| Author | Message | ||
     Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8610 Registered: 05-2005 |
Now that the UK has contingency plans for a no deal Brexit that include stockpiling food (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 8/jul/24/contingencies-planned-to-ensure -uks-post-brexit-food-supply-says-raab), what's in your pantry, UK readers? (I think we're down to Hugh and Simon in the UK at this point, but maybe this will attract the masses back to share the contents of their larder.) | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3931 Registered: 03-2005 |
Not in the UK, but with my country's incoherent decapitated chicken twitches over international trade I decided to spring some measurable cash to snatch a couple bottles of Lebanon's excellent Chateau Musar 2010 before future bottles cost me a lot more. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1235 Registered: 08-2004 |
Mainly, Scooby Doo Pasta. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8611 Registered: 05-2005 |
Jerry! Sorry I forgot you in my UK residents. Randy, good call. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1237 Registered: 08-2004 |
No problem, Padraig. Didn't even notice. We're treating the Brexit problem like the millenium bug except this one is real. | ||
| Burgers Member Username: Burgers Post Number: 95 Registered: 05-2005 |
I won’t be stockpiling any more than normal when the UK leaves the Fourth Reich. I do have a few decent bottles laid down to toast the glorious day. Next goals: abolish Holyrood, electoral reform and reduce the number of MPs at Westminster. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8613 Registered: 05-2005 |
I hope those "decent bottles" aren't from anywhere in the "Fourth Reich", Mr B. Other than that, you made a well thought out and reasonable argument. I would expect no less. | ||
| Burgers Member Username: Burgers Post Number: 96 Registered: 05-2005 |
The Fourth Reich will continue to sell goods to the UK when/if the UK government manages to leave the great Satan. Of course I will continue to drink Belgian beer and French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Austrian and even boche wine. II can’t be bothered going into how the UK population was lied to in the1970s and since about the common market/EEC/EU/Fourth Reich. It may suit your Guardian weltanschauung (ooh, look, the racist used a German word) to think that the heroic 17,410,742 were duped. We weren’t. We won. That’s democracy. Best of three? | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8616 Registered: 05-2005 |
Yes, you'll still be able to buy goods from Europe - 30% of what's in your supermarkets - because the UK will eventually see sense and sign a humiliating exit deal. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1908 Registered: 08-2006 |
Just throwing this out there. If anyone needs some soybeans, we in the U.S. have lots of them. Like, a shit-ton. Edamame is very tasty. So why not stock up the larder with with a few tons? Special 'sympathy" pricing for U.K. customers for a limited time! Act now! | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1082 Registered: 03-2007 |
No plans to stockpile anything. I have no insight and T.M. may well end up signing a humiliating exit deal but, if she does, I have no doubt it will have serious consequences for her and her party. Given that those who voted to leave the E.U. are spread across all the main political parties, I would expect a humiliating exit deal to impact negatively on all of them. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8617 Registered: 05-2005 |
I made a dreadful mistake above, for which I unreservedly apologise. 30% of the UK's food supply does not come from Europe, as I stated, it comes from European Union countries. A further 21% of the UK's food supply comes from non-EU European countries and other nations around the world. I don't know what percentage of that 21% has to travel through EU countries before it gets to the UK, but I will find out. Hugh, yes a humililiating exit deal would reflect poorly on the Tories and Labour, but at least there would be food on the table. A no deal Brexit would immediately endanger at least a third of your food supply, and probably a whole lot more. That might also reflect poorly on your main political parties. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Rob's very generous offer of bargain basement prices for US soybeans should not be taken lightly in the corridors of power in Whitehall. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8618 Registered: 05-2005 |
And in case anyone might think I'm just making stuff up like Farage, Johnson etc do, here's a link to the UK government's statistics on food imports https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio ns/food-statistics-pocketbook-2017/food- statistics-in-your-pocket-2017-global-an d-uk-supply | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1909 Registered: 08-2006 |
I'm actually impressed the UK produces 50% of its own food. Given the large population and the relatively small land mass, that seems pretty good to me, but maybe I'm an optimist on that account. I'm also a little surprised North America accounts for only 5% of the UK's food intake, only because there's so much talk about American agriculture and it's importance globally. I expect a lot of that goes to larger, poorer countries, though, and a surprising amount (see my soybean joke above) is imported by countries for animal feed. Anyhow, that was an interesting stat, Padraig. Good food for thought on my lunch break today. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8620 Registered: 05-2005 |
49%, Rob. That 1% is going to make a big difference if the price of staples skyrockets, which, without a more realistic approach from the UK, is what will happen. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3939 Registered: 03-2005 |
Rob, one of the things that impresses me every time I ride a train in the U.K. or for that matter on the Continent, is the efficient use of land. Cities have more moderate footprints than I am used to, at least in California. For example, Newcastle is on the East Coast line. It is a substantial place with an official City population of 300,000 but a metro population of about 1.7 million. Perhaps the train station is on the edge of town--that's not normally where train stations are located--but it is amazing how relatively quickly you are out of this substantial city again and into the countryside where you see sheep grazing and agriculture and natural habitat. In California a similarly populated metro area will spread over at least twice as much land, and probably three times as much. I have make a comment about where this thread went. I personally really treasure this board and the people who continue to visit it and post. ALL of them. On this thread I see the danger of participants becoming alienated from coming back because of some intemperate language. I am as guilty of bringing politics onto the board as anyone else, but what brought us all here in the first place is the music. Maybe we should focus on that (and books and film/TV) for a while. Consider this a plea. | ||
| Simon Withers Member Username: Sfwithers Post Number: 547 Registered: 08-2005 |
Burgers, I think it's fair to say we're not singing from the hymn sheet. Personally, I think the decision to leave the EU is the most destructive decision made in British peace-time history. I think the British people were sold a dream that cannot be realised. Britain is linked to Europe financially, industrially, its pharmaceuticals, food, agriculture, fisheries, security, science and education. I think we'll be worse off financially, personally (I've had friends move to Germany; I lost my job last year potentially as a knock-on effect of the collapse in the pound causing massive price ructions in the area I work), socially, culturally and I think politics and the 'community' has been – and is being – diminished by the present situation. However one voted, I'm pretty sure that pretty much all of us are going to end up disappointed; I can't see how that won't be the case regardless. Those who want a total break from the EU will be disappointed because it's a near-impossibility to achieve, I think that's evident from the level of political discourse we're seeing from all parties at present. And for those who didn't want to leave, well, I think that's pretty clear. This will be my only comment on this thread, as I think that Randy makes a very good point – this isn't really a forum where politics has to play a pivotal role. I only post regularly on one other forum - the Fortean Times (!) – and that's pretty much a politics-free zone. Politics will be covered if there are elements relevant to specific threads but party or even political posturing tends to be frowned upon. I'm now going to listen to Europe's The Final Countdown (purely coincidentally) while drinking a glass of muscadet. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1240 Registered: 08-2004 |
At least we might agree that British wine is over priced and rubbish. I have recently been watching US TV shows about doomsday preppers and the extremes they go to in order to live 'off grid'. It could be useful long term. Besides being decent comedy there is a lot of useful info in there. This time last week I didn't know what a Faraday cage was. Or that an electromagnetic pulse risked everything I hold dear. The thing is Britain could be sent back to Edwardian times purely by an ill-informed act of democratic self mutilation. A Faraday cage won't be any use to anyone here. I agree with everything Simon wrote above. It's evident that more of the NHS will be up for grabs and is one of the real reasons for Trump's visit. BTW could Steve Bannon stop making sweeping assumptions about our judicial system and lobbying for an extremist supergroup with Bojo, Rees-Mogg and the recently released Tommy Robinson on bongo's. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1085 Registered: 03-2007 |
Jerry, Chapel Down, Nyetimber and Sugrue all produce decent wines ( albeit mainly sparkling ) in England. It is a young industry in the U.K. and it takes time to identify grape varieties that will produce good results. The little known Bacchus grape is being used by several vineyards with considerable success. The colder climate here in the U.K. invariably results in higher acidity and lower yields. That and the fact that production is usually quite low probably explains the higher pricing. Randy, I worked part-time for a Wine Retailer in the U.K. for several years after retiring and I had some wonderful social nights with the young staff. We quaffed quite a few bottles of Chateau Musar and Hochar at those nights. Lovely wines. | ||
| Simon Withers Member Username: Sfwithers Post Number: 549 Registered: 08-2005 |
Having said I wasn't going to post on this thread again, I'm going to chime in again - like Hugh - praising English wine, especially sparkling. We're never going to compete on price with the larger wine-producing nations, but the quality is up there with the best, if you've got deep pockets. We have grown wine in England since Roman times, and the industry is enjoying something of a renaissance. ('British wine' is often super-cheap plonk produced in the UK using grapes from overseas; English wine is, er, from England! I'm a longtime sub-editor, I'm allowed to be pedantic!!!) We've got a bottle of Chateau Musar ready for a special occasion. My tipple of choice at the moment is Les Mougeottes French chardonnay bought from Great Western Wine, a mile (c1.6km!) from where I live. Bags of flavour and only a tenner (UKP); I bought six this week as they had a 15% off sale. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8623 Registered: 05-2005 |
Global warming will give you a lovely climate for wine growing if Trump et al continue to do nothing about it. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1910 Registered: 08-2006 |
Do nothing?? Sir, I'll have you know Trump is so besotted with his new English (British? UKite? It's all same to him.) friends that he's gutting national fuel emission targets and putting the screws to Randy and his California malcontents so our cars will continue to belch tons of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere well into the future. British winemakers can raise a glass to us, along with the beneficiaries of your soon-to-explode beach-culture economy. Plus, in place of fox hunts (the fox will probably get hot-boxed out, sorry), your gentry can soon import cheetahs. Now THAT'S sport. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1241 Registered: 08-2004 |
Toffs being eaten by cheetahs is a blood sport I could get behind. Sainsburys used to sell British alcohol free wine which was very cheap due mainly to being tax exempt. I only used it for cooking but it definitely tasted ok. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 1911 Registered: 08-2006 |
I remember a time in the not-too-distant past when domestic wine was greeted with popular derision here in the states. You might drink a dreadful California jug wine at home for budgetary reasons, but if you went out or had guests over, you went French or Italian or something not from here. Even if you were a bit of an oenophile and knew where to find the good stuff, it was expensive even compared to good French labels, largely because it was small production. It really wasn't until maybe the 80s that California started making real inroads nationally against its reputation as purveyor of generously packaged rotgut. So who knows? Maybe someday "fine British wine" won't sounds so strange. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1086 Registered: 03-2007 |
Rob, Back in the mid to late 1980s I purchased most of my wines from the wine retailer Oddbins who were instrumental in introducing U.K. wine drinkers to New World Winemakers ( Australia; Argentina; Chile; New Zealand; South Africa; U.S.A. ) They stocked some amazing wines from U.S. producers including Au Bon Climat, Bonny Doon, Chateau Ste Michelle, Duckhorn, The Ridge and I spent a pretty penny with the company over several years. I cannot for the life of me remember the name they were marketed under but they also sold a superb range of white wines ( Chardonnay grape ) produced by E. & J. Gallo. At that time, Gallo were considered a mass market producer of average quality wines but this range was something else ( and pricey to boot needless to say.) Wine is like hi-fi in my book. Huge jumps in price for small improvements in quality. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3941 Registered: 03-2005 |
Amazing this thread has turned into a wine thread. I am also amazed at the familiarity with Musar (and Hochar). I was introduced to them by a favorite Lebanese restaurant not too far from my house. It’s actually a bit of a difficult wine to find here in shops but I have found one shop that will have expensive semi old bottles so I will grab one or two of those and let it keep aging at home. I dimly recall hearing of a better Gallo product but generally they are known for jug wine. Some friends have been turning me on to some of the better products of small California vintners. The problem is that California wine tends to be expensive. We also have too many well meaning newbies who really probably should not be there. They make their money some other way and then they want to start wineries. I get off on the esoteric stuff like dry farming and operations that use super old vines. We have some that date from the 19th century. For California that is old. Climate change is a real thing, that’s for sure. Hot climates can yield overly boozy wines, so UK may indeed end up producing some very nice wines. I haven’t had one yet though. A lot of the great unsung drinkable wines never get beyond their regions of origin. I remember encountering some good Czech and Slovak wines. Can’t get them here. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8625 Registered: 05-2005 |
I like sparkling rosé. Now I feel ashamed of my plebian tastes in such oenophile company. | ||
| Simon Withers Member Username: Sfwithers Post Number: 551 Registered: 08-2005 |
I like big and oaky chardonnays, a type of wine that was last popular in the 80s and 90s. It would seem even my taste in wine - like my taste in music - is well behind the times. Luckily there are a few still available, from the USA and Chile, and probably elsewhere... | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1087 Registered: 03-2007 |
Simon, In my experience, Australia made some of the biggest and oakiest chardonnays back then. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1242 Registered: 08-2004 |
Can I just have half a bottle of Blue Nun? | ||
| david Unregistered guest |
Agree Randy. I visit the board fairly frequently as i like the music tips - i used to visit more and post but there were always arguments re politics usually and posters often "threw their toys out the pram" and left. Plus ca change. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1246 Registered: 08-2004 |
On a stockpiling note. The tomatoes in the polytunnel have flourished in the hot sunny weather. So far wifey and I have made 11 jars of salsa, 3 of pasta sauce, 6 of chopped tomatoes and 1 of tomato and chili chutney. With more to come. |