Tell me, why does it cost so much more to eat British?

[chonky]

OK - in the supermarket today British raspeberries were reduced by a £1 to £2.99 for 200g. Yet I could have had 300g of Spanish raspberries for £2.99 (no price reduction). Why does it cost more for the raspberries to be shipped from Kent to another part of England than to have them shipped/ flown from Spain?! I understand that there's probably economies of scale involved in growing the Spanish raspberries, but even so...

I really do want to reduce my food miles, but it's proving damned hard when it's so much cheaper to buy food shipped from abroad. Any tips on cutting down food miles AND the cost?

This is something that really bugs me, too. It takes a bit more effort, but if there are any farmers markets near you, use them if you can. Unfortunately, my local one is better for meat and cheese than for fruit and veg. Pick your own can be great fun if there is a group of you and kids really enjoy it, so if you have freezer space, you can stock up that way. Also, find out if there are any market gardners near you who sell their extra produce to the public.

Although, I have to say, sometimes I wonder if the extra driving around sort of defeats the object - it's a 35 mile round trip for me to the farmers market.

I will only buy English fruit but if I have to buy others it has to be France or Spain. I have had discussons with staff in two Sainbury's lately and Asda as it bugs me no end that we live in flipping Kent but their apples were from Italy and the USA. Location is more important than cost to me.

I still choose to buy British over stuff shipped from abroad, but the extra cost narks me.

Good idea about the farmers market, we do have one really close, although ours too is better for meat and cheese than fruit and veg.

weather i expect, not likely to be many raspbs in kent yet even in polytunnels. like nab3 if not uk i try to eat from france or spain, or shipped like bananas. tragically although i live about a mile from london's biggest wholesale fruit & veg market all my local shops stock the cheapest rather than nicest produce, so it is nasty dutch tomatoes and watery spanish strawberries all round here.

does anyone know a good site to say what is likely to be shipped and what flown? one thing there is a lot of round here is 'ethnic' f&v - i expect honey mangos are flown, but what about plantains, sweet potatoes etc?

Costs you more in the supermarket because they can charge more now that is what consumers are after.

Supermarkets have pulled a smart sleight of hand with in/out of season fruit and veg.
They started off selling local stuff at costs comparable to greengrocers/markets while charging premium prices for imported out of season stuff.
Then once everyone got hooked on supermarkets and half the greengrocers had closed down they pulled up the prices of the local stuff to the same level as the imported. When things are in season and cheap elsewhere the prices in the supermarkets stay the same but they go on BOGOF so we buy more than we actually need.

Raspberries aren't quite in season properly yet I don't think, just some early and polytunnel crops, so they probably will get a touch cheaper, but to find reasonable prices for British stuff you will need to go to a greengrocer or market (needn't be a farmers' market). Especially go at the end of the day for most bargains.

Channel Islands are notorious for this. Here on Jersey, a 9 x 5mile island, we pay almost TWICE the cost of jersey royals that you in england pay! Same for things like tomatoes too, and our milk is expensive too - 1l of milk here is 97p and I believe 1l in england is alot cheaper?

Raspberries - start of British season so more expensive (probably near the end of the Spanish season). Scottish raspberries supposed to be the best and their season is later (even with polytunnels, I presume)

Should probably explain its stuff grown/made here on the island thats expensive, like a loaf of bog standard bread is £1.19, but we can get lamb for the same price as the mainland

it is all very difficult. i hvae choice of somerfield (do not seem to sell any f&v untinned), waitrose or cheapo greengrocer. so i get half precious organic from waity and half £1 a bowl from gg, but suspect i am poisoning us in pesticides.

Wait till they are really in season (ie not needing polytunnels or whatever) and they'll be cheaper and nicer. Sames goes for strawbs too. My children are being tortured because I refuse to buy strawberries uniil we can pop down the road and pick them ourselves.

I hadn't really thought about them not being in season - I guess I need to start to think about buying seasonal produce more.

Oooh get you Fio - living in the 'Garden of England'