Oh Tesco you fibber!!

Daphne you should come oop North in August when the blueberries are in abundance on the hills. They are not bitter at all.

All supermarkets from the discount ones to higher end would like us to think that their produce comes from cosy little farms or cottage industries. It's just a load of rubbish from the marketing con artists (unfortunately), but they obviously know that people are tempted by such names as they seem to tap into the psyche and the idea of wholesomeness and a golden age when all was well. Not just about food though, think of the cosy and rural sounding names given to some housing estate developments which are often far removed from the idea of country living.

Maybe it's time to consider buying local. I know the prices are higher but we could buy less and make it go further. Cheap chicken is usually quite flavourless and needs lots of herbs to enhance the dish. We get what we pay for at the end of the day. All supermarkets are buying to price and maximise profit and their marketing has to be slick to attract attention.

Jumbly, That's exactly what I do try to do. I buy my meat from a local farm, most fruit and veg from a local grower (which is why it's nearly always seasonal), cheese from the market and somebody gives me fresh eggs. I grow salad and quite a few herbs in Summer. I buy stuff like vinegar, oil, yoghurt, nuts and seeds from Tesco. I don't buy bread, rice, pasta, flour, salt or sugar.

I stopped shopping at Tesco about two years ago, mainly because of the very poor customer service.

This week we went to look at for a microwave oven, which were stacked on the shelves in their boxes, but we couldn't see any on display. We asked a member of staff if there were any on display she said no! No offer to help or to find someone to help. I told her that had cost them a sale, she said, in a very couldn't give a damn voice that she would pass on the feedback.

Nothing has changes and no I wouldn't believe a word they say.

Tesco pulled this trick on me, too,this week. I had ordered some green grapes, and when the delivery arrived, the delivery man pointed out that grapes from a named, " Farm " had been substituted.
Now, I cannot believe that Tesco have run out of ordinary green grapes. Whenever I go into their store, regardless of season, grapes
are piled high.
The so called, "Farm" grapes were extra small and tastless and I will. Not be buying them again.

every time I've eaten a blueberry, it's been bitter and I've found it difficult not to spit it out
daphnedil DH doesn't like blueberries because he says they are bland; however, I like them but prefer them to be 'sharp' and not sweet.
We can't grow them either, although we grow blackcurrants.

All fruit and veg has to come from a farm, even if it is not 'little and cosy' or a smallholding. It would be difficult to feed the millions of people in this country if everything was grown on a small scale. And if everything was sold that did not look perfect (remember the Morrisons parsnip farm?) there would not be the shocking waste of food that there is.
If everyone decided to buy organic, grown on a little local farm then food prices would shoot up beyond the price many people can afford to pay.

Even when grown on a larger scale, there is no excuse for fruit and vegetables to be tasteless.

I bought a bag of spinach in Tesco the other day. As I put it in my trolley I noticed a drawing of a tractor on the front of the pack and underneath, the name Redmere Farm. Silly me, I assumed it had been grown in Britain. It wasn't until I got home I saw printed in the bottom right corner, GROWN IN SPAIN. It was probably my fault for not reading the info on the bag properly, but this is what Tesco takes advantage of. The spinach was horrible and ended up on the compost heap.

I'm sorry your spinach was horrible Irishlady (check the sell by dates - that is another problem!).
However, British grown winter spinach is better for cooking - if you want it to eat as a salad leaf then it is still a bit early in the season for British leaves.
We usually lightly steam it and it has always been fine.

Quite a lot of Spanish veg coming over here has been grown by British farmers who have re-located to Spain because of the climate.
However, 'Redmere Farm' is a bit misleading I must say
Should perhaps be 'Mera Rojo Granja' (that could be wrong

Anya, as I said, ericaceous compost, rain water and ericaceous feed.

Do not over pot, just one size up on whatpots it is growing in and re-pot in early spring if pot is full of root. I have just re-potted mine into 10/12" pots.

Also make sure you have plenty of drainage, whilst they need lots of water, they don't like being waterlogged, give them some sun and hey presto fresh BB's

NonaAnnbie, if you think Tesco service is bad, you should try Asda in our village, you are lucky if the staff serve you until they have finished talking to their mates.
Filled the conveyor just last week, had to move the thing she had put on to stop it moving so that I could get more on, she still carried on chatting until I pointed out that I would like serving, didn't put fresh chicken in bags, Tesco always does. Only went there as we didn't have a car and Asda is very close.
Tesco was bad when it first opened, but very good now, obviously had some serious training.

Thanks for that Pompa - the ones dish our allotment produce about 6 berries each! I'll either dig them up and repot or buy new ones and try your suggestions.

Might try them in the garden instead.

In pots in the garden that is.

Depends what you mean by "farm" Jalima. If you've ever driven across Almeria or flown over The Netherlands you'll have seen the square miles under glass/polythene - where most of our tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, capsicums, melons, winter strawberries etc come from. Industrial food production, yes. Farm? Well it depends how widely you want to define the word.

JessM. I don't know how close you have been to these 'farms' , we gave driven through them many times. The living conditions for the migrant workers are horrendous, as they are in Greece.
I very much doubt that the workers in Holland are living like this. Too far away from Brussels me thinks. But we're always being told that we're all Europeans.

I think you will find that it's bilberries that grow on the hills up north and not blueberries.

You are right maranta but they are very closely related, both belonging to the genus vaccinium. Blueberries originate in America and bilberries in Europe.
Where I grew up, bilberries were called whinberries.
Something else we can blame the supermarkets for, labelling European berries blueberries when they might very well actually be bilberries

They are so closely related that the Scottish term for bilberries is 'blaeberries' - ie blue berries.

Anya, now is the time to re-pot

Oh pompa I'm off to Cornwall (the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligon - if I can find them!.) on Monday for four days - will it wait until next weekend?

I remember my Grandma buying bilberries ( short season) she stewed them and they were served with custard ( very nice too!) We lived in Yorkshire then.

Have fun Anya it's a tiring yomp around the Eden Project, but I loved the gardens in Heligan.

Yes Heligan is lovely and now is just the right time to go.
Enjoy yourself anya.

That will be fine Anya

blaeberries are wonderful with ice cream but a pain to pick. Didn't find many last year so hopefully this year will be better. Unfortunately, as they are a low growing plant, I don't recommend eating them straight off the plant - I know how many plants my dogs can wee on