Y
ou know you’re a certified
Hong Kong expat when
you start complaining
about the cost of groceries
at dinner parties. For anyone feeding
a family from one of the international
grocery stores, after rent, surely one
of the largest monthly expenditures
is food. At the same time, we are
bombarded with scary reports about
local food scandals that make us
promptly remind our helpers not to
buy anything “made in China”. This
sometimes leads to paying more than
$300 for a melon that we can only
assume must have flown first class on
its journey from South America to
Hong Kong.
Families in Hong Kong can
be very savvy when they need to
accommodate more children in the
same living space. But, feeding those
extra mouths, including those of
are no surprises at mealtimes. He also
sources meat from a wholesaler in
Hang Hau and produce from a local
fruit and vegetable truck that visits
some of the large apartment buildings
around Hong Kong twice a week.
“I spend approximately $1,000
a week on fruits and vegetables, and
I would hate to think what it would
be if we did all of our shopping at the
supermarkets,” Mike says.
Food fright
Conventional advice when it comes to
saving on groceries is to “buy local”.
But there’s an obvious reason most of
us don’t. More than 90 per cent of the
produce sold in local markets comes
from mainland China.
“I don’t ever buy local produce,”
says mother-of-four Fiona Johnson.
“You just have to read about the infant
formula debacle and the stories about
additional staff who may be hired to
accommodate for more children, is
an unavoidable increased cost that
expanding families cannot avoid
Owner of Body Balance personal
training and a father of five, Mike
Maiers, estimates that approximately
50 to 60 per cent of his family’s
monthly budget goes on feeding the
family, which includes two live-in
helpers and a nanny.
“We all eat the same meal, no
questions asked,” says Mike. “And
we don’t cater for fussy eaters, so if
someone doesn’t want to eat, they
go to bed hungry. I know it sounds
harsh, but cooking five different meals
would be a logistical nightmare.”
To help reduce the stress of daily
planning and to organise shopping
trips, Mike’s family develops a weekly
meal plan, which is then displayed
in the kitchen for all to see so there
Feeding
themasses
If you have a big family, then you surely know the pain of exorbitant grocery bills. But,
is it possible to feed a tribe in Hong Kong without breaking the bank? asks
Jill Mortensen
.
October 2013
59
