Open for business

The Culinary Digest has been on holiday for the past month but is now back up and running.

Here’s a quick recap of a few developments in the food world over the last few weeks. The Culinary Digest takes you to Tokyo, southern California, Poland, and the year 1621. Go on, have a bite:

Tokyo’s stellar status

Tokyo has pipped London, Paris and New York as the best city in the world for fine dining.

Michelin, which awards hard-to-come-by stars to restaurants that stand out from the ordinary, has granted 191 stars in the Japanese capital, as compared to Paris’ 98, London’s 50 and New York’s 49.

Out of 117, eight restaurants in Tokyo received three stars on Michelin’s rating system, 25 received two stars and 117 received one, which is still a very high honour.

Haughty Parisians convinced of their home country’s superior cuisine can rest somewhat comfortably in the knowledge that their city has 10 three-star restaurants, two more than Tokyo can boast. And, of the restaurants that received three-star designations in Tokyo, two –and Quintessence, serve French fare.

Tesco tries it “fresh and easy”

British supermarket retailer Tesco aims to penetrate the US market where its compatriots have failed, opening its first store in California early this month.

Under the brand name Fresh and Easy, 122 stores have been announced, with 50 scheduled to open by the end of February 2008. The goal will be to offer “fresh, wholesome food at affordable prices to our new neighbors here," explained a spokesman.

The own-brand ready meal offerings, core products of Tesco’s brand, should help the new stores to stand out from its American competitors.

According to the company, Fresh & Easy's own brand has no artificial colours, flavours or added trans fats, preservatives are kept to a minimum. National brands will also be available. All food will be delivered daily.

On an environmental notes,the stores will be built to environmental specifications, and shipping and display materials will be either recycled or reused.

Tesco’s move follows US supermarket Whole Food’s move to the UK, where it opened its first store in London a few years earlier. Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer have both attempted to take a slice of the US market but have since closed their shops.

Giving thanks, stateside

Americans gathered around their dinner tables on 22 November, the fourth Thursday of the month, to celebrate a national holiday.

The first recorded Thanksgiving in the colonies was in 1621, when the Pilgrims and Native Americans shared in the autumn harvest, though there is evidence that the tradition was in place long before the English boarded the Mayflower to sail to the New World.

In modern times, the menu generally consists of roasted turkey or ham, alongside stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans (often in a casserole form), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Historians doubt that many of these items were served at the “First Thanksgiving” in 1621. More likely, seafood or wild game (including turkey) would have appeared on the menu. Vegetables dished up could have been pumpkin, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, parsnips and carrots, though no recipe for pumpkin pie is in circulation from that period. Plums and grapes were available, as were walnuts, chestnuts and acorns.

Christmas carp

Carp sales in the UK are up as the country’s Polish population buy up the fish as a holiday treat.

The fish, generally unpopular in the UK, forms the main ingredient in the traditional Christmas Eve dish in Poland called Wigilia. Borscht, dumplings, mushroom soup, boiled potatoes, herrings, pierogi, sauerkraut, as well as fruit compote, assorted pastries, nuts and candies are eaten at this meatless meal, likely for religious reasons.

Waitrose has reported a 50% increase in sales of carp last year. The fish has been considered to be a sustainable alternative, alongside the likes of pollack, particularly popular in the UK, and tilapia in the US.

Open for business

The Culinary Digest has been on holiday for the past month but is now back up and running.

Here’s a quick recap of a few developments in the food world over the last few weeks. The Culinary Digest takes you to Tokyo, southern California, Poland, and the year 1621. Go on, have a bite:

Tokyo’s stellar status

Tokyo has pipped London, Paris and New York as the best city in the world for fine dining.

Michelin, which awards hard-to-come-by stars to restaurants that stand out from the ordinary, has granted 191 stars in the Japanese capital, as compared to Paris’ 98, London’s 50 and New York’s 49.

Out of 117, eight restaurants in Tokyo received three stars on Michelin’s rating system, 25 received two stars and 117 received one, which is still a very high honour.

Haughty Parisians convinced of their home country’s superior cuisine can rest somewhat comfortably in the knowledge that their city has 10 three-star restaurants, two more than Tokyo can boast. And, of the restaurants that received three-star designations in Tokyo, two –and Quintessence, serve French fare.

Tesco tries it “fresh and easy”

British supermarket retailer Tesco aims to penetrate the US market where its compatriots have failed, opening its first store in California early this month.

Under the brand name Fresh and Easy, 122 stores have been announced, with 50 scheduled to open by the end of February 2008. The goal will be to offer “fresh, wholesome food at affordable prices to our new neighbors here," explained a spokesman.

The own-brand ready meal offerings, core products of Tesco’s brand, should help the new stores to stand out from its American competitors.

According to the company, Fresh & Easy's own brand has no artificial colours, flavours or added trans fats, preservatives are kept to a minimum. National brands will also be available. All food will be delivered daily.

On an environmental notes,the stores will be built to environmental specifications, and shipping and display materials will be either recycled or reused.

Tesco’s move follows US supermarket Whole Food’s move to the UK, where it opened its first store in London a few years earlier. Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer have both attempted to take a slice of the US market but have since closed their shops.

Giving thanks, stateside

Americans gathered around their dinner tables on 22 November, the fourth Thursday of the month, to celebrate a national holiday.

The first recorded Thanksgiving in the colonies was in 1621, when the Pilgrims and Native Americans shared in the autumn harvest, though there is evidence that the tradition was in place long before the English boarded the Mayflower to sail to the New World.

In modern times, the menu generally consists of roasted turkey or ham, alongside stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans (often in a casserole form), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Historians doubt that many of these items were served at the “First Thanksgiving” in 1621. More likely, seafood or wild game (including turkey) would have appeared on the menu. Vegetables dished up could have been pumpkin, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, parsnips and carrots, though no recipe for pumpkin pie is in circulation from that period. Plums and grapes were available, as were walnuts, chestnuts and acorns.

Christmas carp

Carp sales in the UK are up as the country’s Polish population buy up the fish as a holiday treat.

The fish, generally unpopular in the UK, forms the main ingredient in the traditional Christmas Eve dish in Poland called Wigilia. Borscht, dumplings, mushroom soup, boiled potatoes, herrings, pierogi, sauerkraut, as well as fruit compote, assorted pastries, nuts and candies are eaten at this meatless meal, likely for religious reasons.

Waitrose has reported a 50% increase in sales of carp last year. The fish has been considered to be a sustainable alternative, alongside the likes of pollack, particularly popular in the UK, and tilapia in the US.

Airfreighted organic food to be fairtrade too

Imported, air-freighted food should only be labelled ‘organic’ in the UK if it is Fairtrade too, the Soil Association said yesterday.

After months of consultation, the association’s standards board made its recommendations to change its policy.

Less than 1% of organic produce arrives in the UK by air, but 80% of these products originate in low or middle-lower income countries. The association – and the Fairtrade foundation – argue that being able to sell this produce on the UK market provides a valuable social and economic impact for the home countries.

Air-freighting goods incurs 177 time more greenhouse gases than shipping does, the association admits. Its long-term goal is to minimise air freighting where possible. On average, organic farming consumes 30% less energy than non-organic, the association says.

"It is neither sustainable nor responsible to encourage poorer farmers to be reliant on air freight, but we recognise that building alternative markets that offer the same social and economic benefits as organic exports will take time,” explains Anna Bradley, chair of the Soil Association’s Standards Board.

As for consumers, what do they want? Ethical shoppers are bombarded with several criteria during the course of a trip to the market, and some often choose non-organic rather than organic products if they know the organic version has been flown in. Will the Soil Association’s recommendations make it easier or harder on them?

Peter Melchett, policy director for the Soil Association, said, “The results of our very widespread consultation show that most people in the North and the South say that they only support air freight if it delivers real environmental and social benefits. The linking of organic and ethical or Fairtrade standards does that.”

Photo: Soil Association (fruit and vegetable stall in the market at the Organic Festival 2007)

Airfreighted organic food to be fairtrade too

Imported, air-freighted food should only be labelled ‘organic’ in the UK if it is Fairtrade too, the Soil Association said yesterday.

After months of consultation, the association’s standards board made its recommendations to change its policy.

Less than 1% of organic produce arrives in the UK by air, but 80% of these products originate in low or middle-lower income countries. The association – and the Fairtrade foundation – argue that being able to sell this produce on the UK market provides a valuable social and economic impact for the home countries.

Air-freighting goods incurs 177 time more greenhouse gases than shipping does, the association admits. Its long-term goal is to minimise air freighting where possible. On average, organic farming consumes 30% less energy than non-organic, the association says.

"It is neither sustainable nor responsible to encourage poorer farmers to be reliant on air freight, but we recognise that building alternative markets that offer the same social and economic benefits as organic exports will take time,” explains Anna Bradley, chair of the Soil Association’s Standards Board.

As for consumers, what do they want? Ethical shoppers are bombarded with several criteria during the course of a trip to the market, and some often choose non-organic rather than organic products if they know the organic version has been flown in. Will the Soil Association’s recommendations make it easier or harder on them?

Peter Melchett, policy director for the Soil Association, said, “The results of our very widespread consultation show that most people in the North and the South say that they only support air freight if it delivers real environmental and social benefits. The linking of organic and ethical or Fairtrade standards does that.”

Photo: Soil Association (fruit and vegetable stall in the market at the Organic Festival 2007)

Supermarkets improving but still have a way to go as more customers try to go green

A new report out today shows that consumers in all income brackets are looking to buy green, but while food retailers are getting better with regards to sustainability, there is still room to be done.

The National Consumer Council’s report finds that all retailers are improving, not just Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose, traditionally seen as serving a higher-income bracket. Sainsbury’s got the best rating of all supermarkets in question, receiving a B, as did M&S and Waitrose.

Asda and Tesco improved their rankings from a D to a C. And in what the council calls “perhaps the most significant of all in terms of long-term trends,” Morrisons and Somerfield both gained higher marks this year, each earning a D rather than an E.

Some highlights:

-an Asda product, ‘Smart Price’ value fish fingers, which are sourced from a sustainable supply of pollack and display the Marine Stewardship Council certification. Pollack is recommended by the National Trust.

-another own-brand Asda product, toilet paper, dispaying the Forest Stewardship Council’s approval marking.

-Asda, Co-op and Somerfield selling more in-season, UK-sourced vegetables.

Despite these improvements from the bottom of the pile, the Council still voices some concerns, as not one retailer earned the A mark of a “truly green business.”

A few low points:

-No supermarket gained the top mark for UK-sourced, in-season produce.

-“Wildly varying” performance with regards to packaging and plastic bags was registered.

-Some stores contradicting their own green messages: for example, a Waitrose store advertised the plum season across the world, conflicting with its advertised policy of sourcing locally wherever possible.

The Council is calling on all major supermarkets to source more local produce, to stock more energy-saving lightbulbs, to implement carrier-bag incentive schemes, to sell more sustainable fish, and to use more recycled materials, and to set stricter targets for increasing organic ranges.

The Culinary Digest reckons that the National Consumer Council has pretty well hit the mark. Local, sustainable initiatives have filtered through society quite dramatically, with all consumers wanting to make a difference, so long as they can afford to. It is critical that these retailers look to change many of their policies as soon as possible.

One issue with packaging that The Culinary Digest has noticed, particularly in the case of Sainsbury’s, is the ‘Sorry, not yet recyclable’ mark on many plastic packages and cartons. Firstly, why are these not recyclable, when so many types of plastic are? Secondly, instead of spending money or time on printing fancy packaging, why are they not spending resources in this area? And finally, why are these types of packaging so common in the up-market ‘Taste the Difference’ range, when consumers are already paying a decided amount more for a top-quality product? Should not sustainability be an important part of this?

The NCC report Green Grocers is available here
The NCC report Greening Supermarkets: how supermarkets can make greening shpping easier (2006) can be found here

Supermarkets improving but still have a way to go as more customers try to go green

A new report out today shows that consumers in all income brackets are looking to buy green, but while food retailers are getting better with regards to sustainability, there is still room to be done.

The National Consumer Council’s report finds that all retailers are improving, not just Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose, traditionally seen as serving a higher-income bracket. Sainsbury’s got the best rating of all supermarkets in question, receiving a B, as did M&S and Waitrose.

Asda and Tesco improved their rankings from a D to a C. And in what the council calls “perhaps the most significant of all in terms of long-term trends,” Morrisons and Somerfield both gained higher marks this year, each earning a D rather than an E.

Some highlights:

-an Asda product, ‘Smart Price’ value fish fingers, which are sourced from a sustainable supply of pollack and display the Marine Stewardship Council certification. Pollack is recommended by the National Trust.

-another own-brand Asda product, toilet paper, dispaying the Forest Stewardship Council’s approval marking.

-Asda, Co-op and Somerfield selling more in-season, UK-sourced vegetables.

Despite these improvements from the bottom of the pile, the Council still voices some concerns, as not one retailer earned the A mark of a “truly green business.”

A few low points:

-No supermarket gained the top mark for UK-sourced, in-season produce.

-“Wildly varying” performance with regards to packaging and plastic bags was registered.

-Some stores contradicting their own green messages: for example, a Waitrose store advertised the plum season across the world, conflicting with its advertised policy of sourcing locally wherever possible.

The Council is calling on all major supermarkets to source more local produce, to stock more energy-saving lightbulbs, to implement carrier-bag incentive schemes, to sell more sustainable fish, and to use more recycled materials, and to set stricter targets for increasing organic ranges.

The Culinary Digest reckons that the National Consumer Council has pretty well hit the mark. Local, sustainable initiatives have filtered through society quite dramatically, with all consumers wanting to make a difference, so long as they can afford to. It is critical that these retailers look to change many of their policies as soon as possible.

One issue with packaging that The Culinary Digest has noticed, particularly in the case of Sainsbury’s, is the ‘Sorry, not yet recyclable’ mark on many plastic packages and cartons. Firstly, why are these not recyclable, when so many types of plastic are? Secondly, instead of spending money or time on printing fancy packaging, why are they not spending resources in this area? And finally, why are these types of packaging so common in the up-market ‘Taste the Difference’ range, when consumers are already paying a decided amount more for a top-quality product? Should not sustainability be an important part of this?

The NCC report Green Grocers is available here
The NCC report Greening Supermarkets: how supermarkets can make greening shpping easier (2006) can be found here

Marks and Spencer says no to white veal and calves liver

For animal welfare reasons, M&S says as of tomorrow it will no longer sell imported white veal, and calves liver will be banned not long after, as it is produced from animals reared for white veal.

Beginning in January 2008, the supermarket will only sell “high-welfare UK rose veal”. It says that calves reared for UK-produced rose veal have a natural diet, drink whole milk, and live together in well-lit barns with straw bedding.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Compassion in World Farming support these living conditions for the calves.

According to Vegetarians’ International Voice for Animals (VIVA), all veal raised for consumption are male “cast-offs” from the dairy industry, since the they do not produce milk. In order to produce the milky-white coloured meat that M&S is banning, the calves are fed an iron-deficient diet and kept in small crates, which VIVA says leads to a high occurrence of infectious diseases and strange behaviour patterns.

Marks and Spencer says no to white veal and calves liver

For animal welfare reasons, M&S says as of tomorrow it will no longer sell imported white veal, and calves liver will be banned not long after, as it is produced from animals reared for white veal.

Beginning in January 2008, the supermarket will only sell “high-welfare UK rose veal”. It says that calves reared for UK-produced rose veal have a natural diet, drink whole milk, and live together in well-lit barns with straw bedding.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Compassion in World Farming support these living conditions for the calves.

According to Vegetarians’ International Voice for Animals (VIVA), all veal raised for consumption are male “cast-offs” from the dairy industry, since the they do not produce milk. In order to produce the milky-white coloured meat that M&S is banning, the calves are fed an iron-deficient diet and kept in small crates, which VIVA says leads to a high occurrence of infectious diseases and strange behaviour patterns.