What's in Your Trolley? Get the Best from Your Supermarket Shop
Sometimes it is worth taking a peak into your shopping trolley and having a look around to discover what alternatives the supermarkets have to offer over your regular shop. With more small, independent producers staking their claim to space in the aisle wars, you can now find real treasures hidden among the home brands.
With companies like Waitrose, and their Small Producer Charter, more independent products should start to appear on the shelves. 
We know how annoying it is when a shop remodels, moving all their stock around and changing the set up so we have to wander the store to find our usual list items. As annoying as this is, and as much as the stores are trying to shake us up and promote more goods to us, it can have its advantages in the long run. Next time you are in store, allow a little more time and take a wander down forgotten aisles, places you don't normally go, to see products you don't usually buy.
Expand your vision when you get to your regular purchase and take a moment to see what other producers have to offer. You may be surprised. And it makes the chore of shopping a little more fun.
If you cannot find the product you want it is well worth taking a few moments to have a word with the manager and write in with suggestions. Also the more you buy stock from the shelves the easier it is for the supermarkets to gauge what the shopper wants.
Many times I have gone into our local stores to find the one item I need is constantly sold out. By simply talking to the manager and submitting a request, not only is my much needed product on the shelves more often, the store have introduced a second flavour option too. And with this availability other shoppers are now buying more and thus increasing the demand cycle.
Free From producers are really getting their teeth (and products) into the bigger stores, especially start-up companies like PERK!ER Foods, who challenge the sugar content of their cereals against some of the bigger brand names, and still manage to produce gluten-free flavour and a wider choice. 
HECK are making their way through the sausage mill and offering gluten-free sausages, simply banging with flavour, and at an affordable price next to others on offer in the chiller cabinet at Waitrose, Tesco and Asda. Let's hope Monday's episode of The Fixer (8th September) boosts their availability in stores.
While we aim to encourage our readers to buy from independent businesses and support the small companies via their online shops, we are realistic in as much as we appreciate the ease and convenience supermarkets have to offer.
And if you can't beat them, it is OK to join them sometimes. Just politely make a demand for the products you want to buy - and let's see if we can raise awareness for other producers and expand their presence in the larger stores.
Who knows, one day there may be a lot more on offer... Imagine a 'Producer's Corner' becoming a permanent feature in every store.