Imagine what would happen to supermarkets if we all bought everything we needed from their most basic range, topped up with a few treats from the ‘about-to-go-out-of-date’ shelf and a little free range meat when we could afford it.
That pretty much describes the shopping habits of Jack Monroe, one of the most talked-about cooks in the country, whose meticulously costed recipes, developed when she had less than £10 a week to spend on food for herself and her son, have won her a book deal, a couple of Guardian columns and now, controversially, a role in a Sainsbury’s ad campaign in January.
There’s a wearying predictability about the vitriol that has been heaped on her, the accusations that she is ‘selling out’, the cries of ‘shame’.
Really these kneejerk reactions have completely missed the point.
I am no fan of the supermarket and in my dreams every suburb and housing estate has a regular market selling locally grown, seasonal food, alongside a few independent and ethical traders whose businesses contribute to a thriving local economy.
As I said: in my dreams.
Until that day we need to face the fact that our food system is very, very broken and make the best we can of what is on offer. And if we really care, we will also call out the multiple injustices inherent in the industry and support alternatives as they emerge.
I don’t know exactly why Sainsbury’s have asked Jack Monroe to front their campaign but I’m absolutely certain it’s not because they want people to shop as she does.
As I understand it, her role will be to demonstrate how to use the leftovers from a roast (free range) chicken.
Are Sainsbury’s really anticipating that the result will be a decline in chicken sales because people are suddenly making better use of the meat? That’s not how businesses work.
No, supermarkets just want to get us through their doors because they know that most of us, once we are there, do not stick rigidly to a Jack Monroe-style shopping list but are easily lured towards special offers, ready meals and bogofs that bring them the biggest profits and are the worst offenders in terms of promoting waste and perpetuating low wages for producers.
Fellow shoppers, it is up to us. We all have a choice. Even inside the supermarket we have a choice.
What Jack Monroe has shown us with her recipes and her campaigning is that even if you only have a tiny budget it is possible to take back some of the power that is concentrated in the hands of a very few retailers.
I think it would be hilarious if the result of the ad campaign was that we all started cooking our own food with ingredients from the supermarket basics range and making our own lasagne instead of buying the ready version.
Sainsbury’s will be banking on us not doing that. But in the end Sainsbury’s doesn’t control how we spend the money in our wallets – we do.
Joanna Dobson 
very interesting Jo, definitely food for thought, no pun intended! I hate supermarkets too!
They are especially depressing at this time of year, I think. One of the reasons I like Jack’s work so much is that she is able to take stuff that looks uninspiring in the shop and conjure all sorts of delicious things out of it.
I loved your post! Right in every aspect. I have always tried to buy food sensibly and use it all. I get very cross with myself if I discover something has been pushed to the back of the fridge and have to throw it away. I have followed Jack’s blog and admire her enormously. As you say, Sainsbury’s intention won’t be to turn all its customers into basic range shoppers but it would be nice to think people will shop a little more wisely – and cheaply! We will see!
I know just what you mean about discovering things at the back of the fridge! So infuriating!
I have no issue with supermarkets at all – they exist because we shop in them, so I can’t hate them. I try to shop locally too though. I’m really pleased for Jack, and I hope that she does help to change the habits of a few (most will not change unless they have to!) she’s changed my way of thinking about shopping and budgeting – instead of spending 70-80 a week it’s now 40-55 a week, which overall is a huge saving, mostly achieved by switching to value ranges and cutting down on ‘treats.’ I think she’s great, and I agree with your post that we can all choose the way we shop. Xxx
Those savings are fantastic! Well done you.
well said!
Thank you!
Another great piece, pragmatic and inspiring. Boo to BOGOFs and hurrah for Jack Monroe. I love your food writings.
Thank you Felix – boo to BOGOFs and hurrah for Jack indeed!
Actually, Sainsburys asked Jack to front the campaign, and she agreed, because that’s where she does her shopping. More detail at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/17/jack-monroe-sainsburys-advert-blog?commentpage=1
Hi Chris – thanks for stopping by. I read the comment is free piece – beautifully written, as Jack’s stuff always is.
Where does sustainability start? With the production of “value” food or with my wallet? (Not that I can afford [much] organic food any longer, but the conflict remains every time I shop …)
I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels conflicted when they go shopping. I think what I most admire about Jack Monroe is that she achieves both/and – she exercises her power as a consumer but also campaigns around the wider issues of structural faults in our systems. She gives me hope that while it may not be easy to make a difference, it is possible.