| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| bodger |
Duchy Originals. This just goes to show that its equallyImportant to see what's not on the label of a product as whats actually on it.Duchey Originals is a large company headed by our future King Charles the third. Its based on the produce of his largely organic estate in Cornwall. The company has a turnover in excess of 38 million pounds and its food range runs to many hundreds of items. I watched one of a number of programmes last night on the company, its ethos and how its policies benefit the environment and countryside communities etc. The companies foodstuffs are all from organic sutainable resources but when it came to the Duchy brand of jams and preserves, I was in for a bit of an eye opener. The jams were made under licence, as are a number of other lines. The jams had a nicel posh label with the Duchy crest along with a list of contents etc. All in all, the products were nicely presented, as should any foodstuff be thats going to go on and demand a premium price. The programme showed clips of the various jams and preserves being made in a super duper factory but then came the shocker. During the clip, the interviewer casually asked where the fruits were sourced and the factory director replied, that the organic strawberries came from Turkey and that the black currants were sourced from Denmark. He went onto explain that the fruits came from abroad because our weather conditions here in the UK encouraged mould growth and that they couldn't source quality and quantity raw products in the UK. Now this programme was obviously designed to give Duchy Originals a glowing report and in all honesty, it probably is a nearly excellent and well motivated company but fair play to the presenters, because they stuck at the task of investigating this slightly suprising fact. They asked one of the companies sales executives about it. The woman looked fairly guilty but stuck to her guns that the company had nothing to hide. She said that if anyone was to enquire about the origin of any of their products then an honest answer would be given. This of course IMO completely misses the point. A decision had obviously been taken by the company not to tell the consumer that the strawberries had travelled thousands of air or road miles . So the moral is, its not just a matter of reading whats on the label, you also need to know whats not on it. |
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| tahir |
If you want English strawberries in your jam buy Tiptree. | ||||
| gil |
I find it hard to believe they can't get UK organic blackcurrants for their jam - bushes are prolific fruiters, and not that prone to disease / pests, nor to bad weather. | ||||
| Behemoth |
Expensive to pick though?
There's a lot of sugar in their soup. |
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| bodger |
http://www.duchyoriginals.com/about_duchy.php | ||||
| Stacey |
I have a strangely irrational dislike of Duchy Organics 
Maybe he could help some of the Cornish farmers hit by various crises by assisting them to diversify into growing blackcurrants for his jam. |
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| wellington womble |
Don't ribena pinch them all? I agree - you have to assume anything not said is not happening. I've been looking for stuff produced in the UK more lately, and it's surprising the amount of hedging there is. On the weetabix packet it says 'milled and baked here' But it doesn't say grown here, so I assume it is not. Mind you, I'm a frightful cynic.
I don't much like Duchy stuff - it's very expensive (and I don't generally mind spending a few bob on food) and not all that great. It also doesn't all say its organic (like the ham) and the bacon tastes of fish (or did last time I tried it, which was some time ago, I admit) |
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| judith |
The gingery biscuits are quite nice, and the beer isn't bad. | ||||
| sparrow |
The beer, I think, is made by Wychwood brewery in Oxfordshire. (Hobgoblin, Brakspear et al). | ||||
| judith |
That explains why it I like it, then. I'm rather partial to the odd Brakspear. |
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| Stacey |
Which part of it comes form Cornwall then?
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| Jonnyboy |
Ribena nick them all. |
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| Jonnyboy |
The label? |
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| Stacey |
I doubt it - that's probably outsourced as well |
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| Nick |
UNless the brand has been bought, Wychwood don't make Brakspear. I'm way out of date, but I ran Wychwood's first pub! Lovely place in St. Aines. Happy days... |
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| judith |
You have led an interesting life! | ||||
| Jonnyboy |
Nah, he's just been fired a lot. | ||||
| Nick |
Only twice. And never from a pub. | ||||
| sean |
They belong to the same company as Wychwood and appear to be brewed in several places. refreshuk
Sorry, read the link properly now. They're brewed in Witney. |
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| Nick |
Indeed. Did tell you I was out of date. But, only by 4 years. That's no time at all in CAMRA terms... | ||||
| sparrow |
and, just to complicate things further, Wychwood and all the Duchy and Brakspear beers have been taken over by Marston's of Burton upon Trent.
wait - what was this thread about again?
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| sean |
Dunno. Now it appears to be about how difficult it is to be sure where your pint has been brewed. | ||||
| Jonnyboy |
Mine was brewed in the kitchen. | ||||
| sean |
You say that, but whilst you were at work your OH has accepted a takeover bid from Interbrew and future batches of your homebrew are to be produced in a factory in Walsall. | ||||
| Jonnyboy |
quiet night in for me then. | ||||
| dpack |
im not keen on the products | ||||
| Fee |
I've just seen that Duchy Originals are now doing organic seeds! Or 'coming soon' anyway.
Linkypoo |
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| LynneA |
Actually from T&M - whose seeds are on the whole over priced bar loss leaders, mostly F1's and not the best germination rates. I only use them if freebies. | ||||
| Fee |
I'm on the mailing list because I signed up for some freebies from them last year 
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| Aeolienne |
That is explained here. |
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| wildfoodie |
I had some Duchy Originals sausages last night - very average flavour with overly thick and chewy skins. our butcher's are miles better - Art of Meat in Arbury Court if anyone's interested.
Will be enjoying their Italian Stallions tonight with some garden spuds and runner beans. 
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| sueshells |
The mind boggles - Nine and a Half Weeks comes to mind 
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| wildfoodie |
well, they are big, thick and delectably spicy! 
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| Lorrainelovesplants |
I thought all the British blackcurrents were bought by Ribena.........
And heard a rumour that Duchy Originals were going to be bought by another firm............ (and retain their name etc - same packaging) |
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| Aeolienne |
Waitrose? |
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| Lorrainelovesplants |
NoI think it was a Cornish firm - someone like Proper Cornish or something. But you know what rumours are.....dont think any Cornish firm will be taking over much in the current economic climate. | ||||
| bodger |
My fears have been confirmed.
http://forum.downsizer.net/viewtopic.php?t=45533 |