Food For Thought
/Before World War One, local residents would have bought their food shopping from a series of independent stores owned and run by locals: butchers, fishmongers, bakers and small grocers like this one.
This postcard from the Wilf Merrett collection shows R. Dean Greengrocer in Stroud (2007.183/174).
Shoppers would have given their list to the shopkeeper and an assistant would have gone about measuring out what was needed and packing it up. Paper was the main form of packaging; some would have had paper bags like this:
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Fawkes & Sons had been grocers and corn dealers since the 1870s and from 1902 expanded into wine and spirits. This bag shows their shop on Kendrick Street in Stroud and the products listed suggests much of their stock came from the UK.
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This receipt from April 1961 shows the purchases of food ranging from flour and currants, to marmalade and corn flakes from another Stroud grocers H. Plested & Son. The receipt is made out to Mrs. Bessie Marsland who lived in Theescombe, wife of William Robert Marsland who was foundry manager for local company Newman Hender. It is one of over a thousand receipts and bills from local businesses dating from 1942 to 1961, reflecting how shopping at this time was predominantly local and independent.
In 1948 the Co-op opened its first self-service shop in London in 1948, marking the beginning of supermarkets in the UK. The “stack it high sell them cheap” approach was soon adopted by others and in 1964 the first out of town superstore was opened in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire. In Stroud the first supermarket arrived in the 1960s, offering prices that small grocers couldn’t compete with. Today Stroud has 4 big supermarkets, with another on the way and in the UK 89% of people regularly buy their groceries from supermarkets.
Supermarkets offer convenience and choice, with thousands of different products under one roof and at prices that suit a range of budgets. But longer supply chains lead to more food miles and more packaging to preserve the food. On average the food on our plates travels 1500 miles, with foods from the other side of the world now being a common place part of our diet. Much of it wrapped in single-use plastic that puts pressure on the recycling system or goes straight to landfill. The energy and resources used in food production is often wasted, because over 10 million tonnes of food is thrown away in the UK each year. Food production and transportation accounts for around 25% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Over 50% of habitable land and 70% of freshwater is used for agriculture. It is undeniable that the food we eat has a huge impact on the natural environment, wildlife and those who work in the industry. Our ancestors would have brought home their shopping knowing most of it came from local suppliers, with a banana shipped from abroad as an occasional treat. Today the impact of the food industry on the environment is a vast and complex matter which leaves consumers with complicated choices.
In the Stroud District our food waste is sent to an anaerobic digester which turns it into energy and fertiliser and SDC have great tips on how to prevent wasting food in the first place (see link below). Consumers have the opportunity to buy local produce at the farmers’ market and independent shops, reducing food miles and supporting the local economy. Organic food is readily available locally, being farmed in a way that uses less energy and is better for the environment, people and wildlife. Dried goods can be bought packaging free at shops like Loose or Bisley Green Shop. Although some supermarkets are working to lessen their environmental impact, shoppers can push for more sustainable practices by making considered choices. Looking for certifications (organic, fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Marine Stewardship Council etc.) and thinking about where food has come from and how it’s packaged can help us reduce our carbon footprint. Why not take your own cloth bags for loose fruit and veg and containers for fresh produce from the counters? Most of all we can learn from our predecessors by shopping locally, shopping seasonally and only buying what we can eat.
