The Boar Likes: Greengrocers
**It was 10pm, and I, like every other weirdly nocturnal university student, considered this a great time to do my weekly shop. **
Twenty minutes later and I’m standing in the grimy fluorescent aisles of Asda, staring glumly at the last of the day’s limp lettuces, most of which are now sadly stuck to the plastic crate in which they are trapped. Wind back a few days and things looked an awful lot brighter.
I was cooking for twenty people and needed (for my Moroccan themed meal) a truck load of fresh herbs. Unwilling to be ripped off by those 75p-each pots of spindly coriander in the supermarket, I headed to Clarke’s greengrocers in North Leam (on Warwick Street). Here I purchased 5 hefty bunches of herbs which filled an entire carrier bag for a mere £2, and was immediately converted to the greengrocer cause.
Not only is the produce here drastically cheaper than even Asda (I know, it can happen) but its fresh on the day and is sold at market value. I love how one day I can buy a whole punnet of blueberries for 40p and come back the next day to find them at £2.50 but with apples being 10p each.
Here a piece of fruit will not be chucked away because it’s a slightly funny shape, nor will you find stupid amounts of plastic packaging around your oranges or tomatoes. Brown paper bag, good handful of fresh produce and an old-fashioned weighing scale. Sorted. Hand it to the smiley man at the manual till and if something looks a bit dodgy or they’re not sure how to price it, it’s on the house.
Now I am no hippy, I don’t have a problem with large corporations and yes, supermarkets are on the whole very handy. But if you have never experienced a warm glow of pride or wholesomeness after purchasing your vegetables, as most people haven’t, this is where you’re going wrong.
Take my advice and get a greengrocer in your life.
Comments