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Supermarkets and retail - Rue (17th Oct 2024  07:51:35) Is it true that Sainsbury’s has a monopoly in Liphook?. we seem to be starved of choices in terms of retail and shopping in the town. It’s completely dead and are bypassed by the likes of Lidl or Aldi - these would certainly be competition for Sainsbury’s, which is a depressing and expensive store. The more deserted and neglected Liphook appears, the less likely companies will invest in it. Have we reached the Nadir and can we hope for an upturn soon? I don’t know.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - AR (17th Oct 2024  09:06:07) Have you shopped in Lidl recently ? Meat and other produce is now more expensive than Sainsburys. Only a few items can be found cheaper. The veg too seems a poorer quality. It's disappointing, as shopping there once upon a time really made a difference to the wallet.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - k (17th Oct 2024  09:43:16) I agree with both comments - Lidl does appear to be more expensive now & Fruit & veg poor. Our LIphook Sainsburys's is an embarrassment little choice poor dates on fresh meat - blood on the shelves where packets are burst which don't seem to get cleaned no matter how much this is mentioned- poor general cleanliness generally. I know I have to shop after work , but surely not everything has to slip in standards during the day. Seem to think putting barriers in to get in to the store is more important and putting in an Argos when we already have click & collect - could have provided slightly better selection of products instead. I was looking forward to having a different option ie Morrisons were coming to Bordon this has now been canned - guess what another Sainsbury's instead. We need to be offered a choice - yes it looks like Sainsbury's do have a Monopoly & they know it. I feel sorry fro those who have no option to travel further afield - Godalming & Waterlooville Sainsbury's have much more choice and also other stores to choose from. Petrol is also much cheaper than ours on the whole at these stroes.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Susan (17th Oct 2024  10:25:21) @ k Asda & Morrisons at Cowplain are well worth a trip,not worth going to yet ano JS. They also both deliver and it's always correct, along with click & collect available at Asda. They get my vote for discounted fuel too. Morrisons bombed Bordon because of the delays from the developer, nobody can be expected to run a business on poor, sloppy timescales and be held back by poor business practices.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Iwik61 (17th Oct 2024  11:01:29) Trouble is unless ehdc develop where is big enough for retail shopping that isn’t the size of a postage stamp to build on. Liphook needs shops but my question is where as residents are nimbys, but will always object

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Local (17th Oct 2024  11:22:17) Remember when sainsburys was built the land opposite Canada way was supposed to be set aside for retail development NOT housing. EHDC didn’t do their job and keep it for that. After many years of refusing plans that would have been just right they allowed housing make your own mind up as to why.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Truth (17th Oct 2024  12:21:45) There are plenty of farms and producers who offer locally sourced and much better quality produce than supermarkets. It may take a little effort to find them, but it's well worth it for quality, locally grown produce. And you will really be supporting British businesses by doing so. Our household has made the change and commitment to local producers, I'd encourage anyone who can to do it too.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Rue (17th Oct 2024  14:10:00) It seems there is a consensus of opinion that Sainsbury’s is not great, but we are pushed for anything else unless we travel further afield. I keep thinking about the idea or aspiration of towns and villages becoming self sustaining. Liphook is very pleasant but does lack a centre and a soul. I can’t imagine why anyone would be nymbyish about shops in a village. Yes, the orange peril is ubiquitous. It’s a cycle ride to Haslemere for me. (I won’t be mentioning cycle lanes for fear of a riot.)

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Old local (17th Oct 2024  14:52:31) Rue I beg to differ we have a terrific soul we have a second to none community. We do have a centre the hart of our village/ town the Square but it’s being ravaged by traffic. In my lifetime you didn’t have to travel out of liphook for anything even clothes shoes everything. Liphook is a fantastic place to live so much going on all the time. Yes sainsburys has not done us any favours other shops can’t compete and EHDC also have not helped by not setting aside land for retail use. And making terrible decisions ie Bramshott Place should have been a retail park sainsburys should have been up there right on the bypass good access and keeping traffic out of the square. But as said liphook is a fantastic place to live that’s why it has grown so big. We need to do a lot more proper planning.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Old resident (17th Oct 2024  14:58:05) Think back in the good old days there were 2 or 3 butchers 2 greengrocers chemists bakery habberdashery's but that was ( yes we have a couple of small shops) 40 years ago when the village was smaller and people shopped locally. A big change in shopping habbits is required lower rent to start shops lower business rates . Will it happen i doubt it Most people now just sleep and eat in Liphook work miles away and shop out of town. Catch 22 no shops nobody stays ,would more shops make people shop locally???? Online sales do not help. No easy answer .

Re: Supermarkets and retail - James (17th Oct 2024  19:08:02) “There are plenty of farms and producers who offer locally sourced and much better quality produce than supermarkets” Agreed, but in this country that food supply is marketed as premium and is very very expensive. Other countries have farmers markets with high quality cheap local food, yet here it’s Rolls Royce priced vegetables in a fancy stall. Go try ask for an out of season vegetable in a supermarket in Europe and watch them stare at you like your an idiot, yet here our veg is about a tenth as nourishing as the same tomato grown 30 years ago

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Truth (18th Oct 2024  09:45:05) James, you miss the point. Locally sourced doesn't have to mean more expensive. You mention 'fancy stalls' but what I'm referring to are local farmers who sell their produce to the public. Also, there is an environmental impact in consumers demanding out of season produce. Which is why when you buy locally you get what's in season. Locally sourced is also likely to be healthier, better for the environment, and you get to buy British.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Russ (18th Oct 2024  10:53:27) Well I’m not sure about Europe on my visits to France loads of farmers markets around prices so so but my experience with restaurants was dismal hardly any vegetables when asked why replies were very funny they said veg is only for poor people most peculiar. I think it’s good that we cut down on imports of stuff out of season we should buy British and farmers markets are very reasonable prices. For instance the eggs sold by the day centre are second to none local and very reasonable price against supermarket. My motto is buy British if you can I never buy French Brie Somerset beats them hands down.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Jon (18th Oct 2024  13:37:12) Hi Truth, if you don't mind me asking, what local producers do you advocate & what prices have you paid recently for products. Sainsburys is obviously on our doorstep for convenience, but would be willing to experiment with local suppliers if competitive & quality guaranteed.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - PR (18th Oct 2024  14:52:50) Luff's Farm shop in Headley, and Country Market at Sleaford both have home grown and locally sourced seasonal vegetables at comparable or cheaper prices than Sainsbury's who seem to specialise in importing produce from the african and south american regions, runner beans from Kenya, other beans from Senegal, not so long ago they had onions from New Zealand ..... get on.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Joe (18th Oct 2024  18:12:54) I do not think country market has any locally grown fruit and veg except maybe potatoes cabbage and cooking apples. Not very price competitive either with their produce. They also have imported fruit and veg like the supermarkets as does Luffs. Luffs do have some home grown produce as well but not noticeably cheaper either.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Truth (18th Oct 2024  19:58:02) So we've started buying from a small number of farms that we pass during the week. These are our choices, they work for us - might not be for everyone though. Sky Park Durleighmarsh Slade Farm Meadow Farm Hyde Orchards Outside of these, we also try and support Bells (Wey Hill) and Junipers (Lavant Street, Petersfield). We're not going out of our way to do this, we've just realised we can support local businesses through small changes - but of course still have to get things from supermarkets too.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Susan (19th Oct 2024  07:00:06) @Truth Truth be known ( excuse the pun) the farm shops you list are all more expensive than supermarkets. They aren't really that local to Liphook anyone without their own transport will struggle to get there. They have stalls on the Farmers markets where you can support all sorts of local producers but are pretty pricey. Any house hold on a tight budget will quite likely not shop there,its just not an option, it's a "nice to have", maybe just grow your own with any bit of space you have,its very convenient,low cost & and tasty! Maybe not for everyone but works for me,along with trips occasionally to a supermarket. Or as my neighbours do get it delivered!

Re: Supermarkets and retail - D (19th Oct 2024  07:37:21) How many local farmers are there who sell produce to the public? How many local farmers are there full stop? All the local farms in Liphook are now housing estates and schools. I think we need to remove our rose tinted glasses.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - er (19th Oct 2024  12:00:53) Buying locally from farmers is not a solution, it's pie in the sky. Sure it could fill a small niche for some, but 80 million hard working people can't go looking for farmers shops for their daily groceries, our national food chain security revolves around intense international farming, transporter planes, huge central warehouses, from where its distributed to factories for processing and packaging and from there to large supermarkets for the hoi polloi to come in and buy tonight's dinner. Without this system we couldn't support our expanding populations or lifestyles, in the past we ate only what could be farmed locally and eaten hastily, but then nearly half the population worked in food production in some capacity. Now we all work in sales and marketing, hairdressing for pets or selling cups of coffee for ÂŁ3 a pop, we are too busy and too important, so we rely on scale for our processed sludge, fat, sugar, salt, preservative and chemicals with chips, you can't ever go back!

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Joe (19th Oct 2024  12:39:26) I agree er but I think it is also to do with time- it is far easier and quicker to heat up a cheap pizza or chicken nugget and chips from the supermarket than to make say a home made shepherds pie made with locally sourced produce. In terms of taste and goodness there is no comparison but people these days do not want to spend their free time cooking.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - er (19th Oct 2024  22:52:42) It's true Joe, but how many have the time or knowledge to make a home made shepherd pie meal with fresh, low chemical local produce? Once a week, let alone 7 times a week? OK, we all work, so there are very few stay at home parents, maybe the price of full gender equality is Sainsbury's and ready meals? I mean, I do cook from fresh, but once or twice a week only, the old school mum has gone in most western communities and where they still exist we call it misogynistic or blame religion or something:)

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Susan (20th Oct 2024  06:29:06) Joe do you know how much it costs to make a classic shepherd's pie? I'm not including the energy costs because they alone are huge,ie oven and hob but just the ingredients.Nor the labour cost,ie 6+ hours. Classic meals such as the one you mentioned are no longer budget friendly. Do you know the price of lamb per kilo? It was ÂŁ13.99 / kilo for a shoulder and that's from a supermarket not a farm shop, when i last looked. To make it worth while a large dish could be used to freeze a portion, however with the price of lamb and potatoes also not low cost despite being in season its out of most people's reach. Cheap quick alternatives you mentioned are not anywhere near as healthy but they are just that,ie quick ( less energy used) and low cost! Eating fresh food cooked from scratch within a tight budget is almost impossible now. You would need to be a vegetarian, growing your own and cooking on a wood fired bbq. Not always practical is it in this country! Or do you make a shepherd's pie regularly on a wood fire and if so where do you buy your lamb,i am all ears!

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Joe (20th Oct 2024  09:30:13) Yes i know how expensive it is to make a shepherds pie from scratch I was explaining that is the reason we do not all buy from farm shops or independent organic butchers. It is also the time it takes why we do not cook from scratch anymore.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Oldie (20th Oct 2024  11:00:27) All this hoo ha about cooking. Just get a slow cooker bung everything in veg meat sausages couple oxo cubes on all day low job done. Enough for a family with crusty bread or a week for one lovely. And costs very little especially if you sort cheap meat and veg instead of using expensive yuppie stuff.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Susan (20th Oct 2024  11:36:59) Joe "People don't want to spend their free time coking" Next you'll be telling us 9 out of 10 cats preferred this".......no evidence whatsoever. Guessing you don't watch MasterChef,Bake off or James Martin! I rest my case / now off to cook up a storm, have a great day.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - paul (20th Oct 2024  13:07:06) Hi, If you what a healthy lifestyle, and live long, stay away from processed food i.e. Ready meals. They contain many chemicals, and additives, not good for the human body. You don't need to be a trained Chef, buy an Air Fryer, shop fresh meat, fish, (or alternatives), and veg. It's cooking has lower energy use, and good food you will enjoy in a short time. The real problem in U.K. and the rest of the Western world, is that human beings are lazy. Scientific study's have shown, our brains are wired to lack of activity. Why? not currently known. The real culprits in our country are the Food Manufactures, they have massive financial clout in the market, and lobbying our Government. They know most of their foods are not healthy to shoppers, but big profits for Shareholders.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Truth (20th Oct 2024  14:31:44) I clearly said the farm shops we use suit us and may not be for everyone. Even as I made that comment, I knew someone would feel the need to reply saying it didn't suit them!

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Joe (20th Oct 2024  20:06:47) Susan, I am a trained professional chef so I know that although a lot of people love watching bake off and master chef that does not necessarily translate into people spending their free time cooking from scratch. If they did no one would buy ready meals at all. I look at checkouts at what is in trolleys and not a lot of the trollleys contain ingredients to cook meals from scratch. With both men and women working long hours I was just remarking on the time element of cooking from scratch, and by scratch I mean mincing my own meat and making my own stock.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - D (21st Oct 2024  12:26:20) When one considers the amount of farms in Liphook that have been sold off for development over the past hundreds years, together with today's farmers in Liphook eager to sell their land off for housing, I feel no obligation to support them.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - AF (21st Oct 2024  15:23:02) Have anybody considered batch cooking, i cook things such as sausage casserole, Chilli con carne(in a slow Cooker), Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya and after serving me and my wife have 2-4 potions left to go in the freezer, and hey presto home cooked ready meals, defrost overnight and 3-4 mins in microwave.

Re: Supermarkets and retail - Susan (22nd Oct 2024  06:08:44) @AF Do that all the time. & @Joe,so do I. As for your comments you have no evidence. Those TV progs are successful for a reason,and let's face it you don't get to see what is in the supermarket delivery van!

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