Jamie's War on food waste

My local supermarket now sells teeny tiny potatoes, whereas it hasnt for several years.
Not sure if that is the same countrywide?

Agreed to Ana and Grannynot- it just shows we the customers perhaps have to change how we perceive what is 'good' - is shape more important than being fresh, or not ladden with pesticides, etc?

The thing with the 'fruit et légumes' moches- is that they are avaiable separately from the perfect ones, and at a significantly lower price- so the customer can make a conscious choice.

granjura I take that point - but expensive organic home delivery services make no excuse for selling misshapen stuff. So, what came first: big supermarkets with bully boy tactics, or consumer self-selection?

I buy my veg based on how fresh it seems, I can honestly say I never look at the shape.

Jamie was keen to point out that the 'its easier to peel' argument especially for carrots is that they don't need peeling just scrubbing and as most of the vitamins are just under the skin that's what I do and it all gets eaten - more roughage too.

It's not that I want 'perfect' veg, but out of a box of loose carrots I would tend to choose those without lumps and bumps because they're easier to peel. Same with potatoes. So I expect supermarkets do get more misshapen veg left at the bottom of the box...

As long as they are not over ripe I'm happy...... hate waste....

Big difference to veg or fruit which are spoiled in some way- or just mis-shapen. A cucumber which is a bit shorter, or a bit too curvy, or less curvy- but perfectly healthy and sound. But yes, as said above- WE the customers are responsible for a lot of the pricing and stocking.

i really object to calling fruit and vegetables ugly. Beauty is only skin deep and plants have feelings too.

I assume supermarkets got the notion that customers want perfect veg by the amount of perfect veg bought and the amount of less than perfect left on shelves ,

Grannyknot- in a way it is not fair to complain about the supermarkets' behaviour- WE the customers dictate it- and what happens to farmers (look at the milk being sold by most supermarkets as 'loss leaders').

That's an aside!

Most of our home grown vegetables are not perfect - who notices? Where did the big supermarkets get the notion from that people want "perfect" veg?

In France one of the super-markets has started to sell 'an ugly fruit and veg' range (fruits et légumes moches)- perfectly good but a bit wonky- much cheaper. It's proving a great success and has increased the number of visitors and purchases all round too- probaly the reason others are following suit. Inter-Marché for those living in or near France. Bravo.

I bought "less than perfect" fruit at reduced prices last year from Waitrose, they were trialling it.

We were horrified listening to a mushroom farmer that we met on holiday last year - he told us that Tesco buys his mushrooms at a very low price already - calls the shots price wise - and then he has to "buy" preferential display positions by paying for that to move the produce - all of which of course means that it was difficult for him to make a profit. He was only doing it for a few more years - holding out for retirement.

Most of the vegetables from our allotment are 'wonky'. It really doesn't matter.