Well, before I get ticked off for turning this into a new restaurant thread, I'll throw in an overall comment that relates directly to the thread title.
For sure we are still good at things. But when it comes to consumer things, be they goods or services, what strikes me as someone living in mainland Europe and returning 5-6 times a year, is that so much is so bloody expensive, but often for no obvious reason. I suppose that's one reason why people don't go out of their way to buy British more. It's a luxury too many cannot afford.
Not really answering the question, but when I am in Yorkshire, I buy as much as I can carry from the farm shops there.. Local farm sells eggs at the gate..laid that morning (possibly the morning before) and always bloody superb (and at £2 - £3 for 24, an excellent price too).. Meat is cheaper (and better)...the only items that don't make financial sense are the home made breads/pies and cakes BUT they are worth it as they are, quite simply, better than anything you buy in a supermarket... You look for similar down here and the farm shops have all been ponced up and over priced and seem to only sell jams and chutneys... (or I'm looking in the wrong places).
it's been difficult, to say the least, for many years to buy British .. China rules the roost re most things 'manufactured' and newly 'industrialised' nations such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam are increasingly dominating clothing manufacturing. Food is imported from all over the world as is coal, gas and oil. In the building of the second Forth Bridge, the Scottish government bought Chinese, as UK steel manufacturers could not guarantee the required quality and delivery times
I am reading in dribs and drabs a book which details the economics of World War l .. as far back as then, Britain was dependant on imported foodstuffs, this, in an era when a banana or tomato was regarded as 'exotic' let alone (e.g.) kiwi fruit, peaches or avocados which nowadays are demanded all year round by consumers irrespective of the season. Britain is a trading nation, always has been and always will be, and, excuse the political point, that is why we need to break away from a German dominated Europe and develop our own industry, trade deals and business partners that are not dictated and directed by Berlin politicians or some Latvian bureaucrat in Brussels
When I first went to work, (in Ashford) there was a bakery where for lunch I'd buy a crusty, just baked roll, with a thick slice of English cheddar cheese and a couple of slices of local tomato, I've never been able to duplicate it in 40 plus years of living in the U.S. and travel to other parts. I can taste it from here.
it's been difficult, to say the least, for many years to buy British .. China rules the roost re most things 'manufactured' and newly 'industrialised' nations such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam are increasingly dominating clothing manufacturing. Food is imported from all over the world as is coal, gas and oil. In the building of the second Forth Bridge, the Scottish government bought Chinese, as UK steel manufacturers could not guarantee the required quality and delivery times
I am reading in dribs and drabs a book which details the economics of World War l .. as far back as then, Britain was dependant on imported foodstuffs, this, in an era when a banana or tomato was regarded as 'exotic' let alone (e.g.) kiwi fruit, peaches or avocados which nowadays are demanded all year round by consumers irrespective of the season. Britain is a trading nation, always has been and always will be, and, excuse the political point, that is why we need to break away from a German dominated Europe and develop our own industry, trade deals and business partners that are not dictated and directed by Berlin politicians or some Latvian bureaucrat in Brussels
What a shame. We have all managed not to politicise the thread until now.
Well, before I get ticked off for turning this into a new restaurant thread, I'll throw in an overall comment that relates directly to the thread title.
For sure we are still good at things. But when it comes to consumer things, be they goods or services, what strikes me as someone living in mainland Europe and returning 5-6 times a year, is that so much is so bloody expensive, but often for no obvious reason. I suppose that's one reason why people don't go out of their way to buy British more. It's a luxury too many cannot afford.
I find Britain incredibly expensive also, coming over from the U.S.
Gloucester motorway service station. Best in Britain for local produce?
Taking a leaf out of the Japanese book, where only local produce is allowed, giving each services a unique flavour and selling point. No chain shops allowed in Japanese service stations, nationally.
Gloucester motorway service station. Best in Britain for local produce?
Taking a leaf out of the Japanese book, where only local produce is allowed, giving each services a unique flavour and selling point. No chain shops allowed in Japanese service stations, nationally.
Gloucester motorway service station. Best in Britain for local produce?
Taking a leaf out of the Japanese book, where only local produce is allowed, giving each services a unique flavour and selling point. No chain shops allowed in Japanese service stations, nationally.
Always planned a car older than me for my 50th, was thinking a predictable sports car, now I'm under 2 years from the event I'm really starting to think about a wish list, sports not so important now and comfort is, also the British thing appeals, as do availability of parts, probably ruin me but a Jaguar xj6 coupe is the clear favourite.
I went to Tuscany for a wedding, and in a deli I saw some of Essex's finest tiptree jam in amongst the local Italian fare. Made me want to put on some white stilettos and sing "Firestarter"
Always planned a car older than me for my 50th, was thinking a predictable sports car, now I'm under 2 years from the event I'm really starting to think about a wish list, sports not so important now and comfort is, also the British thing appeals, as do availability of parts, probably ruin me but a Jaguar xj6 coupe is the clear favourite.
A Jag for the older gentleman...plenty of room...spare parts...
We make all the best cars in the world here. They're designed here, financed here and, in the most part, manufactured here.
We make the world's best bottled, canned and draught beer and lager here. Including growing the hops, barley and other ingredients, harvesting, brewing, bottling and exporting, worldwide. Same with the finest wine. We grow it on vineyards here, harvest it with workers from here, make it here and export it across the world. Same with spirits. We make the best whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, absinthe, grappa, schnapps, limoncello and sherry here.
We make the best dairy products here. The best hard and soft cheeses in the world. We grow, harvest, package, ship and sell all of the best agricultural products in the world here - from reindeer to truffles; pasta to rice, onions to oives; strawberries to lemons, melons to pears, cherries to bananas; cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl - wild and farmed; fish - from farmed samon to wild crabs and everything in between.
We have world-leading technology, nanotechnology and biological innovative industries here. We have the world-leading space, aeronauts, electronics, military vehicles, ships and armory industries here. The chemical industry here comprises of 27 percent of the world’s total production, in addition to leading petrochemicals, polymers and fine chemicals industries.
We design and make some of the best white goods, building products, garden equipment, clothes, swimming pools, bicycles, trains, planes, leather goods, hats and software in the world, right here.
And, if you want a holiday, we have some of the best resorts, hotels, cruises, beaches, mountaineering, skiing facilities and sunshine anywhere in the world.
English food is often very good but costs so much. I hardly ever eat out and could never afford to go to one of the places Big Bad World talks about. Part of the reason we don't have the sort of places people here have talked about that are connected to the land is down to our history, we industrialised first and so the link between urban populations and the land is very distant. (To an extent the same is true for ex-British settler colonies like the US, Canada, Australia etc). Part of it is down to our culture, I'm afraid to say and principally our class system. The picture painted of Europe in general is of a place where everyone more or less eats the same depending on what region they're from. You also socialise in bistros, restaurants and cafes far more than bars, and in many countries even the bar culture has an element of food (eg tapas) with restraint in drinking. If you're poor, you just have less of it. Here we have so many vestiges of social segregation that there literally are different diets if you're wealthy or not, and guess who gets the unhealthy cheap stuff. The jokes about Scottish cuisine are partly about culture, but a lot more about class as Scotland has a much higher proportion of poorer people. Having 3 chicken shops in every shopping parade in London is also about class and culture. They're aimed at teenagers, but its always the poorer kids you see there. Of course a lot of people value the food they eat and do their best to cook rather than reheat, but it is a skill that is not widely valued and it becomes very easy to just order a takeaway rather than cook something. And of course the other thing is that cooking from ingredients is cheaper than takeaway, but can be more expensive than buying ready meals or jars of sauce. Which in itself is crazy. We all end up paying for this, through the health costs and associated costs of driving what amounts to processed unhealthy ingredients up and down the country. But I can't see the will to change it.
Gloucester motorway service station. Best in Britain for local produce?
Taking a leaf out of the Japanese book, where only local produce is allowed, giving each services a unique flavour and selling point. No chain shops allowed in Japanese service stations, nationally.
I drive past that service station everyday, other service stations really do need to take note. I know of lots of people who purposely stop their on their travels and I often nip in to grab good produce for dinner.
We make all the best cars in the world here. They're designed here, financed here and, in the most part, manufactured here.
We make the world's best bottled, canned and draught beer and lager here. Including growing the hops, barley and other ingredients, harvesting, brewing, bottling and exporting, worldwide. Same with the finest wine. We grow it on vineyards here, harvest it with workers from here, make it here and export it across the world. Same with spirits. We make the best whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, absinthe, grappa, schnapps, limoncello and sherry here.
We make the best dairy products here. The best hard and soft cheeses in the world. We grow, harvest, package, ship and sell all of the best agricultural products in the world here - from reindeer to truffles; pasta to rice, onions to oives; strawberries to lemons, melons to pears, cherries to bananas; cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl - wild and farmed; fish - from farmed samon to wild crabs and everything in between.
We have world-leading technology, nanotechnology and biological innovative industries here. We have the world-leading space, aeronauts, electronics, military vehicles, ships and armory industries here. The chemical industry here comprises of 27 percent of the world’s total production, in addition to leading petrochemicals, polymers and fine chemicals industries.
We design and make some of the best white goods, building products, garden equipment, clothes, swimming pools, bicycles, trains, planes, leather goods, hats and software in the world, right here.
And, if you want a holiday, we have some of the best resorts, hotels, cruises, beaches, mountaineering, skiing facilities and sunshine anywhere in the world.
(Problem is, "here" is the EU).
Actually, a lot of that is true of the UK. We make (and design) some of the world's best cars here, it's just the companies that do it are owned by the Americans, Germans, Indians or Japanese.
Beer - yes, apart from lager, we do make much of the world's best. Not wine, but we do with whisky and gin. Oh and cider too. Dairy - great cheeses. A good cheddar really is as good as anything you'll get elsewhere, and even an ok one is perfectly edible. Fruit and veg - not sure much of the latter gets exported, but our apples and pears are world class and, in season, so are our soft fruits. Good quality beef, pork and lamb, and if our fisheries are allowed to recover, there will be more from them. not sure I'd be boasting about farmed salmon - it's an ecological disaster. Much of the crab and shellfish exported comes from British waters. There are world-leading industries here - including in all of the sectors you list. OK - you've got a point on white goods, though I believe there are still some British manufacturers of decent cookers. But some of the rest of that list we do. And we don't have sunshine all the time, much mountaineering or skiing, but I would argue the UK is an exceptional place to visit. Outside of the SE you can sometimes even find good value local produce sold at reasonable prices.
I'll add that the biotech industry, from high tech SMEs, university spin offs and also big pharma are world leading and a major source of income. One thing that has to be 100% sorted is the ability to bring in world class scientists from around the world. Already some are putting off coming here due to the uncertainty. I've not heard any sensible brexiteers arguing against high quality immigration to fill shortages etc, and this is great but the message needs supporting
Always planned a car older than me for my 50th, was thinking a predictable sports car, now I'm under 2 years from the event I'm really starting to think about a wish list, sports not so important now and comfort is, also the British thing appeals, as do availability of parts, probably ruin me but a Jaguar xj6 coupe is the clear favourite.
Hate to disappoint but they didn't start making the Coupe until '75.
We make all the best cars in the world here. They're designed here, financed here and, in the most part, manufactured here.
We make the world's best bottled, canned and draught beer and lager here. Including growing the hops, barley and other ingredients, harvesting, brewing, bottling and exporting, worldwide. Same with the finest wine. We grow it on vineyards here, harvest it with workers from here, make it here and export it across the world. Same with spirits. We make the best whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, absinthe, grappa, schnapps, limoncello and sherry here.
We make the best dairy products here. The best hard and soft cheeses in the world. We grow, harvest, package, ship and sell all of the best agricultural products in the world here - from reindeer to truffles; pasta to rice, onions to oives; strawberries to lemons, melons to pears, cherries to bananas; cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl - wild and farmed; fish - from farmed samon to wild crabs and everything in between.
We have world-leading technology, nanotechnology and biological innovative industries here. We have the world-leading space, aeronauts, electronics, military vehicles, ships and armory industries here. The chemical industry here comprises of 27 percent of the world’s total production, in addition to leading petrochemicals, polymers and fine chemicals industries.
We design and make some of the best white goods, building products, garden equipment, clothes, swimming pools, bicycles, trains, planes, leather goods, hats and software in the world, right here.
And, if you want a holiday, we have some of the best resorts, hotels, cruises, beaches, mountaineering, skiing facilities and sunshine anywhere in the world.
(Problem is, "here" is the EU).
Seriously WTF !!!!!
I can improve on all those stats if 'here' includes Asia, Africa and the Americas
We make all the best cars in the world here. They're designed here, financed here and, in the most part, manufactured here.
We make the world's best bottled, canned and draught beer and lager here. Including growing the hops, barley and other ingredients, harvesting, brewing, bottling and exporting, worldwide. Same with the finest wine. We grow it on vineyards here, harvest it with workers from here, make it here and export it across the world. Same with spirits. We make the best whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, absinthe, grappa, schnapps, limoncello and sherry here.
We make the best dairy products here. The best hard and soft cheeses in the world. We grow, harvest, package, ship and sell all of the best agricultural products in the world here - from reindeer to truffles; pasta to rice, onions to oives; strawberries to lemons, melons to pears, cherries to bananas; cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl - wild and farmed; fish - from farmed samon to wild crabs and everything in between.
We have world-leading technology, nanotechnology and biological innovative industries here. We have the world-leading space, aeronauts, electronics, military vehicles, ships and armory industries here. The chemical industry here comprises of 27 percent of the world’s total production, in addition to leading petrochemicals, polymers and fine chemicals industries.
We design and make some of the best white goods, building products, garden equipment, clothes, swimming pools, bicycles, trains, planes, leather goods, hats and software in the world, right here.
And, if you want a holiday, we have some of the best resorts, hotels, cruises, beaches, mountaineering, skiing facilities and sunshine anywhere in the world.
(Problem is, "here" is the EU).
Seriously WTF !!!!!
I can improve on all those stats if 'here' includes Asia, Africa and the Americas
But we're not in Asia, Africa or the Americas, whereas we are in the EU.
here's a nice little British product I bought a few years ago. The Owl smart meter.. Mind you it was a right palava setting it up here with the continental wiring system. Well the controller eats up batteries, ironically for an energy saving tool, so I was just looking to see how the devices look, 8 years later, maybe it would be worth getting a new one...and I got as far as
OWL +USB is a more advanced product with a PC link (not compatible with MAC) to upload usage data to store and review graphically.
We make all the best cars in the world here. They're designed here, financed here and, in the most part, manufactured here.
We make the world's best bottled, canned and draught beer and lager here. Including growing the hops, barley and other ingredients, harvesting, brewing, bottling and exporting, worldwide. Same with the finest wine. We grow it on vineyards here, harvest it with workers from here, make it here and export it across the world. Same with spirits. We make the best whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, absinthe, grappa, schnapps, limoncello and sherry here.
We make the best dairy products here. The best hard and soft cheeses in the world. We grow, harvest, package, ship and sell all of the best agricultural products in the world here - from reindeer to truffles; pasta to rice, onions to oives; strawberries to lemons, melons to pears, cherries to bananas; cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl - wild and farmed; fish - from farmed samon to wild crabs and everything in between.
We have world-leading technology, nanotechnology and biological innovative industries here. We have the world-leading space, aeronauts, electronics, military vehicles, ships and armory industries here. The chemical industry here comprises of 27 percent of the world’s total production, in addition to leading petrochemicals, polymers and fine chemicals industries.
We design and make some of the best white goods, building products, garden equipment, clothes, swimming pools, bicycles, trains, planes, leather goods, hats and software in the world, right here.
And, if you want a holiday, we have some of the best resorts, hotels, cruises, beaches, mountaineering, skiing facilities and sunshine anywhere in the world.
(Problem is, "here" is the EU).
Seriously WTF !!!!!
I can improve on all those stats if 'here' includes Asia, Africa and the Americas
But we're not in Asia, Africa or the Americas, whereas we are in the EU.
But it's not HERE is it? it is just an organisation we currently belong to.
Why not include Switzerland after all we are both in Europe.
And I believe the thread is about buying British not buying British and other geopolitical groups we are members of/associated with.
We make all the best cars in the world here. They're designed here, financed here and, in the most part, manufactured here.
We make the world's best bottled, canned and draught beer and lager here. Including growing the hops, barley and other ingredients, harvesting, brewing, bottling and exporting, worldwide. Same with the finest wine. We grow it on vineyards here, harvest it with workers from here, make it here and export it across the world. Same with spirits. We make the best whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, absinthe, grappa, schnapps, limoncello and sherry here.
We make the best dairy products here. The best hard and soft cheeses in the world. We grow, harvest, package, ship and sell all of the best agricultural products in the world here - from reindeer to truffles; pasta to rice, onions to oives; strawberries to lemons, melons to pears, cherries to bananas; cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl - wild and farmed; fish - from farmed samon to wild crabs and everything in between.
We have world-leading technology, nanotechnology and biological innovative industries here. We have the world-leading space, aeronauts, electronics, military vehicles, ships and armory industries here. The chemical industry here comprises of 27 percent of the world’s total production, in addition to leading petrochemicals, polymers and fine chemicals industries.
We design and make some of the best white goods, building products, garden equipment, clothes, swimming pools, bicycles, trains, planes, leather goods, hats and software in the world, right here.
And, if you want a holiday, we have some of the best resorts, hotels, cruises, beaches, mountaineering, skiing facilities and sunshine anywhere in the world.
(Problem is, "here" is the EU).
Seriously WTF !!!!!
I can improve on all those stats if 'here' includes Asia, Africa and the Americas
But we're not in Asia, Africa or the Americas, whereas we are in the EU.
But it's not HERE is it? it is just an organisation we currently belong to.
Why not include Switzerland after all we are both in Europe.
And I believe the thread is about buying British not buying British and other geopolitical groups we are members of/associated with.
For me, I think it's great that we can claim that the best (for example) wines, cars, olives, beer and seafood in the world is produced "here". Because, right now, we're here in England, part of Great Britain, within the United Kingdom and a constituent of the EU. And taxes earned on the sales of all these world-beating goods get spent on the citizens of the EU. That's us.
In future, it will be interesting to see how proud English people will be of, for example, the Scotch whisky industry or tinplate production in Wales. Because we don't produce either of those "here" in England. And, at the same time, we won't have the kudos of being able to say that the best products in the world - without question - are produced "here"; and, more importantly, we won't benefit from the taxes they generate.
Sure, we can limit ourselves just to buying British. But what an awful, bland, introspective, homogeneous and insipid prospect that would be.
We make all the best cars in the world here. They're designed here, financed here and, in the most part, manufactured here.
We make the world's best bottled, canned and draught beer and lager here. Including growing the hops, barley and other ingredients, harvesting, brewing, bottling and exporting, worldwide. Same with the finest wine. We grow it on vineyards here, harvest it with workers from here, make it here and export it across the world. Same with spirits. We make the best whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, absinthe, grappa, schnapps, limoncello and sherry here.
We make the best dairy products here. The best hard and soft cheeses in the world. We grow, harvest, package, ship and sell all of the best agricultural products in the world here - from reindeer to truffles; pasta to rice, onions to oives; strawberries to lemons, melons to pears, cherries to bananas; cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl - wild and farmed; fish - from farmed samon to wild crabs and everything in between.
We have world-leading technology, nanotechnology and biological innovative industries here. We have the world-leading space, aeronauts, electronics, military vehicles, ships and armory industries here. The chemical industry here comprises of 27 percent of the world’s total production, in addition to leading petrochemicals, polymers and fine chemicals industries.
We design and make some of the best white goods, building products, garden equipment, clothes, swimming pools, bicycles, trains, planes, leather goods, hats and software in the world, right here.
And, if you want a holiday, we have some of the best resorts, hotels, cruises, beaches, mountaineering, skiing facilities and sunshine anywhere in the world.
(Problem is, "here" is the EU).
Seriously WTF !!!!!
I can improve on all those stats if 'here' includes Asia, Africa and the Americas
But we're not in Asia, Africa or the Americas, whereas we are in the EU.
But it's not HERE is it? it is just an organisation we currently belong to.
Why not include Switzerland after all we are both in Europe.
And I believe the thread is about buying British not buying British and other geopolitical groups we are members of/associated with.
For me, I think it's great that we can claim that the best (for example) wines, cars, olives, beer and seafood in the world is produced "here". Because, right now, we're here in England, part of Great Britain, within the United Kingdom and a constituent of the EU. And taxes earned on the sales of all these world-beating goods get spent on the citizens of the EU. That's us.
In future, it will be interesting to see how proud English people will be of, for example, the Scotch whisky industry or tinplate production in Wales. Because we don't produce either of those "here" in England. And, at the same time, we won't have the kudos of being able to say that the best products in the world - without question - are produced "here"; and, more importantly, we won't benefit from the taxes they generate.
Sure, we can limit ourselves just to buying British. But what an awful, bland, introspective, homogeneous and insipid prospect that would be.
Don't forget the commonwealth.
As I said earlier in the thread. I am not particularly fussed about British provenance when it comes to buying something and even less so EU origins.
Comments
For sure we are still good at things. But when it comes to consumer things, be they goods or services, what strikes me as someone living in mainland Europe and returning 5-6 times a year, is that so much is so bloody expensive, but often for no obvious reason. I suppose that's one reason why people don't go out of their way to buy British more. It's a luxury too many cannot afford.
Food is imported from all over the world as is coal, gas and oil. In the building of the second Forth Bridge, the Scottish government bought Chinese, as UK steel manufacturers could not guarantee the required quality and delivery times
I am reading in dribs and drabs a book which details the economics of World War l .. as far back as then, Britain was dependant on imported foodstuffs, this, in an era when a banana or tomato was regarded as 'exotic' let alone (e.g.) kiwi fruit, peaches or avocados which nowadays are demanded all year round by consumers irrespective of the season.
Britain is a trading nation, always has been and always will be, and, excuse the political point, that is why we need to break away from a German dominated Europe and develop our own industry, trade deals and business partners that are not dictated and directed by Berlin politicians or some Latvian bureaucrat in Brussels
Best in Britain for local produce?
Taking a leaf out of the Japanese book, where only local produce is allowed, giving each services a unique flavour and selling point. No chain shops allowed in Japanese service stations, nationally.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/may/06/m5-motorway-service-station-paradise-foodies
http://www.tebayservices.com/
Always worth planning a stop.
Love the plans for on site bee hives for really local honey production.
We make the world's best bottled, canned and draught beer and lager here. Including growing the hops, barley and other ingredients, harvesting, brewing, bottling and exporting, worldwide. Same with the finest wine. We grow it on vineyards here, harvest it with workers from here, make it here and export it across the world. Same with spirits. We make the best whisky, gin, brandy, vodka, absinthe, grappa, schnapps, limoncello and sherry here.
We make the best dairy products here. The best hard and soft cheeses in the world. We grow, harvest, package, ship and sell all of the best agricultural products in the world here - from reindeer to truffles; pasta to rice, onions to oives; strawberries to lemons, melons to pears, cherries to bananas; cattle, sheep, pigs, fowl - wild and farmed; fish - from farmed samon to wild crabs and everything in between.
We have world-leading technology, nanotechnology and biological innovative industries here. We have the world-leading space, aeronauts, electronics, military vehicles, ships and armory industries here. The chemical industry here comprises of 27 percent of the world’s total production, in addition to leading petrochemicals, polymers and fine chemicals industries.
We design and make some of the best white goods, building products, garden equipment, clothes, swimming pools, bicycles, trains, planes, leather goods, hats and software in the world, right here.
And, if you want a holiday, we have some of the best resorts, hotels, cruises, beaches, mountaineering, skiing facilities and sunshine anywhere in the world.
(Problem is, "here" is the EU).
Part of it is down to our culture, I'm afraid to say and principally our class system. The picture painted of Europe in general is of a place where everyone more or less eats the same depending on what region they're from. You also socialise in bistros, restaurants and cafes far more than bars, and in many countries even the bar culture has an element of food (eg tapas) with restraint in drinking. If you're poor, you just have less of it. Here we have so many vestiges of social segregation that there literally are different diets if you're wealthy or not, and guess who gets the unhealthy cheap stuff. The jokes about Scottish cuisine are partly about culture, but a lot more about class as Scotland has a much higher proportion of poorer people. Having 3 chicken shops in every shopping parade in London is also about class and culture. They're aimed at teenagers, but its always the poorer kids you see there. Of course a lot of people value the food they eat and do their best to cook rather than reheat, but it is a skill that is not widely valued and it becomes very easy to just order a takeaway rather than cook something. And of course the other thing is that cooking from ingredients is cheaper than takeaway, but can be more expensive than buying ready meals or jars of sauce. Which in itself is crazy.
We all end up paying for this, through the health costs and associated costs of driving what amounts to processed unhealthy ingredients up and down the country. But I can't see the will to change it.
Beer - yes, apart from lager, we do make much of the world's best. Not wine, but we do with whisky and gin. Oh and cider too.
Dairy - great cheeses. A good cheddar really is as good as anything you'll get elsewhere, and even an ok one is perfectly edible. Fruit and veg - not sure much of the latter gets exported, but our apples and pears are world class and, in season, so are our soft fruits. Good quality beef, pork and lamb, and if our fisheries are allowed to recover, there will be more from them. not sure I'd be boasting about farmed salmon - it's an ecological disaster. Much of the crab and shellfish exported comes from British waters.
There are world-leading industries here - including in all of the sectors you list.
OK - you've got a point on white goods, though I believe there are still some British manufacturers of decent cookers. But some of the rest of that list we do.
And we don't have sunshine all the time, much mountaineering or skiing, but I would argue the UK is an exceptional place to visit. Outside of the SE you can sometimes even find good value local produce sold at reasonable prices.
I can improve on all those stats if 'here' includes Asia, Africa and the Americas
OWL +USB is a more advanced product with a PC link (not compatible with MAC) to upload usage data to store and review graphically.
Muppets...
Why not include Switzerland after all we are both in Europe.
And I believe the thread is about buying British not buying British and other geopolitical groups we are members of/associated with.
In future, it will be interesting to see how proud English people will be of, for example, the Scotch whisky industry or tinplate production in Wales. Because we don't produce either of those "here" in England. And, at the same time, we won't have the kudos of being able to say that the best products in the world - without question - are produced "here"; and, more importantly, we won't benefit from the taxes they generate.
Sure, we can limit ourselves just to buying British. But what an awful, bland, introspective, homogeneous and insipid prospect that would be.
As I said earlier in the thread. I am not particularly fussed about British provenance when it comes to buying something and even less so EU origins.