It tastes better because … consumer understandings of UK farmers’ market food

Abstract

Abstract:In the social sciences there has been much exciting and informative work on farmers' markets and this paper contributes to this literature by considering how the place of farmers' markets affects the way consumers understand the taste of food. I draw on the difficulty faced by many consumers in articulating the taste of food, especially when food is perceived to taste good. I explore how consumers demonstrate their evaluations of taste, whether through descriptions of taste that are metaphor-laden or through beliefs and values emboldened by food knowledges and opinions. I argue these are how farmers' market consumers understand and perform taste in relation to market food. The findings that inform the paper are taken from interviews with farmers' market consumers in the UK.

Restaurant menu design and more responsible consumer food choice: An exploratory study of managerial perceptions

“…First, provenance implies authenticity and may play a particularly important role for visitors to ethnic restaurants as a means to demonstrate that the cooking ingredients and food preparation procedures used are genuine. This was previously highlighted in literature (Tsai and Lu 2012) Local food is further considered healthier and more beneficial for the environment and local communities (Spiller 2012). Given these important attributes, some managers referred to 'local' as having such a substantial appeal to consumers that it enables restaurants to charge a premium for genuinely local food: Managers considered nutrients and calories as second and third most influential determinants of consumer choice when dining out, respectively (Figure 2).…”

“…Interesting is that the public often associate 'fresh food' with 'local food' assuming that shorter travel time and distance from the place of production to consumption contribute positively to food freshness and taste (Spiller 2012). The public have therefore become more concerned about the food origin (provenance) which is reflected in their food choice when eating out (Goggins and Rau 2016).…”

Ordinary ethics and craft consumption: A Southern perspective

“…Overwhelmingly, studies of the relationship between ethics and consumption imagine the ethical agency of consumers as originating in the North. Little space is allowed in this literature for a Southern consumer, and there is no clear theorisation of how either global economic networks (structured for example around food (Cook et al, 2004;Cook and Harrison, 2007), fashion (Crewe, 2008), or flowers (Hughes, 2000)) or local exchanges (through, for example, organic veg box schemes (Clarke et al, 2008) or farmers' markets (Spiller, 2012) may be experienced similarly or differently by consumers in Southern contexts.…”

Desarrollo de turismo slow por medio de la actividad ecuestre: Estudio de caso Granxa do Souto, Galicia, España

“…La mayor parte de los trabajos académicos alrededor del turismo slow se centran en Slow Food y también, aunque en menor medida, en el Cittaslow movement (Pearson et al, 2011;Sassatelli y Davolio, 2010;Sims, 2009;Sparks, Bowen y Klag, 2003;Spiller, 2012). Los trabajos que estudian la actividad ecuestre se enfocan principalmente en los impactos económicos y medioambientales que provoca en el entorno (Daniels y Norman, 2005;Hackbert y Lin, 2009;Helgadóttir, 2006;Helgadóttir y Sigurdardottir, 2008;Sun y Walsh, 1998).…”