said: “Our main goal is to excite people with the amazing flavours to be found in the wild. On our foraging courses you’ll see that wild food is everywhere, when foraging in London you’ll find a unique range, compared to foraging in Cheshire with its relaxing countryside, when foraging in Scotland the deep woods offer bounty of mushrooms and foraging in Wales gives us amazing access to rural coastlines.
“We’re here to help you learn more about foraging for plants, mushrooms and seaweeds and to develop your art of cooking with wild foods in a safe and superbly fun hands-on environment.”
Whether you’re looking for salad leaves, wild mushrooms, interesting herbs or fruits and berries, foraging can be a great way to take the pressure of your food shopping bill. Find out more at www.totallywilduk.co.uk
The UK has an abundance of different foraging environments ›
The season dictates what is available to the trained forager – as does the environment – but keep your eyes peeled for some of these free foodie treats just waiting to be picked…
Spring...
In early spring a lucky forager might find wild garlic, the young leaves of silver birch, blackcurrants, mallow which is a great replacement for spinach, cow parsley to use as a versatile herb and garlic mustard to add a peppery kick to dishes. Later you could look out for sorrel that has a tangy taste, chickweed which can be added to salads or made into pesto, and hawthorn which can be made into tea. The common daisy is also a nutritious food source.
Summer...
As the days get warmer successful hauls might include elderflowers and their berries, great for cordials as well as fruit, St John’s Wort which is famous for its health benefits, and wild roses whose petals can be added to salads or tea. Along coastlines sea kale is a summer treat and woodlands may be offering chanterelle mushrooms. Fruit can be found in abundance including wild strawberries and blackberries, and the flowers of gorse bushes can make an interesting wine while nettles can create tea, soup, pesto or beer and even the humble dandelion can provide a snack.
Chill out Another great resource for food advice, help, ideas and general support is the many local food networks that have sprung up in Helping hands response to the current crisis
One of the latest initiatives to tackle rising food costs has been the establishment of a network of community fridges, where residents and businesses can donate surplus food to other people.
With deposit and collection points established across North Wales already, and other parts of the country, the number of community fridges available, is steadily increasing. Environmental charity Hubbub founded the network in 2017 to provide a place for local people and businesses to donate surplus food which is then available for anyone in the community to take.
The first 50 fridges around the UK are each saving an average of half a tonne of food from going to waste per month, with the network redistributing the equivalent of around 50,000 meals on a monthly basis. In addition, people are sharing skills, the fridges are often linked to cooking and growing workshops and residents are sharing other household items as well as food, a survey of 21 of the community schemes shows. The network aims to tackle the problem of food waste in the UK, with an estimated £13 billion worth of food thrown away from homes each year, much of which is avoidable, and £3 billion from the hospitality and food sector.
Hubbub founder and chief executive Trewin Restorick said: “We’re thrilled with how successful community fridges
have been and the rapid growth of the network. Some people had doubts at the outset as to whether the community fridge network would work, but the fridges have developed to be positive, social spaces that have proven the doubters wrong. “the network redistributes the We’d encourage anyone equivalent of around 50,000 interested in visiting or meals on a monthly basis.” opening a fridge to visit our website and we’d love even more businesses to get involved, as demand is outstripping supply in some areas.” Local Fridges Given to Shine, YaB Hub, Henblas Street, Wrexham, LL13 8AE Parkfields Community Fridge, Ash Grove, Mold CH7 1TB Crest Community Fridge, Brierley House, Ferry Farm Rd, Llandudno Junction LL31 9SF Bwyd da Bangor Community Fridge, Bwyd da Bangor, 275 High Street, Bangor, LL57 1UL Tywyn Community Fridge, Station Building, Station Rd, Tywyn, LL36 9EY One of the best examples locally is Ludlow Food Network, which was formed in 2019 and brings together all the food-related organisations in Ludlow to work towards common goals. The four agreed principles of the group are: • To provide good-value, nutritious food for all • To ensure that food is ethically and responsibly sourced • To reduce food waste • To reduce packaging waste
The members of Ludlow Food Network meet quarterly, focusing on different aspects of their work at each meeting.
Members include…
Grow Cook Learn
Grow Cook Learn is passionate about connecting people to the food, history and landscape of the Shropshire Hills. Encouraging exploration of the local landscape, the team loves to inspire visitors with the history of our area. By using and promoting local food, they run cookery courses for vulnerable adults to learn skills to cook from scratch and on a budget. The group took over the running of Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre from Shropshire Council in 2014 and the programme of events is developing year on year to fundraise alongside enhancing the offer for visitors.
Shrewsbury Food Hub
DID YOU KNOW?
More than 92,000 tonnes of surplus food was redistributed in the UK in 2020, marking a 45% increase, partly caused by the response to Covid-19 This organisation was established after being contacted by a local homeless charity that had been offered surplus food by a local supermarket, but didn’t have volunteers to collect the food. This inspired the founders to set up Shrewsbury Food Hub to collect the surplus food available locally and get it to people who could use it. They began by collecting from M&S and delivering to five community groups and now collect food from 17 supermarkets daily and share it with 56 community groups thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers.
