I get a similar draining feeling when I enter a big chain supermarket...
All of my motivation to do right in this world is stripped away like acid etching its mark on my soul! Supermarkets take their toll on my enthusiasm and motivation for food and life. As I tread the cold vinyl floor fending off the barrage of products that eventually blur into nothing my trolley fills unconsciously! Just by walking down the supermarket aisles I am targetted, confined and constricted into taking in every sales pitch in the marketting text book. I make choices without thought, I need without reason! I am wasting away! Remind me why I shop there?! You can get the similar feeling walking around in a gigantic green hardware store. (I hate gigantic green hardware stores.)
Last Friday night I journeyed through the Adelaide Central Markets to get some things on my list that were missing from my scullery, like inspiration, motivation and enthusiasm. It is all here unlabelled, unpackaged, fresh, vivid, and not a barcode in sight. It is a place where you can still see great cultural fusion which so well defines Australia in the best possible light. Asian food courts full of skippys, dour Italian green grocers happily selling their produce for cash, cheese sold by skinny emo kids and carnivores rubbing shoulders with vegatarians. The scene of a busy market could be from centuries past in a trade port somewhere else in the world. The event of people coming together to a place where many produce traders vie for your sheckles is ancient and survives today for good reason. Markets of all types give enthusiasm, inspiration and motivation for free, so drink from this endless chalice - your very own grail. But choose wisely there is a parasitic chain supermarket (near the Central Markets) leeching on wayward shoppers. Your crusade through the markets should stir your soul, cos' it stirs mine!!
That sounds like a bit of wank, but it is true wank!
Next time you feel like a soul stirring crusade - of the gastranomic kind head to the Adelaide Central Markets. In particular these two shown below. 'Bun Chef', providing you with 5 simple choice fillings in your hot buns - Delicious as the sign says. It is cheap, cheerful and warming on a wintery evening! If your more of a meat than a sweet person then try the Polish kabanos from 'SevenHill Fine Food'. They have everything Polish and more, and you're arteries will harden just looking at some of the beautiful produce they offer.
You will need a drink post kabano - "Go do ze bar and heave zum shootuzz!"
What is your favourite market gem?
Giles
ahhhh, the scullery...i do have some favourite market gems...and thank you for asking! as a regular market stalker, my senses are consistently bombarded by one or more of the following: chicken laksa from asian gourmet(this is a new fetish that was recommended to me by a marshall), rikki's chicken rice(a perennial favourite with the masses), lining up for herbs from lien heng, the sheer quality of the wet and dry aged meat from feast, house of organics(mainly for potatoes...potatoes are my friends), coco's for really good veg., a chocolate doughnut from dough, say cheese, a custard polo bun from nana bake, the bizzare shops out the side near the food court(one is dedicated to plastic containers - awesome), babies in prams, old men walking really slowly, bad buskers, chefs shopping and the whole concept of shopping seasonally & affordably. as our courageous blogger says, not a barcode in sight. long live the central market.
ReplyDeleteI think description of the supermarket chains as "cold and heartless" don't nearly go far enough. Coles and Woolworths have a duopoly on Australian Grocery sales. 60% of milk sales and 50% of fresh fruit and veg are sold through these 2 stores that have a 40% share of the Australian retail dollar.
ReplyDeleteThese companies contract producers to supply them. They expect a 40 to 50% mark up on that product to go straight in to their pocket. What I think the average punter does not realise is that when these products are on special in Woolworths, their profit margin remains constant and the poor producer has to wear the discount or risk losing his contracts.
Coles and Woolies bottle shops (Dan Murphy,BWS, etc etc) actually sell beer and wine cheaper than independant bottlo owners can source it wholesale!
Why the tirade you may ask? Well you do save money in when you shop at Woolies, but at the same time, buy saving the money, you squeeze the already slender margins of the independant stores, increasing the strangle hold these heartless barstads allready have on the Australian food market.
Rise up, fellow foodies! Vote with your feet and wallets and boycott these vicious bullyboys who make Walmart look like schoolgirls (They only have 15% of the US Grocery market). Support your local indepentdant butcher and veg shop, because they are by default subsidising the losses most producers are making by supplying the majors.
Spread the word and the rage and boycott Coles and Woolies in all forms to support Australia's Farmers!
Check out this website for more info
http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2008/09/02/ex-woolworths-ceo-concerned-market-dominance-may-tarnish-food-production-future.html