As a society we choose convenience over quality. Brighton is a fantastic place to shop locally from a range of markets and cuisines, where you are able to buy fair trade and organic goods. By shopping locally at markets, butchers or grocers, you may have to put in slightly more effort, but in return you are supporting local shopkeepers and farmers who provide you with an extremely high standard of produce, and save you money. You are thus creating a connection with food by knowing where it is from and who has taken the time to produce what you are eating.
If you want to save money whilst shopping locally there are a variety of places to buy fruit, veg, meat, fish and basics. On a Tuesday there is a farmers market in Falmer house, which sells fresh produce. Another alternative is the Farm shop in Falmer village; a short walk from campus with fruit, veg, fresh meat and a range of condiments. If you’re shopping in town, London Road is a great place to start, especially with the Open Market, open every day until 1pm, housing some great value butchers, grocers and fish mongers. In the North Laines, Infinity Foods is a great (if slightly more expensive) place to obtain fresh, seasonal goods.
In the recent light of the destruction of the Lewes Road community garden in favour of a Tesco Express (which would have been the eleventh Tesco in Brighton and Hove), it seems there is even more reason to support local shops. By doing this we can only hope that, in future, community areas will have a higher value than another supermarket in a city where we have ample already.
