ottawa foodies

Has anyone else heard the Sobey’s commercials this week? The one about men having one track minds? Essentially, the commercial is two women talking about how they care about fresh produce and how their husbands want to shop at grocery stores that sell t-shirts. Every time I hear this commercial it just irks me. I feel that it portrays really tired and annoying gender stereotypes. So often, women are portrayed as brainless consumers but when it comes to food (and cooking for the family) men are portrayed as the clueless ones. I don’t really know where I’m going with this but I thought I would share since there are lots of men on this site that obviously care about food.

Sort of smacks of desperation, too, doesn't it? "Let's convince people that selling things other than food makes the food worse." I wonder if they're targeting Loblaws/Superstore with those, though, or Wal-Mart.

They're obviously targetting those other stores, and I think they have a point. Not very many businesses can do more than one thing really well. Most businesses that offer a variety of services/products, end up being only mediocre. I think it is entirely likely, that if you only sell food, with a focus on quality, you will have a more compelling solution. I know the Loblaws near my place (Vanier) has totally dropped the quality schtick that they had when the first opened. The produce is hit or miss, and the food aisles have been shrinking and the 'clothing/not food' growing. It's certainly more convenient, but it doesn't make for better quality food.

I'm no fan of gender stereotypes, especially since I love grocery shopping more than 95% of the population. I sometimes go to the grocery store just for fun and read labels to discover new products and ingredients.

As for Sobey's, from what I remember of their produce department the only difference between them and the stores that sell t-shirts is that Sobey's doesn't sell t-shirts. :-)

Last time I went to Sobeys (note: no apostrophe to make Quebec happy) they had a much better seafood selection than any other place in town.

I'd shop there more often if there were one closer - but only because they started in my wee home town ;-)

Pop quiz : what tartan do the employees wear (usually the collar of the shirt)

Funny...to contradict the ad, it's ME that would rather shop at a "bigger" store, just SO I can do extra shopping on the side..clothes, housewares, etc! It's my husband who cares more about quality produce, and just going for the food!

Yes alot of people seem to like the convenience of having everything under one roof. Although it seems like those gargantuan stores go more for quantity rather than quality. For those of us who are just there for the food I love going to the small outdoor markets and chatting with the guy that actually grew the tomatoes, raised the beef, etc. They are so passionate about what they do and come up with serving ideas I would never think of.

You know, I'm not always a fan of gender stereotypes, but I don't know if one has ever angered me. Rather, I just laugh and say, "ha! I'm glad I'm not a dumb boy like that!" or some other such thing.

Zymurgist: it's true that they usually have good seafood. Must have something to do with their Nova Scotian roots (hence the tartan, to answer your pop quiz). That's what keeps me wishing there were one nearby, too. I have fond memories of staying at our rented cottage out near Pictou and doing nothing but eating seafood, reading, and drinking!

Ha, ha, Pictou County is where I'm from (but not the Town of Pictou)

Do continue, boy!

I'm from Stellarton (most infamous for the Westray mine disaster - check out my brother's book on the topic titled "Twenty Six"). I went to school with a lot of the Sobey kids - graduated (grad class size of 65) with one of the heirs to the family fortune. Their head office is still in Stellarton.

Where was your cottage?

I wonder if there are other Maritimers out there lurking?

I'm originally from Nova Scotia myself. Born in Lunenburg, raised in Lower Sackville and then Kingston/Greenwood. :)

Ah, Stellarton. Haven't really looked around there, since I normally stuck to Pictou (because it's close) and New Glasgow (because it has an Esso and a bitchin' Frenchie's.)

Our cottage that we rented was part of MacKean's Holiday Cottages, a km or two west of the roundabout just outside Pictou, by way of Highway 6.

And, while I'm not a lurking Maritimer, my grandmother's from Truro and my grandfather was from Great Village (his family came over on the Hector.) I believe my aunt has a cottage near one of the Sobey cottages, but I'll be darned if I can remember A) which Sobey (Ken?) and B) which part of the Straight (Caribou?)

Speaking of Pictou: The Piper's Landing. Discuss.

You can see Sobey's first store on the right here in my hometown Stellarton. Picture circa WW1

In the full-sized photo on facebook you can read "Sobey's" on the side of the building, as well as the billboard for Sweet Caporal cigarettes.

photos-814.ll.facebook.com

Very cool, thanks for sharing zymurgist!

I think my name says it all... another maritimer here,