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Supermarket sweepstake
Mark Edmundson needs to cook a meal for a mate, but he’s too busy to get to the shops. Which of the three main supermarket home delivery services
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ow no longer solely the domain of the elderly and infirm. grocery shopping from home promises a whole new world of convenience for the industrious and idle alike. I'm putting Scotland‘s three supermarket delivery services to the Thai Green Curry Test — organic dinner for two based on a recipe by Delia Smith. complete with apple juice and ice-cream for afters. Sainsburystoyou.com boasts an attractive. user-friendly site that comfortably accommodates the regular shopper. I get off to a reasonable start and my virtual shopping trip passed without too much incident. OK. kaffir lime peel and shrimp paste prove unsurprising stumbling blocks. but full credit for turning out Namjai Natural Palm Sugar and Bart‘s Organic Coconut Milk. I source 18 of my 20 desired products. but have to think of further purchases to meet Sainsbury‘s £25 minimum order. There's a one hour delivery window the very next day if I get
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through the checkout before 2pm. but £5 for the privilege bulks my total cost up to £30.55.
Thirty minutes in a supermarket and I‘ve not bumped into any old schoolteachers. classmates or people I didn‘t really know at college — I am ready to take on tesco.com. I‘ve registered and booked a delivery slot (a measly
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£3.99). and it's on into the poultry department before you can say ‘lixpress Shopper". The images are a click away. which by now I’m considering a serious inconvenience. but 18 of 20 items
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later they‘re asking if I want to select provisional substitutes and we're whining through the checkout at £24.26 all in.
A garish mess. asda.com is surely the Tweenies of internet supennarkets. There‘s no short term shopping list and the search engine proves counterproductive (type in ‘thai fish sauce' and you are
presented with what must surely be the whole shop. despite there being a Blue Dragon product of that exact title). Although the organic selection in each supermarket is woefully limited. Asda scores worst on this count with only Mackie's ice-cream making the grade. Failing to supply four of the required ingredients. they‘ve come out unsurprisineg cheapest at £18.96 (including a mid-range delivery charge of £4.25 ).
Somewhat disappointingly. there is little disparity in the quality of service that rocks up at my door the next day: everyone makes it on time with a smile. and only one substitution is made (350g Asda shallots replaced with. er. 300g Asda shallots). Sainsbury‘s comes through with the organic goods. even if its fresh herbs aren‘t as perky looking as its competitors‘. Although Asda is by far the cheapest. it shows in the produce. All this can only mean that by covering the middle ground of quality and cost. tesco.com‘s dependable. intelligent service takes the rosette on this occasion.
So there you have it: no screaming toddlers. no queues and no old dears fumbling for change — though it has to be said there‘s considerably less chance of picking someone up in the salad section.
FOOD MILES
How far did the products for Mark’s Thai curry travel to reach his table? We calculated the average number of miles travelled by each component.
Missouri/ls Organic chicken UK Limes Mexico Root ginger China Coriander Spain Garlic Spain Shallots UK Lime leaves Thailand Fresh chillies Zimbabwe Basil Israel Average 3787 miles
t ~ Leda UK UK Brazil Brazil Nigeria China Spain UK Spain UK
UK Various countries Thailand Thailand Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Australia Australia 3994 miles 4212 miles
Spend, spend, spend
I We’ve been banging on about green issues for most of this magazine, but here’s one more tip. Electricity supplier Npower has a partnership with Greenpeace to create Juice, the best source of green electricity yet created in Britain. Your house is hooked up to the national grid, so you can’t actually choose to consume only ecologically farmed power, but with Juice your money goes towards the construction
1 10 THE LIST 26 May-9 Jun 2005
of the £78m North Hoyle wind farm, Britain’s first major offshore installation. When it is fully operational it will supply enough energy to power 40,000 homes, preventing 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into Britain’s atmosphere
every year. Npower is also giving 210 each year, for every customer, to a special Greenpeace fund to promote renewable energy. Find out more at www.npower.com.
I In a spectacular burst of comedy, there's a new line of men's deodorant that goes by the sensual name of Freshlish. It’s named after Fish, the London hairdresser run by Paul Burfoot. who claims he inspired Liam Gallagher's feathery mane. There is a tropical version that, aided by 'uplifting
like Earl Grey? See www.fishstyle.co.uk
I The Sprite Urban Sessions hits Unit 23
Helicar, Joey Crack,
bergamot'. evokes that ‘Club Tropicana feel’. Whoever knew George Michael smelt
skatepark in Dunbarton on Monday 30 May, with the EMcers on the decks, plus breakdancing and visiting pro skaters and BMXers including Pete
Owain Clegg and Robin Fenlon. The emphasis is on getting involved, with tips and tuition running
alongside exhibitions. Entry is free but tuition places are limited. Call Unit 23 on 01389 768333 or visit www.0beyyour thirst.co.uk for more information.