Buying food from Amazon, land of cut-price plastic tat and discounted electronics, feels akin to buying a wedding dress on Shein or a pet from Temu. You feel there’s something distinctly iffy about the whole thing. You’re not sure you even find the purchase appealing. But somehow the twin demons of convenience and low cost force your hand.
We all have our excuses ready when it comes to Amazon. I was an incredibly sparing user until my daughter started school. Until then, I’d spend days investigating scores of shops when specific party or crafting items were required, but the onslaught of last-minute requirements from school broke me. I began to use it more and inevitably became a Prime subscriber.
But when I was asked to write this piece, I snorted. As if I would buy fresh food from such a place. Then I recalled that I did, actually, buy some bits – coffee and crates of Mutti chopped tomatoes – after they soared in cost in supermarkets (the price gap has since closed).
And so, last week, I found myself ordering a range of Amazon’s own brand food, a line called “by Amazon”, to a friend’s London address. I arranged a two-hour contactless slot and received multiple text updates about its arrival. I opened the door as a friendly delivery man said “good morning” and handed me three large paper bags, reminiscent of US grocery bags, two of which were lined and contained ice packs for chilled produce.
I ordered a range of items I often buy at the supermarket, including berries, cheddar cheese, salmon, broccoli, tomatoes, avocados and parmesan, all of which come in “by Amazon” packaging. Who is it actually “by”, though? There is no sign on the labels as to where the food is from, apart from the country.
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
4 min read
A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
2 min read
It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
2 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
5 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book , explains why we behave the way we do in love.
Golden rules for happy relationships
Start with your own behaviours
The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.
Express your needs
People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule
If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.
Lean on community
You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong.
Stop blaming childhood
Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.
Reach for a
secure script
When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one.
If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’
Loneliness elsewhere
When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.
What to do
- Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
- You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle.
- Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
- Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
- Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
- Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
- Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
- Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
- The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
- Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
- One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
4 min read
How to age without pain
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
How to age without pain
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
- Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
Despite the job market hiring fewer entry-level roles, employers are still looking for grads…
But you should be prepared to keep an open mind.
We’ve compiled the sectors hiring graduate roles, what degree is required, and what they pay.
The degrees to choose for a career
Hiring in the UK could
finally be on the up
47%
of employers offered entry-level
positions from July.
That is up nearly 15 per cent from the same period last year.
700,000
But graduate unemployment rose to six per cent in 2025 and 700,000 jobless graduates were claiming benefits.
Finance and insurance
- Around 42 per cent of UK finance and insurance employers say they will be open to graduate roles this summer.
- Business loan company Portman Finance Group has taken on 50 graduates over the past four years.
Portman graduates start on £36,000 for the two-year programme and the education you need to apply is a minimum “ABB” of A-levels, and a 2:1 or above university degree. But not in a specific subject.
Trade and logistics
What makes it particularly rewarding is that there’s always something to learn.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of trade and logistics companies will be giving graduates a go this year.
Salaries start at £30,000 with an uncapped bonus, rising to £50,000 plus a company car as a senior account partner.
Technology and IT
More than half (52 per cent) of UK tech and IT firms are actively looking for graduates.
Successful entry-level candidates can earn a basic salary of up to £35,000, with the opportunity to triple that within their first three years of working.
4 min read
Public sector, health
and social services
46 per cent of public sector, health and social services organisations are also ready to take graduates, according to a survey by Manpower.
- For example, Police Now runs a graduate programme into policing. They recruit graduates from any degree field, as long as they achieve a 2:2 or above. Starting salaries range from £31,164 to £42,210 depending on location and rising each year.
Can we treat guests without blowing our budget?
According to Waitrose, a dinner party revival is underway led by younger people trying to reduce the cost of getting together.
Always have bread
People will feast on the
ELLA RISBRIDGER, AUTHOR OF THE KITCHEN BOOK – GOOD FOOD FOR EVERY DAY
bread, and then need less fish/steak/expensive whatever. All small plates restaurants know this: this is why the first thing on the menu is always artisan bread and butter.
Use vegetables as centrepieces
Add pantry items
Graham’s recipes include a braised cabbage with a preserved lemon sauce, a roast cauliflower with saffron, and harrisa roast carrots with mango labneh.
How to host on a budget
Improve the everyday
Guests will always appreciate a stellar interpretation of the ordinary. Think lasagna or curry.
Cooking dinner for your guests is spoiling them – you’re being generous with your time, your effort, and your home. So don’t feel the need to go overboard elsewhere.
Ask for help
Ask friends to bring a contribution, be it a nibble or a pudding.
Big platter energy
[Presentation] can be the key to elevating something . Spaghetti and tomato sauce suddenly looks like a feast when tumbled on a lovely big plate, dressed with olive oil and parmesan and placed in the middle of the table.
Food writer and editor Eleanor Steafel
How to host on a budget
Taco party
Have one expensive filling, like shredded chicken, and two cheaper options, like refried beans, says Ella Risbridger.
Shop-bought ice cream is so easily zhuzhed up with the help of handy toppings, says Eleanor Steafel.
My requests for information about provenance are, unsurprisingly, turned down. As all the UK supermarkets have been around for some years, even when they try to obfuscate around sourcing, their existing brand provides me with some reassurance. With Amazon, there’s none of this. It would have been nice to be disabused of some of my poor opinion of the company’s ethics – an opinion based on reports about tax avoidance, abuse of worker’s rights, and generally making things harder for small businesses – but I’m sure they have their reasons for hiding where the food is coming from.
If travelling on public transport this month, you may have looked up to see a packet of glistening salmon fillets beaming down at you, alongside the phrase “Amazown label…Food too, who knew?”. The ads are a new push for by Amazon, sold via Amazon Fresh along with a variety of other supermarket brands, following a June announcement that some postcodes in London can now order same-day grocery deliveries – though I ordered an overnight service.
With the closure of the bricks and mortar stores, Amazon is competing with other on-demand food delivery services. As Deliveroo, UberEats and many other smaller organisations in the same market began to deliver food on-demand, Amazon wants to do the same. Can our streets really cope with more delivery drivers, racing to complete their orders within ever tighter drop-off windows?
When I think of Jeff Bezos, on top of all the unprintable words that I can’t share in this family newspaper, I think of Aesop’s dog in a manger fable, in which the dog climbs into the manger to prevent the other farm animals from getting to the hay, even though it’s not something he can eat. This is how I see Bezos, billionaire owner of Amazon, approaching food retail. He’s never going to understand good food, but he sure as hell wants a piece of the pie.
I don’t believe that Amazon can do the job of a supermarket, but it’s too greedy to watch others profit. Amazon began to sell a wide range of fresh food products via Amazon Fresh in 2016, now available in London, parts of the South East, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. It expanded to physical stores and launched its own grocery brand “by Amazon” in 2021.
Here I share my taste test of by Amazon products.
Salad tomatoes
99p/6-pack
A plastic sheath of six perfectly spherical red tomatoes feels…slightly suspicious? They’re from the Netherlands and to be honest I wouldn’t recommend anyone buy these tomatoes, whatever the retailer. Just looking at them takes me back to what I now think of as a Northern 80s salad: a few shards of iceberg, a boiled egg, a spoonful of damp supermarket coleslaw, a puddle of salad cream and half a plasticky tomato. How do they actually taste? Too firm with none of the give a ripe tomato should offer. Crisp like plastic packaging. Mostly bland but there’s a little tartness there that reminds me that it’s a tomato.
Scottish salmon fillets
£4.52/240g
Eating salmon from Amazon gives me the ick more than any of the other products. That said, these fillets are RSPCA-assured, which means they have been responsibly sourced from a Scottish salmon farm. Around 30 per cent of the fish we eat in the UK is farmed salmon and the volume brings with it considerable welfare issues for the fish as well as environmental problems. I cook it in the oven for the 20 recommended minutes. It comes out with a pleasantly burnished outer, but while it looks like it will flake nicely, it is mushy inside. It tastes of very little and isn’t even especially fishy.
£2.45/250g
I’d put this on a burger but nothing else. I don’t get any of the mature cheddar taste I’d expect, nor any of cheddar’s wonderful crumbly texture. Instead, I’m served a damp, faintly salty slice.
£3.50/2
Hass avocados from South Africa and one of them is, as the label promises, ripe and ready, while the second feels like it will spring into action in a day or so. This is one of those really tricky supply chain conundrums and I never expect an avo labelled as ripe to always deliver, so that’s impressive. It slices perfectly and has smooth flesh, but tastes bland.
£2.70/400g
It seems a bit late for strawberries but I got some from the Spar at the end of my road last week and they were OK so I thought I’d give Amazon’s a try. They are UK-grown at least, small, as is usual at this time of year, and quite juicy with a bit of sweetness. Not bad.
Spanish tortilla
£1.45/250g (reduced from £2.55)
This, mercifully, contains only the ingredients it should: potato, onion, oil and salt. I think tortillas are a good choice for people looking for easy ready-to-eat picnic products or work lunches without the prep. This one is a bit flabby and needs more seasoning.
£5.28/225g
I ordered a sirloin as I recently did a taste-test of supermarket sirloins. It is worse than the salmon. I fried it for a few minutes on each side on a high heat, which as per the packet instructions should give me a rare-medium result, but the result is grey on the outside and very nearly cooked through inside. There’s some flavour to it but it goes powdery in the mouth. At £23.46/kg it is 23p/kg cheaper than the Aldi Ashfields sirloin I tried last week but I would never buy it again and only eat a few bites.
Spanish meat selection
£2.63/105g
I am a big fan of pork products, but not these pork products. The selection includes chorizo and salami which are flabby and porky with a decent kick of heat, along with serrano ham which is thick and hard and leaves a horrible chemical aftertaste. While a comparable price with Sainsbury’s – both are £25/kg – this is quite a bit pricier than the Spanish meat selections from Asda (£21.75/kg) and Aldi (£16.58/kg). All are preserved with nitrites.
£3.92/200g
At £19.60/kg, this is more expensive than Aldi and Lidl Parmigiano Reggiano and nowhere near the quality. I’m looking for a dry, crumbly cheese with decent crystals and a deep salty and savoury flavour but while this has a very strong and salty tang, which is tasty, there’s no character or nuttiness and the texture is terrible – smooth and a bit slimy.
84p/300g
I don’t order fruit and veg online if I can avoid it as the results are so often disappointing. Last month I received a red cabbage from Sainsbury’s the size of an orange! I am therefore surprised and somewhat mollified that this head of British broccoli is a decent size and at least arrives unsquashed.
Green beans
77p/200g
Nice-looking, large round beans, all in a decent condition.
My verdict
I wouldn’t buy food from Amazon again even if it did taste great and was far cheaper, which it isn’t, because the fact there’s no available information about the supply chain is unacceptable to me.
So was it much cheaper? As an Amazon Prime member, I spent over £30 for a next day, two-hour delivery slot. At Tesco, I calculate the same basket would cost £26.29 with a £3 next-day delivery.
I also found the ordering process frustrating as often I wasn’t notified a product was unavailable in my area until reaching the basket stage. This is similar to Whoosh, presumably a principle competitor, which offers to deliver my Tesco basket in half an hour for £2.99, but juggling what is and isn’t available is close to impossible. All in all a disappointing and icky experience.