I’m not mad, just optimistic…

Lunch on Day Two

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you will probably be currently thinking that the whole organisation has gone “Fairtrade Fortnight” and “giving things up for lent” mad.  You shouldn’t be surprised though – Ethical Superstore is largely staffed by optimists.  We don’t look at global poverty and climate change and shrug our shoulders. We believe that we can make a difference to these things even through something as mundane as the type of coffee you drink. So when Lent comes around many people in the team have decided to do things to make their lifestyle or the world a better place.

So in that context my decision for lent doesn’t feel quite so stupid – I’ve decided to only eat things I can buy from the Ethical Superstore range for lent. When someone first said it couldn’t be done, it seemed easy – I reeled off a long list of all the things we sell. However, as I begin my Lenten pledge it’s the things we don’t sell that seem more problematic – no milk, no margarine, no butter, no bread, no eggs. This is going to be an interesting six weeks.

So the rules I have set are quite simple, apart from water (and by the way we do sell water too!) everything I consume over the coming weeks will have all of the ingredients derived from the Ethical Superstore range of food products. Yesterday was day 1.

Day 1 of the ESS Challenge

Day didn’t start well. No preparation in place, so had to make do with black coffee (Equal Exchange dark beans) and black tea (Teadirect). I guess giving up milk in tea and coffee might be a positive outcome – certainly makes it easier on the days when the Ethical Superstore staff fridge is empty.

Quick trip to the lawyers meant I had to turn down their nice coffee and drink water for a change. Lunch was one of the lovely Seeds of Change soups. Tea proved more tricky. Got home to find kitchen off limits as the floors had been sanded and re-varnished. Eek! Only thing in bag that can be cooked in a microwave is Biona Baked Beans. At this rate the Ethical Superstore challenge may actually become a diet!

However, day two has started much better. Bought some Rice Dream milk for my tea and overnight made a loaf of bread using the Doves Farm wholemeal loaf kit. A slice of bread still warm from the oven with Whole Earth marmalade on it really is a treat. Fresh fruit and veg box gets delivered today, so it really does feel like things are looking up.

If you can take the pace, I’ll be back with a further instalment over the weekend.