The meat here makes the Douglasdale Pick 'n Pay look like a gourmet butcher. I think it's worse because there is such a variety of high quality fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish and other groceries, that the paucity of meat stands in stark contrast. I suppose mad cows and feet & mouths have taken their toll. Morrisons sells Australian beef, which is very good.

The pork here is good. Some of the best pork I've seen. And if you're willing to pay for free range chicken, Sainsbury's sell very nice ones with the names of the farms on. From the West Country, wherever that is.

I normally like lamb but I find it hard to get excited about the lamb here. The best tasting I've had is also from the West Country, but I don't see it often.

I'm eating my way through the apples. I've had Egrement Russet, Cox, Braeburn, Bramley, Pink Lady, Washington Reds, hmm, what else? A far cry from South Africa's choice of Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Starking. Egremont Russet looks a bit like a pear, and tastes like a cross between a Golden Delicious and a pear. Cox and Braeburn apples taste more like granny smiths, although they have red skins. I've cooked with a Bramley apple, but I didn't think to taste it raw so I'll have to get some more. Washington Reds are sweet red apples that don't go floury.

I also have a number of potatoes to try out. So far I've just had King Edward and Romano in the floury potatoes for mashing and baking. The King Edwards have a more floury texture and taste nicer, in my opinion. Maris Pipers are the classic chip potato here. Jersey Royals are good new potatoes, and I also enjoyed the Pentagon Javelins (do I have that right?), a white potato with a very creamy texture.

However, I think there are some 200 varieties of potatoes to go through, so I don't know if I'll manage them all.