Features
| LATEST NEWS | | | | | A selection of our top news stories. | | COLCHESTER UNITED NEWS | | | Latest news from Colchester United. | | The best of what's on in Colchester, with Gazette ents reporter Neil Jones. | | FEATURES |  | | | | | |
|
|
|
Why it’s vital that we all learn to cook
 |
| King of the kitchen - Mark Baumann at his food academy in Earls Colne. Picture: LOUISE MORRIS (76911-1) |
 Buy this photo |
It was probably last November when it all kicked off.
The whole food price thing began with a Christmas turkey. But this was no ordinary turkey; this one cost £100 and - hindsight is a great thing - seemed to set the template for what was to come.
Because it wasn't only turkeys which had risen in price. That same month, a survey which compares prices across online supermarket chains, found that the three largest - Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's - were charging 12 per cent more for a basket of 25 staple goods compared with 2006.
Food manufacturers were paying more, too. An increase in wheat, dairy, meat and vegetable prices meant a year-on-year six per cent increase for raw ingredients - the highest annual increase since 1993* - and this, of course, was passed on to customers.
In fact, by January this year, the UK was experiencing the highest food bills for years. Economists believe that, by October, many households will be paying almost £1,000 extra on their annual food bill compared to a year ago.
Which, perversely, could mean customers spending more in supermarkets. With the price of fresh foods rising, many will move away from the greengrocer and butcher to the supermarket.
One of Essex's top chefs believes this would be a poor economy.
Mark Baumann has run Baumann's Brasserie, in Coggeshall for the past 22 years. He has just appeared in the Celebrity Kitchen Theatre at the Ideal Home Show with fellow chefs Jean-Christophe Novelli, Aldo Zilli and Sophie Grigson, has been on television countless times, co-written a very racey food book (Posh Food for the Common Man) and, in January, opened Baumann's Food Academy at Earls Colne Business Park.
For him, quality means fresh, and that means in bedsit kitchens as well as gourmet restaurants.
"Yes, supermarkets generally are cheaper than farmers' markets, greengrocers and butchers' shops, because supermarkets undercut and monopolise," he said. "Customers pay less, which makes them think that the food they are buying is more cost-effective. But it isn't.
"Produce bought from farmers' markets and local shops stays fresher longer and goes much further."
He isn't decrying supermarkets. They sell value food products which he says we should all have in our cupboards, such as canned tomatoes and rice, but he thinks we can do so much better elsewhere when it comes to fresh. The fresher it is, the healthier we are, and the more money we save.
He said: "I realise supermarkets are convenient. Everything under one roof means only one journey, but if we are to eat well with food prices rising, we have got to get back to basics."
He is a great believer in basics. Unfortunately, he thinks we are losing those basics. We are losing the will and the skill to cook. Get that back, and we are once more in command, whichever food shop we use. If the price isn't right we can opt for cheaper produce because of our ability to cook.
"I would advocate bringing cookery back into all schools," he said. "Real lessons where pupils are taught the basics of cooking. This would go a long way to re-learning forgotten skills."
For "basics" read pastry, bread, sauces, how to cut meat and clean fish and how to get as many meals as possible from a chicken or leg of lamb.
"Children love cooking. They love making things," he said. "They should be given the chance."
His two daughters - Charley, 11, and Amellia, nine - both cook and can now make fresh pasta. He is very proud of their achievements, but not all children have a famous chef for a dad or parents who know how to cook. Hence his belief schools should teach cookery from scratch.
"In the long run, knowing how to cook will save money, and bring so much pleasure," he said.
"Seriously, no matter how much food costs, I know people will always find comfort in food.
"If your house is cold and you are saving money, wouldn't you rather put on a jumper and have a bloody good curry than turn up the heating? Of course you would!"
If current world events are an indicator, the price of food in the UK will carry on rising.
At the weekend World Bank president Robert Zoellick declared a global food emergency as riots over food shortages spread around the globe.
The World Bank estimates that 33 countries face potential social unrest because of "acute" rises in food and energy prices. Food riots, which started last year with the tortilla protests in Mexico, have now spread to Cameroon, Egypt, Haiti, Indonesia and Peru.
On the face of it, food riots halfway across the world seem hardly likely to impact on the relative prosperity of north Essex.
But rising prices, especially on staples like rice, maize and wheat, have a knock-on effect on the world economy which are already making their mark on this area.
Couple that with rising fuel prices and mortgage repayments and Mark Baumann's message of getting back to basics to save money never looked more appealing.
* Information from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
9:14am Friday 18th April 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: Natalie, New Zealand on 4:08am Tue 22 Apr 08
I agree whole heartedly with Mark Baumann. When you learn the basics of how to cook and how to shop for food, life for everyone would be much better especially with everything going up and salaries staying the same...
I agree whole heartedly with Mark Baumann. When you learn the basics of how to cook and how to shop for food, life for everyone would be much better especially with everything going up and salaries staying the same...
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
