Made & processed in Wales - the real thing
It's that time of year again, when we spend more money than we have on things that we would normally never dream of buying. Christmas is primarily a religious festival but in reality, is chance to catch up with family and friends and an almighty spend fest.
What has become clear this year more than any other is that internet shopping is going to close down an awful lot of shops in the new year. I am typing this blog on a new laptop, purchased in a UK wide based shop that has had many customers, but very few purchasers. Many shops are now nothing more than brief stopping points for shoppers who want to check their potential product, prior to buying them on the net.
So if you are keen to buy Welsh this Christmas in order to support local businesses and keep them open, what can you buy? Well, the most obvious products are food and booze. These are products which we most certainly over-indulge in at this time of year and the good news is that we make world class products at decent prices. For instance, we make beers that are as good as anything else on the market, we even make single malt whisky and as for food products, why buy from anywhere else?
Believe it or not, but certain UK supermarkets are not cheaper than your local grocer, butcher or baker and with respect, the supermarket products are more often than not inferior. Simple things like swapping to Welsh cheese, Welsh dairy milk (not the so-called Welsh milk that is treated and bottled in England), Welsh butter and a local baker cost no less, yet make one hell of a difference to our local economy.
So when you go out over the next week to spend, spend, spend, try to shop local and look for local products. Your choices could make all the difference to local businesses.
With respect there are a number of independent shops that sell laptops in Cardiff (just walk up City Road), which probably cost no more than the one you bought. Admittedly it would probably have been made in the same Chinese factory as the one you got.
ReplyDeleteJust after Borders went under a colleague said to me that she was disappointed because, 'I buy all my books from Amazon but its good to browse in Borders to get inspiration' which pretty much sums up the problem.
How can you tell that you're buying Welsh milk rather than milk that has been treated in England, the labelling often isn't that descriptive?
I agree with the thrust of your post though, we could all do so much for the economy (and the environment) by buying locally. Are there any good websites listing Welsh products and suppliers?
WA, I really miss Borders, which was a wonderful bookshop. I will always have fond memories of learning Welsh between golf and family planning, while shoppers broused around us. I can tell that I am buying Welsh milk because unless it states that the dairy is in Wales, then it is collected from, Welsh farms, lorried across the border, pasteurised, bottled and delivered back to us. The milk above along with ahandful of others is collected, pasteurised and bottled here, which keeps far more of the profit here, as well as keeping 'milk miles' down.
ReplyDeleteThere are various Welsh websites supporting Welsh produce, but I do my bit by using local grocers, butchers, bakers, the local farmer's market and picking up Welsh sources goods in the supermarkets.