It's been a while! But the time has come for another food rant. I really wish more things impressed me enough to make a glory trail instead, but sadly they don't. Perhaps it's the circles I eat in? Although today's rant is based around two major failures – Supermarkets (I'll leave it as that, although my main problem is with the Christmas Turkey) and white bread (at the Lygon Arms – sadly).

It must be 25 years since I bought a supermarket Turkey. That might not be exactly correct, but it's near enough to make the point. After years of buying from catering outlets and butchers; this year I went to Tesco's in Stockport. What a disappointment! I learned that 'ready-basted' meant 'impregnated with oil', something I will never forget.

I'd been looking for something about 15-20lb – or preferably, the breast off such a bird. However, 'butterfly' breasts (we used to call them 'fronts') cost more than whole turkeys with similar sized breasts – how does that happen? And, there only seemed to be 'ready basted' (I suppose I'd have found the un-basted types in the bargain basement freezer whereas I was looking at 'fresh'!) or variations of such. Organic Turkeys were about twice the price (between £45 and £60 each!!). So I bought a turkey that I hoped would feed eight of us and have enough left over for snacks on a second day. When I got it home, I decided as usual to remove the legs, bone them and make ballotine-like parcels to boil with the neck and gizzards for stock (and to prevent overcooking the breast which only takes half as long as the legs).

As I started to cut into the joints all the oil started to ooze out of the cavities and the whole chopping board got quite messy. It was like tying up fresh fish (not too dissimilar smell either). Anyway, long story short: the brown meat cooked fine and tasted of turkey. The white meat however, despite only 40 minutes roasting on each side and 40 minute on its back (on a water covered vegetable trivet) was as tough and stringy as old boots. At one point the knife just refused to cut across the fibres and the meat insisted on tearing off instead. Rubbish stuff. Last year we were lucky enough to share a local Turkey (local to Rosie and Steven) which was delightful and unless I can get the same in future – we'll do without. Supermarkets – I could rant for hours.

But I haven't got hours so I'll finish with my Lygon Arms story. Sharon kindly took me there for my birthday – a real treat and a big surprise. However not as big a surprise as the breakfast. The toast was made from soggy white or brown supermarket bread (come on Lygon Arms at the rates you charge you could buy in from a local BAKER) and the bacon was only cooked one side! A true disappointment from a hotel I've always held in the highest regard.