Anything but chips and chains!

Back in my home town of Worthing for Christmas I was looking for a decent place to meet with a friend for lunch. In the past Worthing has had few cafes that offer good lunches that weren't pubs, chains or chippies. For those who aren't familiar with the town, Worthing is a pleasant enough seaside resort and for that reason has become the retiree's destination of choice. Unfortunately growing up in Worthing meant we were denied fresh, modern and inspirational cuisine and instead were offered the traditional tourists favourite of greasy fish and chips or a stodgy fifties fare.

But thank god Brighton's influence is finally spilling over into this sleepy seaside resort. My friend and I caught up at Pestle and Morter in Portland Place over pot after pot of green tea. The cafe used to be a pub we frequented as teenagers, then turned into a Thai restaurant which in my opinion says a lot about the town - it just oozes tackiness.

The menu was promising. It was fresh with many of the ingredients sourced locally. The cafe specialises in local cheeses and there is an impressive cheese counter. We both chose mackerel and avocado salad, which was simple and light, although covered in too much dressing. The bread served alongside wasn't the best, and seemed to me to be shop bought. This was despite the homemade offerings sold at the counter. It was only when paying did I notice the amazing looking cakes on sale, ranging from blueberry scones to carrot cake.

Worthing maybe half way there to getting a decent local lunch venue, but it still has a lot to learn from Brighton's cafe culture.

Got it Sussed

The economic recession may actually be having a positive effect on the environment. As purses tighten, shoppers are looking for cheaper ways of living. Starting with the most important of all: food.

Contrary to popular opinion, buying local and organic food can be a cheaper way of living. Fresh local produce is reasonably priced as it's in season and doesn't have to travel far. And buying food by weight rather than pre-packed gives the consumer the choice of how much they actually want, causing less waste from both the food and the packaging.

As the economic downturn sets in, it is much cheaper to buy raw ingredients and cook up a healthy and cheap meal. This maybe common sense, but in today's world of fast food and ready meals, not many of us are taking the time to cook a wholesome family meal.

And eating organically in restaurants and cafes needn't be a drain on finances. Last night I attended the SUSSED Ethical Feast at Coast restaurant in Porthcawl. The ethical feast sourced produce that was local, organic and fairtrade where possible. Upon arrival we were all given a glass on Fairtrade wine, which was a brilliant Sauvignon Blanc and can be found at Co-op. After being taken to our tables, we were presented with canapes and a homemade seeded roll. But it was the starter that excited me: Swansea Bay Mussels served with a Mariniere sauce of garlic, onion and Welsh cream. The French wouldn't be disappointed with this Welsh alternative. The main course was a choice of Steamed Halibut Fillet with Candied Lemon, Potato & Truffle Puree, Steamed Swansea Cockles, Shellfish Bisque & Crispy Seaweed; Pan Roasted Organic Chicken Breast with Braised Leeks, Roasted Baby Potatoes & Perl Las Blue Cheese Sauce; or Creamy Wild Mushrooms with Linguini Pasta & Glazed Tintern Cheese, Green Herb Salad. Again I went for the fish, which was perfectly cooked and the creamy mash melted in my mouth. The tomato bisque was a perfect compliment to the white fish. The finale was only going to be one option for me: an Assiette of Chocolate; Warm Chocolate Cake, White Chocolate Ice cream, Chocolate Panacotta & Chocolate Sauce. So indulgent and completely divine. It was simply a taste of heaven in my mouth. Saying this, my companion went for the selection of Welsh cheeses of which were equally delicious. A perfect end to a pretty much perfect meal....or so we thought. Coffees were served with homemade biscotti and fairtrade petit fours and by the this time I was struggling to fit them in. But of course I managed.

The whole evening was an explosion of fresh flavours, textures and tastes. Whatever people say about organic and local produce, you really can tell the difference. When it comes to food, quality really does over ride quantity. Going back to my point earlier the whole night came to just £27.50. This just proves that organic food doesn't have to cost the earth.

Keeping the markets alive

Today I visited Riverside market in Cardiff which offers great local produce from organic meat and veg to yummy cakes and bread. Farmers markets are a brilliant way to get the freshest veg at a reasonable price as well as helping the local economy. At the start of this economic downturn, it is really important for us to help local businesses stay alive. Unfortunately as many of us turn our backs on organic for the cheaper options of Aldi or Lidl, farmers markets are beginning to feel the pinch. In my opinion it is always important to make sure your feeding yourselves and family well rather than opting for the cheaper option of pesticide riddled food which is usually transported hundreds of miles.

We may see a change in shopping habits during the recession which will return to the days of quality and not quantity. Hopefully this will help organic farming. In terms of clothing I think this will certainly be the case. Shopping habits are slowly changing as people are more inclined to buy a few key wardrobe items that will last. I wonder whether people will start to realise this in terms of food production too.

Inspired by my visit, I popped into Shared Earth for a spot of Christmas shopping. It has a great range of gift items from jewellery to wooden crafts. What's more you can be safe in the knowledge that the gifts were made in the best conditions and those who made them were paid fairly for there work. I also spotted Kate Lock's book 'Confessions of an eco-shopper' which I hope will help me in my quest to become a more eaware in my shopping habits.

To go veggie or not

When I became vegetarian it was my choice. I was 12 and already developed a dislike to red meat, but when faced with snails on a school trip to France my meat eating days were over. It may have been a slightly extreme action to take to avoid snails but I have never looked back. Growing up, both me and my two sisters were veggie. My dad soon followed and then my mum partly for health reasons. My brother didn't really get a choice after that. Only one meal a night served in this household thank you.

Now as adults we are faced with a tough decision to make. Should we feed our kids meat or should we give them a choice? My sister had a baby over a year ago and was adamant that her children were only going to eat organic and vegetarian food. Unfortunately her baby has developed a love for turkey twizzlers and beef stew thanks to his naughty child minder! Some meat eating friends argued with me that you should give your kids a choice as you could alienate them growing up. This is one of my sisters fears as she doesn't want to her son to be the 'difficult' child at birthday parties.

Out of my class of thirty, around half of us are veggie which is very unusual amongst the average population (I have a theory that journalists have a more open view of the world, as with vegetarians!). However what I'm getting at is that being a veggie growing up today is a much easier option. than it was only ten years ago! Firstly there is definitely more choice in restaurants and supermarkets for us veggies (although the veggie option at most restaurants still tends to be focused around goats cheese - stacks, pastas and tarts to name but a few way). Increasingly people are becoming aware of where their meat is coming from, thanks to the likes of Hugh and Jamie, and opt for free range/organic or avoid it altogether. And now a growing number of people choose to eat veggie because, as one friend told me this evening, it was cheaper.

Going back to my question of whether we should bring our kids up veggie or not depends on what values you wish to teach them. As a veggie you can still have a varied diet and get all the protein, vitamins and minerals you need, so no need to worry there. The world in which our children will live suffers from food shortages and climate change. Both of which can be helped by being veggie. Did you know the biggest contributor to global warming was from the methane produced by farming cows - more than aviation and car fumes put together!? To feed 100 people you only need an acre of wheat, whereas the same amount of land would only feed 3 if it was used for grazing cows? These issues must be addressed so that future generations can enjoy the same lives that we have so far. So in answer to my question, make sure the decision you make for your kids has their children's best intentions too.

Keeping it Organic

During the credit crunch organic farmers and traders are feeling the pinch as consumers move away from the more expensive organic and fair trade produce. This may seem like a logical idea to save the pennies, but in times of financial crisis the environment and health should not be ignored. Where has everyone's conscience gone? Over the last few years organic produce has seen a huge growth as people are becoming aware of the environment. Now all this hard work seems to be going down the pan.

I enjoyed a cheap and healthy lunch today at The Hungry Planet an organic and fairtrade cafe shop in Splott. Owner Christopher took time to explain that during these difficult times people should take a wider look at their spending. A couple of pints less a week or a takeaway could amount to the difference in what an organic fruit and veg box would cost. With these ingredients you could make healthy and sustainable meals every night of the week. For obvious reasons these would offer better health benefits too. Another suggestion he had was to stick to local organic produce. It's in season, so in abundance and cheaper. Also your saving the air miles by choosing local over say blueberries from South America. Roath Market is a great place to find a good deal on cheap local organic veg.

One more thing, which I thought was brilliant! The Hungry Planet offer a scoop and weigh service, so you can buy exactly what you need instead of ending up with surplus ingredients. They sell most cupboard items, but also include herbs and spices! One more tip to help save money - plan you weekly meals before hitting the shops. That way you wont end up buying random things you will only end up throwing away!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Christmas Presents!

In my bid to try and have an environmentally friendly Christmas, I decided to visit the Sustainable Wales Christmas Market in Porthcawl yesterday. I went looking for present ideas that would be free from mass produced toys made in China and the usual 3 for 2 Boots selection boxes. I wasn't disappointed. The Sustainable Wales stall had loads of great items for kids, with toys made from sustainable wood, bibs from organic cotton and hand knitted gloves. When it comes to present buying, one of my favourite items usually involve food, especially homemade jams and pickles, which always prove popular with a grandparent. Freecycle were there with a range of great presents to pick for free. But I also think it will be an even better site to go on post Christmas for all those unwanted gifts!

The fair inspired me to re-think what I will be buying for my family and friends this year, but in particularly what I wont be buying. Christmas has turned into a commercial enterprise which most shops rely on each year to boost their sales. This year more and more people are turning their backs on the high streets and really beginning to think about how they can give presents that are not only environmentally friendly and cost effective, but can also be original.

So here are are my tips for eco friendly and cost effective Christmas presents:

1. Freecycle - keep a check of whats on the site in your area. At the moment there have been bikes, chocolate fondue sets and board games!

2. Try to buy fairtrade to ensure that your gifts have been bought a fair and reasonable price.

3. You don't have to go without buying your dad the usual woolen socks, but chose ones that are made from organic cotton or even try to knit a pair!

4. Charity shops are cheap and environmentally friendly. This year it's all about going vintage! Customise bags, clothes and shoes to give your friends a truly unique present!

5. Buy locally - keep a check on your airmiles by choosing to shop locally and not online. Each time you buy something online, your carbon footprint increases with the distance those presents have to travel.

6. Make your own! From chutneys to truffles, everyone loves a foodie gift! Check out how to make these gingerbread twists!

7. Give away your time. For example, an evening babysitting or teaching your dad how to blog!

8. Buy a goat or fix a well, Oxfam offer presents for those who need them most ranging from £5 upwards.

9. Talking of animals, why not buy a couple of chickens to roam around your parents garden. Not only can you use the compost they produce for your vegetables, they give a daily present of fresh eggs!

10. When it comes to wrapping your presents, use old newspapers! A kitch way to recycle!

Changing Fashions

There is no better time than the run up to Christmas to re-think our spending habits. The credit crunch may have given us a reason to take a good look at what we are buying, but it is also offers us time to think about the quality and longevity of our products. In this post Primarni period, people want quality clothing and many have returned to charity shop chic, buying and restyling unwanted clothing into 'vintage' pieces. This phenomena may be sparked by the recent credit crunch, but it has been helped along by the growing awareness of environmental issues. Some people are even going one step further by swapping old clothing for free.


Inspired by TV's 'Frock Exchange', 'ReVamp' was an event held last Thursday at Koko Gorillaz in Cardiff and was essentially a clothes swap shop. What better way to both save money and help the environment! A small admin fee of £2.49 to enter the swap and armed with one item of old clothing, I got a chance to pick five items in return. Bargain! I took along an old sparkly shrug that should make someone's Christmas party a bit brighter and in return I could pick five items for free. Amazing. Although for me, changing my shopping habits proved harder than imagined. I only left with one dress, but I was happy. For those of us who are a little more creative it was a fashionista's heaven. The lovely girls who were sat the sewing machines offered great advice on how to customise my new dress and make it fashionable for this Christmas.

The event offered everyone a chance to get clothes for free, which is a rarity in today's world. Most importantly, the event raised awareness about the effect of mass produced clothing from stores such as Primark, Asda and Tesco. These stores offer the most up-to-date fashion on the high street almost as soon as it hits the catwalk, but this can have dire consequences. We have to question how these stores are managing to mass produce the clothing on this huge scale in such little time. Sweat shops in developing countries offer cheap labour allowing the clothes to remain cheap on British high streets. But a new issue of landfill has been raised. Man made materials now take up to 30% of British landfill sights, a rise of 7% in the last five years. These materials cannot be recycled.

It is high time that British consumers start to realise how their shopping habits can not only affect those working in such poor conditions abroad, but now can really start to have a detrimental effect on the wider environment.