I REALLY WANT TO KNOW - do you shop locally or in the supermarket???

[muuuuummy]

I am reading a book at the moment which really sets me thinking about whether I really need to use a supermarket for my weekly shopping. What do other MNetters do?

Ocado/Waitrose for big shop so I don't have to get in the car, local butcher's & fishmongers for weekend scrummy meals and allotment for salad/veg/soft fruit.

Have it delivered by supermarket

In my village there is a greengrocers that I use every day. It's really nice because there is organic produce loose, so I just buy what I need. Their apples can be a bit soft so I can use M&S near my work.

There is also an independent bakery where the bread is made on the premises daily. It is really good value and I would rather go without bread than get it elsewhere. At lunchtimes the queue goes out of the door and down the street. It is that good.

We have a butchers that is also good but very pricey so that tends to be a once or twice a week treat.

The rest gets delivered from Sainsburys, pasta, rice etc.

The only thing I do feel bad about is milk, I know dairy farmers are being squeezed dry by the supermarkets.

I should imagine that shopping locally depends on where you live, and even if you live in a place with local shops they tend only to be open until 5pm, so if you work full time that rules you out during the week.

Real mix here. First of all we grow lots ourselves (fruit, veg and chickens for eggs and meat). We go to a local farm shop once a week which stocks loads of local stuff (they have shelf stickers showing the food miles travelled); get an Abel & Cole delivery once a week (fruit, dairy, Ecover stuff, sometimes meat/fish); use the farmers' market once a month (the only day it's on); and about every month or so go to a great health food shop in a town 3 miles away to bulk buy organic and fair trade dried goods and eco-friendly toiletries. This town also has a great deli which we buy from occasionally.

And about once or twice a week I do a very very small top-up in our local Somerfield. Supermarkets now account for a very small proportion of our shopping.

Mixture. Go to the supermarket (Tesco or Morrison) once a week, maybe less, and stock up. Buy veggies in local greengrocers as I live in a really multicultural area and we get a brilliant, varied selection of f&v - much better than supermarket stuff. Get meat in the local butcher (fab butchers - worth their weight in gold) , but our local fishmonger isn't great, so stick to supermarket for that. Also have superb Turkish bakery locally for bready stuff. Pop into M&S for certain things now and then.

Well there's only a Spar locally so apart from the odd bottle of wine or loaf, I have to go over to the bigger shops. Where we used to live sainsburys was by far the closest shop (bar MuckDonalds anyhow).

smaller businesses as opposed to big chains- hmm. If I have to make a conscious decision between two things I choose ethics, but tbh there justa ren't an awful lot of small traders here. I do sue a veg box (not local to here but riverford are quite local to where we consider home), meat comes from supermarket because we get a delivery.

do make an effort to use local post office and the few shops thata re here- but bar requiring a wedding gown (unlikelya s I am married) or a small photo album featuring a stylised angel, or indeed a mock Roman mosaic, i'm stuffed.

Waitrose for almost everything, because that is the nearest food retailer to me (6 miles). I'd go there even if it wasn't. Occasionally use a butchers and deli in town too (6 miles plus a bit of a walk), but I can only go there without a pushchair (v. narrow doors), so they are too inconvenient for anything other than occasional purchases.

We buy quite a few extras at 2 monthly farmers markets, but those involve travelling 10 and 15 miles.

I would shop at local shops if there were any and the food was of a good enough standard, but it isn't an option here.