In some of the UK's main cities, access to affordable to fruit and vegetables is limited, especially for those on tight budgets. This is due to the fact that reaching supermarkets can be expensive and costs to have produce delivered are high.
The Guardian presents the case of Tiny Isaacson, who is retired and lives by himself in Totterdown in central Bristol. The 67-year-old has a heart condition which means he suffers from fatigue and breathlessness. His only income is the state pension. Buying fresh, nutritious food takes thought – and careful money management.
“Where I live it’s very hilly, so getting out is a problem,” Isaacson says. His options for food shopping are either to struggle up the hill to the bus stop, “which is exhausting – often I get to my front door and can’t face it”; fork out £10 on a round-trip taxi fare to the nearest supermarket; pay a significant proportion of his grocery bill to have it delivered; or rely on local shops half a mile away.
This is the type of fresh food dilemma that prevents many people on low incomes from being able to eat what they need to stay healthy. Supermarkets may not be the only answer to affordable fruit and veg, but many millions almost entirely depend on them. In certain areas of the UK’s major cities, getting to a supermarket is difficult.
Bristol, criss-crossed by major arterial roads and a river which makes for tricky access between localities, has 84 supermarkets, according to the city council’s recent mapping exercise. On some big estates, however, this might be just a Tesco Express stocking a limited range of fresh produce. In some areas, the grocery superstores have yet to venture: in deprived areas, this means nutritious, healthy food choices for those without a car or the cash for a bus fare are severely curtailed.
