21 Comments

As brilliant a piece of journalism as has ever appeared in Vittles.

Expand full comment

Thanks Sheila!

Expand full comment

Thank you so much Sheila - that's very kind.

Expand full comment

Someone, please send this brilliant article to Jeremy Clarkson, who has already done much to depict the difficulties of farming on Clarkson’s Farm. Perhaps he could illustrate for a global audience how monopolies and middlemen stack the odds against farmers in their daily life.

Expand full comment

this attentive look at the destructive forces that run the global food system is wonderfully clear.

Expand full comment

Thank you so much for reading!

Expand full comment

We regularly drive past a field in Bedfordshire with a sign up proclaiming "Growing wheat for Weetabix" - very interesting to see the background.

Also, I saw an Australian TV cook on instagram making "millefeuille" out of weetbix this week.

Expand full comment

Incredible.

Expand full comment

A brilliant summary of everything that's wrong with farming. Cutting out the middleman is the ethos for farmers markets, but doing that on the scale you write about Jack is like taking on the world. Thanks for highlighting all the issues.

Expand full comment

Fascinating article. One small typo on the weetabix ET ad, it should be 80's not 90's.

Expand full comment

thank you so much! we have changed that

Expand full comment

I read this and loved it and sent it to my 83 yo Dad who is always in search of good journalism- this was his response “I don’t often use this expletive -but - “WOW” !

Such an interesting history of a thankfully still available today product and once again in British ownership - a very good article, thank you and much appreciated as I am a regular consumer.”

Expand full comment

Extremely wholesome response! We are really thrilled to hear it.

Expand full comment

Surprisingly interesting! I never heard of Weetabix, but still read it through! Nice!

Expand full comment

excellent read.... and weetabix is a family favourite

I own a restaurant and we are constantly looking at where our food comes from and trying to support the small independent farmer, grower, producer.

Expand full comment

If only the world would stop eating bread, toxic on so many levels. Oh! To turn whEAT fIElds to 5 other more healthy grains...

Expand full comment

Weetabix gets our vote!

Expand full comment

I’ve only had Wheetabix when traveling in Britain and Canada and had mixed feelings—bit like munching wet straw (sorry, Wheetabix fans!). This insightful piece gave me something far more substantial to chew on. Thanks for sharing.

Expand full comment

Thank you for reading!

Expand full comment

I remember my Scots granny, who ate only porridge at breakfast time, spreading a thick layer of butter on a Weetabix in the afternoon and eating it like a biscuit. Yes, I tried it and erm, not really. Interesting article, but isn't regenerative agriculture a bit of a woolly (intentionally so - liable to green washing) term? Will anything imbricated in a large capitalist supply chain be able to commit to authentic regenerative practice? https://wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/features/regenerative-organic-and-agroecology-whats-the-difference/

Expand full comment

Great piece, know lots of people that will enjoy reading this!

Expand full comment