supermarkets v independent shops

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

After watching that programme on the telly the other day called something like "The True Cost of Cheap Food", I am wondering whether to start buying from my local butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer instead of getting that stuff from Tescos with mu main food shop. The family on the programme found that a chicken breast in her butchers cost 1.35 each which seems quite a bit cheaper than a standard fresh chicken breast from Tesco.

I'd always assumed that local independcent stores would actually cost more than the supermarkets. Would I really be better off buying off individual butchers, fishongers etc?

Had a lovely local greengrocer, but a few months back they stopped putting prices on anything and I started noticing my totals seemed pretty expensive. Complained to the lady on the till, who said I was about the 100th person to say that and the manager wouldn't listen to her.

Fortunately last time I went in there were boards propped up with lists of all the prices - still not good for people without much English, but much better.

There's a farmers' market near me once a month (bit expensive but worth it), no fishmonger except Sainsburys' one, great butcher one train stop away, bit expensive but worth it, and does some cheap items. Lots of local butchers but all halal which is useless if you mainly want pork. Had a baker on the corner but it was crap and then closed.

Now I'm on maternity leave I've found Sainsburys does all its reductions around 4pm, so buy lots of stuff then!

the grocers in my town are very expensive, so is the butchers.
if i go to a market 10mins away the veg is good and cheap, the fruit isnt, i always check lemons as they always slip rotten ones in.
i cook alot of west indian and where ever you go its expensive.

I will just add - those small corner shops that sell loose spices and various other interesting powders and asian products - they are much much cheaper for jars of ginger, garlic and such like. Mostly about half the price you pay in Supermarket and twice the size of jar.