I got one of those 'lure you in' vouchers from Tesco last week: Spend £40 and get £6 off your bill. So instead of shopping online I actually went into the Tesco store. This is usually a mistake as I tend to end up spending much more than when I shop online, but it does give me an opportunity to see what is there and get something different.
I was planning on having salmon fillets for supper tonight so headed ot the fresh fish counter. I did get the salmon fillets (reduced too!) but I was really surprised to see the variety of fish on offer, more than I had seen previously. I saw Tilapia, Sea Bass, Mackerel and various less well known white fish, which I assume must be there for sustainabilty. Now those of you who live in towns and cities will be thinking I must have lost the plot, but when you live in rural Scotland your fish choice is usually, haddock, cod, whiting, smoked haddock and smoked mackerel with the odd herring thrown in.
The woman at the counter said she only had five left so would give me a discount, they were only 35p each, how fab is that! So I brought them home and only then did I think "what on earth am I going to do with five Cornish Sardines?" A quick search on the tinternet and I found this fab site and this recipe for Cornish Sardine Bruschetta. The loaf I made yesterday was ideal for Bruschetta, so we had this for lunch. The sardines were delicious but they don't half stink up your kitchen!
So, in defense of Tesco: don't tell me that without Tesco in the town all these small shops would thrive. I've lived in this area for 26 years and when I arrived we had a very poor selection of fruit, veg, fish and pretty much everything else except meat (there were three butchers in this small town) there is an awful lot to be said for the variety and choice that supermarkets deliver.
Good post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and I LOVE sardines, fresh ones ~ yours look like Posh Sardines on Toast!
ReplyDeleteKaren
Yes! I love the look of sardines - I love how they're full of goodness too ;) xx
ReplyDeleteThey look gorgeous! I don't think I've ever had fresh sardines, but they look yum.
ReplyDeleteIt's frustrating to not be able to access ingredients everyone else takes for granted, so supermarkets definitely have their place, we don't all live in London!
Those sardines look amazing. Big fat things - mmmm.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean when you say about not having much choice. I suppose you could call me 'semi-rural' living in a small town on the edge of Loch Lomond National Park, but the choice...........I have to go miles to get a decent supermarket. We do have 2 butchers (not much help being a veggie) and one tiny greengrocer
ReplyDeleteInteresting post - supermarkets are tricky beasts, aren't they? I think embracing consumer choice means supporting the shops that deserve your custom - and if it's tesco, well, so be it! I do SO love sardines, but fresh ones are so hard to get here. In better news, some chocolate is FINALLY on its way to you (that's one thing you won't have to go to the supermarket for!)
ReplyDeleteIt's really refreshing to hear a point of view that's so different to all those lambasting the use of Supermarkets. 35p each; bargain! I bet the bruschetta was delicious!
ReplyDeletewaitrose sometimes have cornish sardines on sale too, they are SUCH good value!...do the tesco ones need de-gutting? mine did and I had to resort to googling to work out what to do!
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