UK supermarkets 758

There are supermarkets and supermarkets. Being busy is no excuse. If I can manage to do my own cooking - and I am disorganised by nature, so it is a special effort - anyone can. It is a question of wanting to do it. Have already lost out. My butcher has been around for a very long time. Before that, we had three brothers in the parade at the end of our road. When they came to retire, they tried to sell the business without success and just had to retire. That was terrible. They have to make a living and compete with the big boys. The fuss about supermarkets has come too late. It should have been made at least 20 years ago. Waitrose is not always more expensive and you don't have the temptation of non-food stuff like clothes, records and toys to contend with. Well, yes and no. Business rates are sky-high and along with rents and wages have to be covered before even a sniff of profit is made.

There is still a chance for a consumer revolution but if people can't be bothered, then that is too bad. However, supermarkets are OK for some things, such as tinned stuff, baking ingredients and drinks. If you go to Islington Elliott Bros butchers is still going strong and just down the road is Hatt's wonderful fish shop. Shame there aren't more of them left. My fish man has been coming here in his van from Grimsby for many years but is not exactly young. I would hate to think what will happen when he retires because I have never seen a young man with him - his buttistant is older than he is.

Finally, in Wymondham, where m-in-l lives, there are only two butchers left. The one I go to when I am there tells me that there used to be eight butchers' shops in the town not that long ago. Like others, he and his two colleagues are knocking on a bit. Sadly, people I know in Wymondham have never crossed his threshold, which is a great pity.

End of rant. -- June Hughes