Eating Local in London and the UK

For some reason or other, the UK has a bit of a poor reputation for its food. People, or at least tourists, tend to thoroughly enjoy visiting the UK and its many pleasant locations and historical sites – however, it is also common to hear that people’s least favourite part of visiting is the food. The fact is, though, that this might be a bit of an unfair criticism. One reason that people assume the UK does not have good food is simply that there are not many foods that one can specifically associate with the region. People immediately recognize foods and specialties from Italy, Spain, France and many other countries around the world. However, the UK, somewhat like the United States, does not have a strong national identity with regard to cuisine. Somewhat surprisingly though, the “food culture” of the UK has come a long way in recent years, and people in the region now seem more focused on producing great food. Now – particularly in London – there are a number of impressive local eateries and food producing regions. In fact, a lot of people in and around London much prefer to consume only local ingredients (even when going out to a restaurant or buying a Marks and Spencer Christmas hamper, and will go to great lengths to stay healthy and support the local food economies. Eating locally, particularly in an area that has something of a rejuvenated interest in food and ingredient production, can offer a number of benefits, not the least of which is taste. The fact is, imported ingredients are by their nature often less fresh than local ingredients, simply because more time elapses from when they are produced to when they reach your plate. So, if you are a person who cares deeply about the quality of your meals and their ingredients, you may have a lot to gain by eating locally, particularly if you have never really tried it. Whatever the case, and whatever your specific preferences may be, you certainly could benefit from realizing that the food scene in the UK, and particularly in and around London, has come a long way. For a region that does not necessarily get a lot of respect from the outside world regarding its food producing, there are actually a number of  “hidden gems,” so to speak, in this country’s  food production industry. At the very least, if you are curious about the UK food scene, do yourself a favour and experience it for yourself, rather than ignoring it because of the world’s unfair assumptions about it.    Read More

Five Great Reasons to Eat Local

Eating Local and it”s effect on our environment.By choosing to eat local, you are saving the world”s lungs of up to 17 times the oil and gas that would usually be consumed just by getting the food to your plate. In the average North American home, when we sit down (or stand!) to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 miles. That is a heck of a lot of carbon! Wake up your tastebuds – Taste Matters!When you shop at the Farmers Market, or your local grocer and choose to buy Ontario grown produce over imported produce that may have been shipped in from Mexico or California, you are eating food that has been picked at it”s prime, inside of 24 hours. You will find that this food is superior in taste, it has not been bred to withstand long, rough truck or ship rides and it has not been picked weeks (sometimes months!) early. This makes locally grown and harvested vegetables and foods better tasting, and all around nutritionally better for you. Get a Food EducationBe aware of what you are eating. It is much easier to find out if the farmer sprays his/her foods with anything or if your corn is a genetically modified product (GMO) if you decide to eat local. Less travel means that it is easier to get to the source of your food. Find out how it is actually grown. There are many reasons that sometimes locally produced food may be a tad more expensive, but these reasons are generally well justified and worth the extra cost involved. You will also have a new found respect for why an ontario strawberry tastes so much better in June,than a shipped strawberry from a far-away land in the middle of February. Get SocialBring back community. Talk to the people that grow your food. When you shop directly from the farmer,there is a wonderful benefit of a food and social education. You will find out about how your food grows, why it looks the way it does, who grew it, the history behind a certain variety of vegetable that may have deep roots within our community of London. Shopping local will connect you with the people around you in ways that benefit our community financially as well as socially. Being a locavore also makes you a local-tourist. Searching out your local suppliers and visiting them makes for some very reasonable mini-getaways with added food benefits! Drink Great Wine and Spirits!We are lucky enough to be within 100 miles of many great breweries, and wineries right here in Southwestern Ontario. This is a major bonus in the eating local challenge. Make sure to check out your 100 miles, you will see that it is alot farther and includes much more than you may think.  Read More