Peter Loves Food. He loves feeding people and more importantly he loves feeding people with good quality wholesome food. If you want to upset him then suggest he cooks a boil in the bag meal with processed potatoes out of a packet. - light the touch paper and stand back! Its really important to him where the food comes from and that belief is two fold – He has a big picture view of why local food production is essential to our rural way of life and why that is important. He also simply rejoices in the vibrancy and character of local food on our door step, made in Staffordshire and Shropshire.
So what is the big picture?
Most food in the world is grown, collected and harvested by more than a billion small-scale farmers, pastoralists and artisans. This food is mainly sold, processed, resold and consumed locally. Local food production provides the foundation of peoples' nutrition, incomes and economies, it enhances cultural diversity, reflects the local history and circumstances of countries across the world. At a time when halving world poverty and eradicating hunger are at the forefront of all governments’ agendas, reinforcing the diversity of local food systems is vitally important.
Yet, the rules that govern food production and agriculture at all levels - local, national and international - are designed to facilitate not local, but, national and international trade. This only concentrates the wealth of the world's food economies in the hands of ever fewer multinational corporations, leaving small-scale food producers, local traders and consumers marginalised.
And the local picture?
The Campaign to protect Rural England published a report in June 2006, The Real Choice: how local foods can survive the supermarket onslaught, which surveys the successful local food economy which has developed in East Suffolk following a decision by the local council to refuse planning permission for a Tesco superstore. The report argues in favour of planning and retailing policies that will encourage local food networks like the one that is flourishing in East Suffolk rather than short term financial gain that ultimately crushes local businesses.
Chef Gordon Ramsay, is quoted saying of the report Local food matters because it's fresh, it's seasonal, it's distinctive and it tastes great. The producers care about the quality of their food, and it matters to them if we don't. The people in CPRE's report are producing and selling great local food and are surviving against the odds. We need more like them and they need our support to succeed.
Only this week Former Conservative leader and shadow foreign secretary William Hague voiced his support for regionally-branded food as a way of ensuring the future sustainability of rural economies.
Speaking at an event organised by the Wensleydale Creamery based in his constituency in the Yorkshire Dales – Mr Hague said it was important to protect iconic British brands, particularly in more remote areas.
Tony Naylor of the guardian wrote on his blog that “according to the New Economics Foundation, every fiver spent at a locally owned business circulates five times before it leaves the local economy and, in this way, is actually worth £25. On this basis, if two million people choose to spend £5 in their local shop rather than a supermarket, that's a £50m cash injection for Britain's independent food shops”... And where do the independent retailers spend their money. If they hold the same values as us probably locally so the circle continues.
We are not suggesting that independent deli’s and farm shops occupy some moral and gastronomic high ground. Nor are we are suggesting that everyone in Staffordshire should shop only at The Gastronomy Shop over any other local shop. We are suggesting that people take a look at their buying habits and examine their own values and think of the long term big picture for all small retailers and the effect that habits now will have on the future.
For our part we are glad and thankful for the many people in Gnosall do appreciate Peters passion for food – even if it’s because it tastes good. We are glad that we have a whole plethora of local suppliers who feel about their businesses and customers as we do and we are grateful for the community that has developed in our own small part of the rural economy – long may it last.
