FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER - WINE WHINE

OK here I am back in my usual Friday slot, raring to go! So, what happened today? Well, not very much it has to be said. I think I’ll start with my friends the Basics (again). This week I discovered Basics yoghurts. I was sorely tempted, I have to admit, particularly when I noticed that it said “Still with real fruit” on the packaging. Sounds great, but the use of the word ‘still’ seems to imply that this satisfactory state of affairs is not going to last and that real fruit is destined to be dropped at some stage in the future in favour of … what? Fruit flavouring? The fruit equivalent of surimi (remember that from a few weeks ago? And yes, it is still in my fridge unopened). Anyway, having been tempted I decided against them in favour of some ‘pork and egg cutting pie’ (the pie formerly known as ‘gala pie’ and even more formerly known as ‘veal ham and egg pie’). And, guess what! The name has changed again to ….. ‘pork cutting pie’. I asked the lady behind the counter (should I say lady or woman, I can never remember) if the egg was still in it and she picked up both chunks (not quite sure what the correct name for a thick slab of this stuff is) and peered carefully at each end to find no sign of any egg. So what is on sale now is just good old pork pie! I wonder who thinks up all this name changing and ingredient altering stuff and to what purpose. No doubt there were endless meetings and memos and letters to suppliers etc etc but the question on my mind is … why? Well, whatever the reason it is now off my shopping list – no egg, no buy (isn’t that a Bob Marley song?) I’m afraid. I decided to buy some English wine this week as I am keen to buy British when I can (even though it can sometimes be really difficult – witness my bacon buying in recent weeks). So, I walked slowly up and down the wine displays looking for English wine (particularly on the top shelf with all the adult wines) but couldn’t find any even in the area for the also rans (Blue Nun, Piat d’Or (which although they adore it the French have never heard of apparently) etc etc). So I asked a stocker upper (he who ups the stock when it is running low) and was told that they used to do two and he even remembered their names. One sounded like the dreaded British sherry – made up from concentrate imported from God knows where - but the other sounded quintessentially English, something like ‘Summer Meadow’. And then he did the walking slowly up and down the wine displays routine as well, but to no avail. We concluded that it was no more, presumably it sold poorly and Sainsbury’s axed it. I’m very disappointed. English wine is good stuff these days so come on John (King, big cheese, CEO etc), Sainsbury’s is a British company and should be supporting British producers as much as possible. So, get some in, run a 50% promotion and do some end of aisle displays. That should do the trick. Here’s a promise - if you stock it, I’ll buy it. And I’m sure all the other readers of this diary are up for it as well! Aren’t you both? Now, on to bags. I’ve gone green! Despite the message on the Sainsbury bags at the checkout ‘Please re-use’, I have to admit that my only re-use is for rubbish prior to them being put in my large black friend outside the front door. I read an alarming statistic that, if I remember correctly, some 10,000 plastic bags are given away by supermarkets every minute in Britain and all of them take forever (literally) to bio-degrade or whatever the technical term is. So, I’ve unearthed two green (appropriate colour) bags that have a piece of plastic inside to give them shape and I used these today at the checkout – result….. no Sainsbury’s bags were needed! One small step for man ….. However, why ever don’t Sainsbury’s take a lead and charge for the plastic bags and use the money raised to fund research into recycling? And don’t charge 1p or something derisory, charge 10p per bag as the aim must be to significantly reduce the usage of these eco-unfriendly things. Alternatively turn to recycled brown paper bags (I think they have these in the USA) - even ones that could be used in my brown friend outside the back door (there’s another idea, two in a week, once I get going there’s no stopping me, apart from in one department unfortunately …. ). I know it’s not a big selling point – ‘come to us and be charged for bags’ is not a brilliant slogan (sounds like one for a brothel) – but my goodness it certainly makes a statement about Sainsbury’s greenness! Anyway, that’s about it for this week, I haven’t had time to check out the Sainsbury’s loan offerings yet, but it’s in hand and I’ll report back next week. Just had a look at my bill, another Lorraine Quiche I’m afraid (I’m a sucker for French tarts (not sure I should say that but I think you know what I mean)) and a new member of the cast – O Lemon Cookies. This sounds like a song title like ‘Oh Shenandoah’ or ‘O Sole Mio’ or even the famous American football star O L Cookies’ real name. Or am I thinking of somebody else perhaps?

Items bought 32

Cost £52.89

Cost per item £1.65

Checkout number 19
Nectar points balance 384