My UK-only food shopping challenge

I've spent the last year trying to eat food that hasn't come from overseas. You might be surprised at what I discovered

- Joanna Blythman

For the last year, I have been conducting an experiment to see what foods we eat in our household could be bought from UK producers.

Nagging food shortage anxiety reminded me that many of the ingredients we take for granted come via a long, multi-link supply chain, which makes their supply vulnerable to disruption. The idea of relying more on food from the UK gives me a greater sense of security and personal control.

Even early on in my experiment, I saw how easy it was to make 95 per cent of what we consume UK-sourced, with just a couple of caveats. First, it was clear that my British-first buying policy only worked when shopping for ingredients, not ultra-processed foods with multiple composite ingredients and additives. Ingredient labelling on the latter doesn't routinely disclose country of origin.