The Supermarket Experience

The topic of Supermarkets doesn’t particularly sound very interesting, however there is something that really bugs me and I just have to share it with you.

I’m not sure what the statistics show in terms of landfill around the world, but if we were to base it on the amount of pre-packaged goods within Waitrose, for example, the UK would beat any country hands down.

Let’s take the example of a simple roast chook. Now in the real world one would expect to buy a plain chook, preferably free range, and at home add the flavours desired. My preference is lots of lemon, garlic and thyme.  We would then take our vegetables from scratch, wash, peel and chop them and cook them as we require.  

Now, going back to Waitrose.... if we popped down there to purchase the items for a ‘simple roast chook’ we’d be met by an array of options.  The chicken would be wrapped in so much plastic and cardboard it would sufficiently fuel a little campfire to toast marshmallows. Additionally you could have the option of going gourmet and picking up a Delia chicken or perhaps going even more gourmet (double gourmet) and getting a Heston chicken, whereby it comes with a lot of little extras and very specific instructions on how to cook the ‘perfect chicken’. Then when it comes to vegetables, well you have a specific ‘roast vegetable’ pack that you essentially just need to chuck into the oven as it’s all been peeled and chopped for you. And the roast potatoes, well they’re already pre-cooked so you just have to warm them up!

Essentially I can come home after a days’ work to just rip the packaging off a chook, vegies and bits, toss it in the oven or on the stove top and presto I have a gourmet roast. Now my other half maybe very impressed by my cooking Heston’s ‘perfect chicken’ however that kind of cooking just doesn’t cut it for me. How bland and boring is it to just take some food out of plastic, throw it in a pot and serve it up.  Not to mention the health aspects, god knows what additives they’re adding in there secretly!

And let us not forget to mention the laziness society is breeding with the addition of more and more pre-packaged options. Women of the next generation(s) will not have any idea how to cook (or clean but don’t get me started on that one).

Don’t get me wrong, the odd Lean Cuisine is a necessary addition to the freezer for those opportune moments, however there is the art of balance.

OK I’ve had my whinge now so will leave you in peace, but welcome your thoughts on this British phenomenon.