The typical Briton is giving up fish and chips in favour of Thai takeaways and choosing locally grown food over expensive organic produce, but still failing to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, according to The Independent on Sunday yesterday.
For the first time, the Government has produced a wide-ranging assessment of British eating, using food diaries, surveys and official industry statistics.
It appears that we prefer locally grown produce to organic and free-range food. This is probably understandable as we become ever more cost conscious. However one of the more worrying statistics in the Government report tells us that more than 200,000 people in the nation's poorest homes often go an entire day without food.
Thai food is becoming the biggest growth area in the £30.5bn a year eating-out food sector, which includes food-serving pubs, restaurants and takeaways. We spend £7.6bn annually on fast food, including fish and chips, pizza, burgers and Thai, Chinese and Indian takeaway. But the figures reveal that the traditional British fish and chip supper accounts for only 3 per cent of food cooked outside the home.
The report comes as ministers prepare a campaign urging us to "Buy British" as a way of helping the UK through recession. From tomorrow, local food producers will be encouraged to bid for more public sector contracts, while Food minister Jane Kennedy will pledge that the Government will do all it can to promote British food within European free market laws.
Before the advent of large supermarkets, greengrocers and butchers selling local produce were easy to find. These have now disappeared in favour of convenience stores that only sell tinned produce, making it harder for people without their own transport to purchase fresh items. And as more and more families consist of two breadwinners, we are turning to takeaway food as a quick and easy meal solution.
Maybe now is the time to re-evaluate our eating habits. How could the Government persuade you to "Buy British"?
Rather than fish and chips what about beef? Here's info on Matthew Rhys, who plays gay lawyer Kevin in ABC’s hit series Brothers & Sisters on US TV, voiceing a new TV advert for Welsh beef, which is published today in the Western Mail.
IT PROBABLY wasn’t quite the type of script he’s accustomed to.
But Matthew Rhys has lent his velvety tones to a new campaign to promote Welsh beef.
The Edge Of Love star joined the likes of Rob Brydon and Richard Burton by voicing a television advert, which will be shown on ITV1 and S4C from now until December 21.
The TV commercial is a journey through a number of beef dishes that show the versatility of the meat, and hopes to encourage more people to buy it instead of the traditional turkey for their Christmas meal.
The campaign will be supported by outdoor ads, featuring newly commissioned location photography by Julian Calverley, who was briefed to deliver dramatic shots of the Welsh landscape that is responsible for producing premium quality beef.
In it the 33-year-old actor says: “When you’ve got a wonderful natural meat like Welsh beef, then it’s only natural to do wonderful things with it.
“It’s all about choice. Do you choose taste or taste?” It then finishes with the catchline: “Welsh beef – from Wales... naturally.”
Sion Ashley Jones, managing director of Golley Slater Advertising, who directed the campaign, said: “The concept is to demonstrate the outstanding and natural environment in which Welsh beef is produced.”
Meanwhile marketing guru Jonathan Deacon who lectures at Newport Business School, said that the advert signalled a turning point in “nation branding”.
He said: “We are seeing people actively wanting to associate themselves with their country of origin. It’s all about the authenticity and creating a sense of authenticity for a particular product or service.
“Someone like Matthew Rhys is known outside of Wales and has an authenticity that is about being Welsh – and that’s certainly important in this campaign.
“This does signal that it’s about some of the high-profile people in Wales understanding the fact that they are Welsh and realising that it can have a good knock-on effect.
“We’ve always seen the likes of Sean Connery exposing his Scottish heritage – and the fact that this advert uses someone like Matthew signals the advertiser’s maturity about the Welsh nation and its image.
“It’s also encouraging to see that high-profile celebrities are very happy to take part, as they could easily have signed up to something far more lucrative.
“But he’s saying that he’s proud to be Welsh and proud to do something for the nation.”
Rhys also fronted a TV commercial for Welsh lamb, made by Blade Runner director Ridley Scott’s London film production company, earlier this year, after taking over the role from veteran actor Philip Madoc.
The £750,000 advertising campaign was commissioned by Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales).
The lamb advert was filmed in the Brecon Beacons earlier this year, alternating between shots of a rain-lashed cottage and a lovingly prepared leg of Welsh lamb.
Rhys is not the only Welsh actor to lend his voice to high-profile campaigns.
Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydon provided the voice over for cleaning product Toilet Duck. Recently he said: “Journalists find the fact that I was the voice of Toilet Duck 10 years ago to be one of the funniest things they have ever encountered.
“Nobody else ever mentions it. When I die, even if I’ve been knighted, it’ll be Welsh Toilet Duck man quacks his last quack.”
And legendary Welsh actor Richard Burton’s version of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood was posthumously used as the atmospheric soundtrack for a Volkswagen advert.
Rhys is now a household name on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the US he stars as gay lawyer Kevin in ABC’s hit series Brothers & Sisters, while his portrayal of Dylan Thomas, alongside Keira Knightley and Factor Girl star Sienna Miller, was also highly praised.
He now lives mainly in Los Angeles, like fellow Welsh actor and his best friend Ioan Gruffudd.
He has previously told how the two meet up in LA to cook lamb and reminisce.
Hear Matthew Rhys’ voiceover at www.walesonline.co.uk
Source: Dec 3 2008 by Andrew Dagnell, Western Mail