What an incredibly odd quote. I do buy my lamb* chops from a butcher, bread from a bakery, cheese from a cheesemonger and I don't drink wine but I buy beer from a brewery. I don't live in an "idyllic utopia", this is normal.
Maybe it's location dependent...
I live in an European city, I have multiple butchers, bakeries and fruits and vegetables shops within walking distance.
My area is most certainly not an upscale area, quite the reverse in fact.