Are supermarkets evil?

[chadspad]

Ah yes, but how many of the local people are now able to earn a wage and have jobs because of that hypermarket? There is maybe some good that comes of these places after all????

[Andy Hamilton]

Ah yes, but how many of the local people are now able to earn a wage and have jobs because of that hypermarket? There is maybe some good that comes of these places after all????

There are a couple of rows of shops nearby all boarded up because of the hypermarket. The average wage in an area can also go down due to the building of a hypermarket. - Although yes there must be more work for people at what expense? Take away local shops and watch the community crumble, I don't want to have to learn to drive just to be able to buy the things I can't grow. I personally don't think that any good comes of these places what so ever. (not having a go, just my opinion)

[hedgewizard]

Seconded. I think they're a symptom of the car culture though... when personal transport begins to decline, they'll fold. Or change.

[Wombat]

What Hedgie said!

[Ranter]

I shop at the Co-op for most groceries & go about once a month to stock up. I use the Co-op as I admire its ethical stance, its committment to Fair Trade etc.

It's a sort of tribute to the clear labelling on own label products, but I was horrified to discover its mayonnaise uses eggs from caged hens. I know most big brands do, but expected the Co-op to be different. I've emailed my regional membership office with my concerns & while I'm waiting on their response I be making my own mayo - or at least trying to.

Anyone interested in the response from the Co-op, when I get it?

[Shirley]

Lisa

Yes please - I had noticed this too and meant to ask about it but I just bought an organic mayo and forgot about it.

Helmann's don't use free range eggs either... should also contact them!!! At least the co-op clearly state that they are from caged hens... whereas helmann's (to my knowledge) don't!!

[Chickpea]

You could make your own mayo with free range eggs. It's dead easy - well, it's not easy but it's simple, and it knocks the spots off anything you can buy.

Another alternative is Plamil vegan mayo, which doesn't contain any eggs at all (obviously) but is very yummy, especially the garlic version which is fantabulous on tomato and egg sandwiches (which aren't vegan, but hey).

[Shirley]

Mmmm yes - home made mayo - that golden glistening globule bears little relation to the white flabby stuff in a jar does it!! Once you've got the hang of it it's not that difficult at all.

[Wombat]

It's one of the things I've never done (making mayo that is ) - how do you do it?

Nev

[Luath]

This is my tried and tested quick'n'easy method:

Put one whole egg into food processor, add 2 tbsp vinegar and/or lemon juice and whiz until amalgamated. With the motor running, slowly pour in oil (sunflower gives best results) until it reaches the desired consistency, stopping the flow of oil on and off to let it amalgamate. Add seasonings, check for taste.
Keeps covered in the fridge for a week/10 days.
Not quite as good as the one egg yold and whisk in very slowly by hand method, but still miles better than any shop-bought. Makes a great base for dips etc as well, especially with blue cheese.
Hope this helps.

[Stonehead]

Ah yes, but how many of the local people are now able to earn a wage and have jobs because of that hypermarket? There is maybe some good that comes of these places after all????

See if you can get a copy of a research paper entitled "Plugging the Leaks".

It found that £10 spent in a locally owned shop generated £25 for the local economy, while the same £10 spent in a supermarket generated £14 for the local economy.

Or read the research paper "Ghost Town Britain: The threat from economic globalisation to livelihoods, liberty and local economic". In England, it found that a supermarket opening in a rural area ultimately results in the closure of every small shop within a seven-mile radius.

The same paper found that those locally owned shops tended to buy from local suppliers first, thus provididing jobs for local farmers and producers. Supermarkets buy globally and only occasionally buy locally - almost always for high-profile marketing purposes.

Then there's the Competition Commission's "Supermarkets: a report on the supply of groceries from multiple stores in the United Kingdom", where the British Retail Planning Forum submitted that every time a large supermarket opened, an average of 276 local jobs were lost.

And we're supposed to be grateful for a few shelf stacking and checkout jobs!

[chadspad]

Fair enuf, it was just a thinking-out-loud type of question, thanks for putting me straight!

[Stonehead]

Fair enuf, it was just a thinking-out-loud type of question, thanks for putting me straight!

No problems - I'm just a research-paper anorak!!! Whenever I read something intriguing in a newspaper, hear it on the radio, see it on TV (rarely) or get from someone else, I like to to check out the origins of that "fact".

It drives the OH potty at times as I trot out obscure facts and figures, while forgetting the stuff she regards as important...

[Boots]

It drives the OH potty at times as I trot out obscure facts and figures, while forgetting the stuff she regards as important...

Mmm. Listening problems, huh? There has been a lot of research on that...

[Wombat]

Me too stoney!

Thanks for the instructions Luath! I shall have to give it a go....

Nev