I love it when I get time to go to the butcher or fishmonger and then the veg shop, or venture out to a farm shop and get absolutely awesome fresh produce. Yes this helps local businesses, yes I should do it more often. But due to work and having a life outside cooking, this is often not possible in a practical sense. So I unashamedly buy loads of stuff from the supermarket. However I would urge you to try and do the following when supermarket shopping:
Organic/Free Range
Buy free range/organic/higher quality meat – it tastes better, the animals were probably a bit better kept and farming methods are slightly more sustainable. It also tends not to shrink as much when you cook it.
Buy free range eggs – ditto
Fruit and Veg
Try and be a bit discerning with vegetables, in terms of size and quality; you can usually tell if something is in season by looking at it or noticing its sudden availability.
Exotics
Do check out the ‘exotic’ food aisles – although you can often buy some of this stuff cheaper in local shops, remember you are here for convenience in the first place…. Stuff like soy sauce, doubanjiang (Sichuan bean paste), chiu chow chilli oil and decent products like spices are often available and cheaper than the regular supermarket brands.
Big Tasty Durham 