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The Olive Branch Smart shopping
If eating well at home seems like an expensive business then you’re not shopping in the right places. Donald Reid points the way and explains why quality produce always offers value-for-money
M O R E F O R L E S S Restaurant Dea ls
Pulcinella offer a very reasonable three course set menu for £13.50, while Dragon-i are running a promotion to coincide with Celtic Connections with two courses for £15.95 for two courses with a glass of wine.
CHEAP & CHEERFUL
The quote to remember is ‘New Year Treat’ to get a fine two-for- one offer on the pizzas at Edinburgh’s Zanzero, but it’s only available between 3 and 7pm, so good for a post-shopping refuel or a treat for the kids. Itri on Gilmore Place also has restrictions – their two-course dinner for £10.95 is only available at weekends, and they’ve got a three course lunch menu for £7.95, but only up to 2.30pm. Tiny Turkish restaurant Hanedan offers a limited two- course set menu for £8.95, with two starters and two main courses to choose from. More open are French bistro B’est, where you’ll find a three-course lunch for £6.90, a three-course dinner for £14.90, and a pre-theatre two-course option for £9.90. Xanadu are also fairly flexible – their offer of two courses for £9 or three for £10.50 runs Sunday to Friday, 5pm–9pm. In Glasgow, Pintxo and Stereo offer different deals on tapas – three for £8.95 at Pintxo, or five for £10 at certain times on Mondays at Stereo. There are, of course, plenty of places offering tapas deals but it is worth keeping in mind that tapas dishes can mount up quickly, so be careful not to blitz your original budget by ordering too enthusiastically. Getting back to basics in their reassuring way, the Wee Curry Shops offer a main course with chai and cake for only £7.50, but Banana Leaf steal in with a set meal for £7, or £6 for vegetarians. Bargain!
All restaurant addresses and contact details are available at www.list.co.uk/food-and-drink 12 THE LIST 21 Jan–4 Feb 2010
T here’s a line of impeccable logic that applies whether you’re rich as Croesus, as poor as a church mouse, or somewhere in the middle. We all have to feed ourselves to stay upright. Eating food involves getting hold of it and preparing it. The more control we keep over those two elements the more we control its cost and quality, and ceding that control to the convenience of supermarkets and their bottom line prices is often false economy.
Shopping and cooking might seem like a chore, but
branches in Edinburgh’s Broughton and Tollcross districts, some of the best advice for budget shopping is to plan your meals for the week. ‘If you stick to your plan you will be less likely to impulse buy expensive goods or buy things you already have in the house. You can also vary your diet better if you plan it – the key to healthy eating.’ She recommends buying versatile foods as a canny way to shop. ‘Pearl barley, for instance, can be made into a warming winter broth and a nourishing risotto. It’s filling and
the minute you hand over those responsibilities to someone else you’re either compromising quality (if it’s ready meals or takeaways) or paying sweetly for the privilege (if you’re eating out).
Effective cooking starts with smart shopping. Rather than simply plucking the nearest 2 for 1 offer in a supermarket, smart shopping is all about getting proper value. Donald MacPherson of Borders-based Well Hung and Tender, who sell their Aberdeen Angus beef at Edinburgh Farmers’ Market, acknowledges that supermarkets sell cheaper meat, but points out that it’s significantly inferior. ‘Like for like on quality we’re cheaper,’ he argues, ‘and if you go for different cuts you’ll find that things such as spale bone, shin or flank have great flavour if they’re hung properly and cooked slowly.’ Another part of the smart shopping equation is getting to know nearby small shops such as delis, butchers and other specialists. According to Jenny Schofield of Real Foods, the wholefoods shop with
full of B vitamins.’
‘AT A FARMERS’ MARKET YOU’RE PUTTING MONEY BACK INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE’ Donald MacPherson also offers a reminder that value shouldn’t always be counted in pounds and pennies. ‘At a farmers’ market you’re putting money back into sustaining the countryside, rather than into a shareholder’s pocket. The other beauty of the market is that you can ask questions and get advice about cooking from folk who know what they’re talking about.’
Edinburgh Farmer’s Market is at Castle Terrace every Saturday, 9am–2pm. www.edinburghfarmersmarket.co.uk Glasgow Farmer’s Market is at Queen’s Park on the first and third Saturday of each month, 10am–2pm, Mansfield Park (corner of Dumbarton Road and Hyndland Street) on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, 10am–2pm, and Silverburn Shopping Centre on the last Sunday of each month, 11am–3pm. www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/business/markets