Some of the most common New Year’s resolutions are around getting fit, getting thinner, getting healthy. Maybe this is to do with the effect of eating and drinking a little more than normal. But maybe it’s also about the mid-winter resetting of our compass. After stocking up before the hungry gap, huddling together like penguins to protect against the harsh environment, and taking time to reflect on the last 12 months, we can look ahead to what we can improve for the following year. But instead of focussing on physical improvements it is perhaps more important to place ourselves within a wider context and make changes based on ‘the three Rs’ in the school of life.

Reflection

What is of real interest to me during the winter months is to look back at the whole… and I don’t just mean in our whole body. As we enter the New Year it is important to think about our place in this globally connected world. Brexit, Trump, Syria, climate chaos, loneliness, these and many more societal ills have become the backdrop to our lives. You might say there is little to celebrate. But dig beneath the headlines and you will find that there is more than meets the eye. For a start, on 21^st January 100,000 American women intend to March on Washington in what could be the largest mass mobilisation America has ever seen. It is proof that the counter current for a more just and sustainable world is continuing to build; and it is unstoppable.

Reconnection

In today’s world, I feel that we have a great need to make sure whatever we eat, drink, do and say counts. Now I know this may seem a little tenuous, but I truly believe that eating an organic apple from a local producer like our friend Joe Pardoe in Hereford can change the way we view the world. Take a slow, mindful first bite of that apple and envision the hands (and faces) that have gone into its journey from seed to May blossom. Imagine it being picked, packed and transported. Not once have agrochemicals from companies involved in corporate greed crossed its path. Nor have retailers that squeeze the farmer in pursuit of pure profit. Apples like Joe’s are grown with care; with organic compost; with nature.

The more we reconnect to producers and nature through what we eat and drink, the more we move towards a fairer, healthier, happier world. It is all part of the process towards balance and simplicity. And it comes with the slowing down, instead of speeding up, of our time on earth. And the raising of awareness to our body, heart and spiritual needs.

Rejuvenation

Better Food is here to support your journey. During winter we stock delicious fruits free from pesticides, deep dark greens fresh straight from our local farms and natural supplements to give your immune system a boost. As we enter 2017, Better Food will be informing our customers about what they can do to make the most of our produce during the hunger gap and following customer feedback, we will continue improving the sustainability of our packaging and further reduce our impact on this fragile planet. This is our New Year’s resolution to you.

Better Food represents so much more than a shop selling organic, local and ethical products; we are here because the world needs safer, warmer places to build community, and to support local people in pursuing what they love. It’s the people that help shape who we are, so we hope that in 2017 we can welcome more into the Better Food community and together we can work towards a better world.