Yahoo LifestyleWhy buy British? Because Michel Roux Jr says so!
When was the last time you actually looked at where the food in your shopping trolley came from? Could you tell a British pear from a Spanish one? Do you even care?
Well, according to Michel Roux Jr of Masterchef fame, you should. The Kent-born chef is urging Brits to be more conscientious about buying and eating British, and only British, food in the new BBC2 series, The Great British Food Revival.
For Roux Jr, whose episode focuses on saving the Great British pear, the message is simple. “Go to the supermarket and farmers’ market and buy British. It’s vitally important that we as customers promote British produce and help these farmers in any way we can.”
But while the solution may seem simple, the biggest gripe most consumers have when it comes to buying local is also quite obvious: the cost.
Given the price wars at supermarkets and the economic climate, many shoppers will of course opt for an imported head of lettuce over a more expensive local pick.
Roux Jr believes consumers can change the prices by demanding British produce, which he says over time will force grocery store suppliers to change the way they order and price food. And if your local shop doesn’t sell local produce? Well, you’ve got to be demanding, according to Roux Jr.
[Relevant: The top 10 farmers' markets in the UK] - on Yahoo! Travel
“If it’s not on the shelves, be insistent. Go see the store manager and say ‘I’m not happy, I want to buy British [produce]. Where are they?’ Simple as that,” says Roux Jr. “If the paying customer does demand British, it will improve the British economy.”
This sort of socially conscious food programming is nothing new. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Fish Fight has made a massive impact on the sale of lesser known fish in supermarkets across Britain.
Jamie Oliver’s School Dinners has been successful in shedding light on the poor state of food in schools across Britain, even getting Turkey Twizzlers banned after it was revealed they’re essentially ‘mechanically recovered’ turkey meat.
And while The Great British Food Revival joins the ranks as another culinary crusader, perhaps it will set itself apart by pulling on patriotic heartstrings.
“Pear production has been decimated over the years and supermarkets are importing 80 per cent of the pears they sell in Britain. Which is shameful because when I was born in Kent, I was brought up in and around pear orchards and now they’ve all but gone,” says Roux Jr, who also says cherries and plums are other types of British produce often overlooked. “They can be planted back and we can help revive the British pear by buying British.”
And while most of us think nothing of throwing a Spanish pear into the trolley, the irony according to Roux Jr is that most prefer the British variety.
[See also: Britain's best limited edition foods]
In a segment of the show, Roux takes to the streets of Kent to ask people which they prefer in a blind taste test, and the answers were overwhelmingly favourable of the British variety.
“It’s amazing! I was gobsmacked – thought we would get 50-50,” says Roux Jr. “The reason we started importing them was because it was cost effective. The British pear takes longer to ripen obviously because of the weather but I see it the other way around – because it’s taken longer to ripen, it’s got a heck of a lot more flavor when it is ripe.”
So while Brits may love a deliciously sweet British pear, are we willing to change our eating and buying habits to get more of them? Roux Jr thinks so.
“I do think times are changing. I think the British are far more attuned to what’s grown locally than they were 10 years ago. Things are changing and are changing for better. Shows like this encourage people to go to their famers’ market or their local farm and demand British.”
Do you make an effort to buy British or do you find it too cost prohibitive? What do you think about reviving British produce?
Michel Roux Jr champions pears in The Great British Food Revival on BBC Two, Weds 26th October at 8pm-9pm.
