Buy Local Norfolk 

Following on from the visit to parliament in March The Buy Local Norfolk Team are asking us all to get involved with their project this month by spending one week avoiding all national retailers and buying everything that we need from our local shopkeepers. Something that we all applaud and I am sure a lot of us kid ourselves that we already do!

Until a couple of years ago both Rob and I both made sure that we supported local food businesses for everything that we did not rear or grow ourselves however like many others recent cost and time pressures have meant that slowly we have drifted away from this principle and now a lot of the time we echo Ruth and David of Archer fame in that we produce great food whilst living on supermarket pizza. We are not quite that bad but I  am sure you get the drift!!!!

Since reading about the challenge on Twitter I have been looking forward to this week as I am sure that with just a little re-tweaking of the way as a family we work and shop we can get back to supporting our local retailers. Something that as Norfolk food producers we obviously should do. We will be in good  company as I think all the Norfolk MPs including our own Elizabeth Truss are taking up the challenge too.

If you would like to get involved have a look at @buylocalnorfolk on Twitter.

The Simonds Family Buy Local Norfolk week starts tomorrow, Sunday 29th July  - as I usually shop on a Sunday my cupboards are truly bare - the only thing I have cheated on is a stash of our usual washing powder!

Both Rob and I are working tomorrow and as we live in rural West Norfolk most of the High Street shops will be shut so our first day's efforts may well be supporting the local Chinese takeout in Stoke Ferry - watch this space!