The broad sunlit uplands of next March. Yeah, really. .

[gary396]

I've heard a few quotes from various 'experts' in recent months about how we won't be able to (easily) import a lot of the more exotic fruits & veg that we've become accustomed to having routinely in the last 20 years or so. Just look at the range of fresh foodstuffs that are available (mainly wrapped in plastic) in our supermarkets almost year-round these days, whereas once some of them were occasional and seasonal treats if at all.

The thing is, if Brexit was to change things in that respect (which I doubt) would that be a bad thing?

No doubt our celeb chefs would have to write new cook books with simpler, less exotic ingredients - so at least a Brexit bonus for them, publishers and book retailers with new sales.

[midgetman]

Oh my God that would have some of my friends wailing as if the world had ended!

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[Peter Mallett]

Then buy it from Albania. Seriously there isn't a Fruit that I know of that doesn't grow here.

Bananas don't grow in EU countries apart from the Canary Islands AFIK.

We can also buy from Turkey.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Then buy it from Albania. Seriously there isn't a Fruit that I know of that doesn't grow here.

Bananas don't grow in EU countries apart from the Canary Islands AFIK.

We can also buy from Turkey.

Does anyone know where porridge comes from? Mrs bauble is addicted to it.

[gary396]

Originally Posted by bauble

Does anyone know where porridge comes from? Mrs bauble is addicted to it.

Porridge was a BBC production if I recall correctly. Ronnie Barker wasn't it?

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by bauble

Does anyone know where porridge comes from? Mrs bauble is addicted to it.

Scotland?

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Scotland?

Oh! Lord! Peter don't tell her that.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by gary396

Porridge was a BBC production if I recall correctly. Ronnie Barker wasn't it?

I knew that some blinking I**** would bring that up, but I anticipated it would be one of the regular clowns on here!

Right, Viv Mike H?

[grantp]

The best Porridge rolled Oats (proper stuff, not the cheap dregs and leftovers) that I have found so far seem to come from Scotland or Eire.

The best Scots oats from Sainsbury's are about double the price of the 'normal' stuff but worth it. I think the Irish stuff was discovered at Tesco.

Both currently probably safe supplies one way or another - even if people do end up smuggling it over the border from Eire.

Most of the non-UK fruit and veg around here seems to come from Africa or Central America.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by grantp

Most of the non-UK fruit and veg around here seems to come from Africa or Central America.

And referring to Gary's earlier comment about local and seasonal produce, it was quite a culture shock when I first started spending most of my time in Spain not to be able to find what I was accustomed to buying in the UK.

Gordon can probably confirm what it is like now, but certainly up to the end of the noughties, it was rare to find non seasonal produce in the markets or supermarkets. It had begun to change just as I was leaving Spain as the major supermarket chains had started employing buyers who had worked in the UK supermarkets, and they realised that they could improve turnover by offering some produce all year round.

The peculiar thing about that is is because a lot of that produce is actually grown in Spain all year round now using modern horticultural methods. If you travel along the Costas in particular, you will pass miles upon miles of plastic poly-tunnels where they grow thousands of tonnes of produce which had been, and may still be, exported.

Having said that, there was still resistance from the older generations to buying produce that wasn't traditionally in season. You can lead a horse to water, etc.!

[Peter Mallett]

Ah yes. Polytunnels. A major source of plastic pollution so expect the EU to ban their use then worry about where the year round fruit supplies come from.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Ah yes. Polytunnels. A major source of plastic pollution so expect the EU to ban their use then worry about where the year round fruit supplies come from.

Don't worry about that; Spain will just ignore the ban, just as they do with any other measure that they don't like that comes from Brussels.

Most of the Spanish people that I met when living there were lovely people, yet they put up with having some of the most corrupt politicians, local, regional and national, in the Western world. There are very few town or city halls in the country that aren't tainted by some corruption or other.

[Peter Mallett]

Agreed but you've just highlighted why the UK should have no part of the EU. And it's not just Spain; Italy does a good job of corruption and France is simarlarly plagued. But then again the UK has its fair share of shysters too.

[Gerard C]

Agreed about France, of course. Dont you think corrupted politicians is nearly a pleonasm? If ever you find one of our politician standing away from any "envelop" you can make sure you just found a stupid guy…

[zefarelly]

I'm working on a root crop recipe book as I type

Turnip surprise anyone?

ditching plastic is a worldwide issue, and needs dealing with pronto. I can still buy Fruit and veg in brown paper bags locally . . . at a price.

Originally Posted by gary396

I've heard a few quotes from various 'experts' in recent months about how we won't be able to (easily) import a lot of the more exotic fruits & veg that we've become accustomed to having routinely in the last 20 years or so. Just look at the range of fresh foodstuffs that are available (mainly wrapped in plastic) in our supermarkets almost year-round these days, whereas once some of them were occasional and seasonal treats if at all.

The thing is, if Brexit was to change things in that respect (which I doubt) would that be a bad thing?

No doubt our celeb chefs would have to write new cook books with simpler, less exotic ingredients - so at least a Brexit bonus for them, publishers and book retailers with new sales.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

ditching plastic is a worldwide issue, and needs dealing with pronto. I can still buy Fruit and veg in brown paper bags locally . . . at a price.

A little known fact; it takes approximately 3 times in fossil fuel to produce a tonne of recycled brown paper for paper bags as it takes to manufacture a tonne of plastic film for the bags that are now used for holding fruit and vegetables. And that includes the raw materials for the plastic film, a lot of which is recycled as well.

Source: one of Europe's largest manufacturers of both paper and plastic bags from the 1980s - me.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

in brown paper bags locally . . . at a price.

Tree murderer!

Why do people hate plants so much that, universally, they are destroyed and eaten or wasted in some other way?

[Mike Bell]

So we can’t have plastic bags for our produce, and we can’t have paper! Think I’ve got an old steel bucket somewhere......

Back to the topic, I heard 2 truck drivers being interviewed after the Branston experiment today. One thought it went really well and the government plan was great, the other thought the whole thing a load of tat! Think I’ll trust the latter opinion...

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by bauble

I knew that some blinking I**** would bring that up, but I anticipated it would be one of the regular clowns on here!

Right, Viv Mike H?

You are quite right Baub but in my defence I've been so busy at work today I've had to wait until I got home before I could check the forum!
Another good use for rolled oats is of course in the making of flapjack, another part of the range of home baked goodies produced by my wife (no Baub, it's not a pie stall!).

[Peter Mallett]

Agreed.

[Gerard C]

Bob dont you think its the right time to make bags you can eat too? We could have le beurre et l'argent du beurre then… May be you can ask to Miss Valérie!

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

I'm working on a root crop recipe book as I type

Turnip surprise anyone?.

What's the surprise?

[Gerard C]

Might it be a new type of octane booster?

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Bob dont you think its the right time to make bags you can eat too? We could have le beurre et l'argent du beurre then… May be you can ask to Miss Valérie!

You joke, but there is already rice paper that is used in the baking/patisserie industry. And back in the 70s (or maybe the late 60s), we helped to create a material that was used to manufacture edible panties. That was after we had produced what were known as Chukka Panties, disposable knickers for a certain type of young lady, which were initially given away in a promotion by Cosmopolitan magazine.

[Gerard C]

Yes, Mike H, I was joking and you made me voiceless with your edible panties story. How could one imagine that? Did you female clients become women of good taste?