Welcome from the editor: progress
Welcome and thank you for joining me this weekend.
When we are little, life is often presented to us as a linear sequence of steps that eventually will lead us to our end goal (going to school, going to university, getting a job, having a relationship, perhaps getting married and having children and so forth), but as an adult, I have discovered how flawed this concept is. Life and progress are not linear, but made of starts, stops, turns, peaks, slopes and winding roads.
It’s a good thing to look back at how far things have come, be grateful for the work done by our ancestors and by our contemporaries and appreciate where we are at.
This week we delve into The history of food packaging: how design has changed through the years and bring you lots of pictures: from food tins from the Victorian era, chocolate bars sold in the 1930s, to cereal boxes from the 60s and 70s (Sugar Smacks anyone?) and very 90s soft drink cans.
When I was in my 20s I didn’t know anyone who didn’t drink. I’m part of Gen X after all (a late generexer, but still a genexer) and for my generation the party would never end. Until it did and the hangover proved to be too much. But these days people seem to be drinking more mindfully, or not at all actually. Once, if you didn’t drink the choice was either a soft drink, fruit juice or low alcohol beer, but these days the lo/no alcohol sector has made huge strides, and if you are teetotal or simply don’t fancy a boozy night, you don’t need to fear the pub. Zero alcohol gin, whisky, wine, tequila and other spirits are all on offer, so you can enjoy a night out without tomorrow’s hooch-induced headache and existential fear. Read all about it in Parties, picnics and pubs: the ultimate guide to non-alcoholic drinks.
Retailers are making some progress in becoming more sustainable. Tesco has received SBTi’s approval for science-based emissions targets, with more retailers called on to set climate goals. Read what Sustainable Food Trust’s founder and CEO Patrick Holden told Food Matters Live about the supermarket giant’s move. Hint: the devil is in the detail…
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Stef
