I HAVE been cooking for almost 70 years and I have seen many changes in the way we eat and how we buy our food.
I love the wonderful range of ingredients now available and particularly the enthusiasm we are beginning to show for locally produced food.
But I do believe we should think more carefully about the welfare of the animals reared for our tables and help support those farmers in Devon who choose to raise their livestock to high welfare standards.
Please ask your readers to look out for food that has come from farms where welfare is a priority ? like those who are members of the RSPCA?s Freedom Food scheme which celebrates its tenth birthday this month.
In the last ten years, Freedom Food has improved the welfare standards for over 150 million animals and has 163 accredited members in Devon.
If we all make an effort, the next ten years could see an improvement in standards for even more of the 860 million farm animals reared for food every year in this country.
Happy eating!
Marguerite Patten OBE