To wonder WTF 'artisan' is supposed to mean and think it's the epitome of ponciness?!

[WhizzerAndChips]

I keep seeing and hearing the word 'artisan' being bandied about lately.
Someone on FB is making 'artisan' biscuits. A shop in town sells artisan bread rolls.
the more I type it the less it looks like a real word
AIBU to think it's just the new trendy, arty farty word for pretty things?!

[QuintessentialOldDear]

In other word, a prize turd then, Alistair.

[mrsjay]

Oh dont get me started on cheffy words Rustic ARGHHHH

[MoreBeta]

Now the word 'bespoke' gets on my wick. Thats another way of justifying ridiculous prices.

I kid you not. I am sat here right now looking at a quote for a new back door that says:

"Supply and fit bespoke rear door painted same as original - £638 plus VAT"

I am also looking at a popular building trade supplier catalogue feauturing an identical door to the 'original' currently filling the hole at the back of my house for £80 including VAT.

Now I know I need to add latches, hinges, locks and fittings costs but I'm not really seeing where the 'bespoke' element adds £500 difference to the price.

[QuintessentialOldDear]

That is one heck of a cheap door though, MoreBeta, our local joiner (who actually has his workshop under a railway bridge, no internet and no email, and only occasionally answers the phone) quoted me £2300 plus vat. Not fitted.
You'd think I wanted a door for a flipping palace, not a 3 bed end of terrace ex council in Shitehampton!

[QuintessentialOldDear]

I am however, grateful for the kitchen fitting advice on another thread I was musing the other day. Harvey Jones has lost a potential customer with a budget a light-year away from their prices.

[TheHandbagOfGlory]

There is a place near us that used to have a wooden board propped up outside, with "Sheds For Sale" painted on it with red paint, now it has a new sign saying "Purveyors Of Fine Timber Garden Buildings" and people are flocking to it every weekend.

[SirChenjin]

Red trousers do not come cheap MoreBeta - a pair of handcrafted, artisan breeks cost around, oooh, £500. What a coincidence!

[QuintessentialOldDear]

a wooden board propped up outside, with "Sheds For Sale" painted on it with red paint, now it has a new sign saying "Purveyors Of Fine Timber Garden Buildings" and people are flocking to it every weekend.

And I get slated for daring to say that the British are impressed with Posterity....

This thread is a testimony to how the marketers of this nation know their targets.....

[ShatnersBassoon]

Artisan food is always bought for 'supper'. It's not for people who eat dinner or tea.

[SirChenjin]

That is v true Shatners! I love watching Nigel Slater's cookery stuff - he's always preparing something for supper using up expensive, handcrafted, organic leftovers from his fridge that are handwrapped and tied with string in a most artisan way. His leftovers never consist of a fish finger and mouldy bit of lettuce like mine do.

[MoreBeta]

Quint - £2300 plus VAT and not fitted.

He cannot be serious, surely!

Mind you my 'artisan' also quoted £2400 + VAT for a pair of 'bespoke cupboard doors. Fitted though so maybe its a bargain.

Strangely he also has no internet or email and works out of shed which was a recycled Nissen hut from WWII with a tin roof.

I bet they are related.

[ShatnersBassoon]

Nigel Slater is the figurehead of artisan foodstuffs! Does he wear red trousers...?

[QuintessentialOldDear]

Not even Painted, and without "door furniture" ie knobs, letterbox. I had to curate these myself to edit to the door at his workshop (is this the right lingo?)

Needless to say, I "sold out" I went to Anglian and bought all my doors and windows for the entire house from them, and have been pestered on the phone weekly by them trying to sell me more doors, and more windows.... Like I change them every week?

[SirChenjin]

I'm willing to bet he has a pair that he wears to artisan farmers' markets. They must go very well with his wicker shopping basket and handcrafted alpaca and mung bean sweater

[DawnOfTheDee]

Even pork scratching have gone artisan now. Nothing is sacred....

[DawnOfTheDee]

Pork scratchings I mean. An itchy pig is not artisan afaik -yet--

[MoreBeta]

Most pork scratchings are produced from pigs kept like this but by adding the word 'artisan' they want you to think of this.

Both pictures are real pigs on a real farm in a perfectly legal way but you have no idea how the pig was actually kept that goes into an artisan bag of pork scratchings. Its all marketing.

[SirChenjin]

Yep, and people fall for it, every time

[mrsjay]

Artisan food is always bought for 'supper'. It's not for people who eat dinner or tea.

I always thpught it was onlY nigel Slater that ate supper do other people eat it too (fwiw my supper is usually a packet of crisps and or chocolate bar watching the telly)

[SirChenjin]

Oh no, supper is what my vair posh friends have instead of dinner! My supper is tea and toast with butter and marmite before bed - yum

[mrsjay]

Oh no, supper is what my vair posh friends have instead of dinner!

oh so it is just a normal dinner/tea then

[BeCool]

Artisan is the new Greige

[dadinthehat]

An artisan is the maker. The thing made is 'artisanal'. Not 'artesian' as I saw on a menu recently.

[Crikeyblimey]

I have my staff source artisan products for supper. Well, I ask dh to buy stuff on the market for tea! Is that the same thing??

[mrsjay]

Well, I ask dh to buy stuff on the market for tea! Is that the same thing??

yes just go with it