| Fresh, local produce is becoming more popular and | | | | of growth hormones, and the freedom to roam |
| sought after by chefs and home cooks all over the | | | | makes meat more tender and flavoursome. Wild fish |
| world. As they discover the benefits of buying fresh, | | | | has more flavour than farmed fish; again, this is |
| local produce over supermarket food, more farmer's | | | | largely due to diet and fresher water. |
| markets are appearing and local suppliers are opening | | | | Sustaining the Local Economy |
| their doors wider to the public. Growing numbers of | | | | Smaller suppliers face a constant battle competing |
| shoppers are disillusioned with mass produced food | | | | with large supermarkets. By supporting local suppliers, |
| for a variety of reasons. They want to know where | | | | money stays local and not only creates and sustains |
| their food comes from and to support local suppliers, | | | | jobs, it ensures the bright future of food that tastes |
| especially in more rural areas. Tasteless, out of | | | | better and is healthier. By keeping money local, the |
| season food jam packed with additives wrapped in | | | | area becomes more confident, communities more |
| layers of packaging does little for bodily health, | | | | tight knit, happier and healthier in body and mind, and |
| confidence in suppliers' ethics, or the purse strings. | | | | creates a healthy, flourishing society. |
| Here are the main reasons to seek out, buy and eat | | | | Environmentally Friendly |
| fresh local produce. | | | | Locally sourced food helps the environment in many |
| It's Fresher | | | | ways. Most supermarket food will travel hundreds of |
| Supermarkets go to huge lengths to pile food high | | | | miles to get to your shopping basket. The obvious |
| and sell it cheap. Sometimes when the word "fresh" | | | | impact of this on the environment is the amount of |
| appears on a label, the food may not be that fresh. | | | | fuel used. Produce straight from the field, orchard or |
| What do we think of when we think of the word | | | | sea dramatically reduces not only fuel pollution but all |
| "fresh"? Taking tomatoes as an example, the mass | | | | the other harmful chemicals used in the storage and |
| produced ones are usually picked green. It can take | | | | transportation process. Packaging is an area many |
| up to two weeks for them to arrive at the store, | | | | people have issue with. Supermarket food packaging |
| and if they're not ripe, they are exposed to ethylene | | | | burdens the environment from manufacturing which |
| to force ripening. This is what supermarkets mean by | | | | uses precious energy and damaging chemicals to the |
| "fresh". Mass produced potatoes are often stored for | | | | vast amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Fresh, |
| several weeks before shipping. By contrast, fruit and | | | | local produce on the other hand has minimal, less |
| veg from a local farm or market is sold within one or | | | | flashy packaging. Often, all it is is a plain paper bag. |
| two days of picking. The same is true of some meat | | | | This not only has less impact on the flavour of the |
| and fish produce. Many restaurants, for example, | | | | food, it reduces the use of natural resources. |
| source fish, shellfish, lobster and langoustine from | | | | Keeping Us Healthy |
| local fishermen who can land the catch and deliver it | | | | The health benefits of fresh, local food are huge. |
| the same day. This, of course, affects the all | | | | With nutritionists advising we should eat five servings |
| important taste. | | | | of fruit and veg per day, the quality of the food |
| It's Tastier | | | | should be equally as important as the amount. Fruit |
| Fresh produce is packed with more flavour than | | | | and veg sourced locally is additive free and has more |
| supermarket food. There are many reasons for this. | | | | nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and sugars |
| Obviously the fresher the food, the tastier it is, and | | | | because of the reduced time between harvest and |
| this depends largely on storage time. Food that is | | | | eating. Studies in health and diet reveal that eating |
| stored for long periods loses sugars and starch that | | | | fresh, local produce improves digestion and disturbed |
| greatly affects flavour. Taste and texture also | | | | sleep. |
| depends on where fruit and veg is grown and where | | | | The Best of the Best |
| animals are farmed and live. Greenhouses produce | | | | The variety, freshness and superior taste of fresh, |
| less flavoursome fruit and veg than that grown on | | | | local produce makes it the obvious food choice for |
| good farmland. Some fruit and veg growers | | | | today either in the home or when eating out. One |
| deliberately grow their produce to look more | | | | final important note to consider. Michelin food |
| appealing that for great taste, knowing that | | | | inspectors and Michelin standard chefs value above all |
| supermarket shoppers don't taste before they buy. | | | | else, fresh, local produce that not only looks |
| Livestock that is solely reared outdoors in good | | | | impressive but tastes good, and is a major ingredient |
| conditions produces tastier meat than animals forced | | | | in what separates Michelin star chefs from the run of |
| to live in barns because they eat natural, nutritious | | | | the mill chef. This is the reason why fresh, local |
| food rather than inorganic feeds, aren't pumped full | | | | produce is the best of the best. |