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it makes you look at your cupboards in a new light though. tonight i’ll be using up the chestnuts and sausage meat that’s still in the freezer from Xmas
found this lurking at the back of a cupboard
While performing a stock inventory last week I found 2 bars of cooking chocolate that went out of date in 2018 and a tin of condensed milk that went out of date in 2017.
Made a large millionaires shortbread.
We had a click and collect order from Tesco today, pretty much everything included that we'd ordered apart from some bread and toilet roll. We have 2 rolls left.
Predictably a lot if that panic bought food is now in bin. What a waste! They made the situation much worse for others and didn't get any benefit
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/coronavirus-outrage-bins-pictured-filled-21773469
Those bananas are looking very suspect.
Buying to have 2-3 weeks of good healthy food as a reserve is not panic buying. Just build your reserve gradually.
Yes it is if it’s not how you normally shop. The food chain cannot support the massive increase in demand if everyone does that. You are stocking up and taking things off the shelf for people that may need it now. If everyone just did what they do normally, rather than taking ‘a little extra’ the situation would be a lot better. Yes, there would be some shortages as more people are cooking at home but it wouldn’t take long for the wholesale businesses that normally supply restaurants to redirect produce to shops.
It’s the same with online shopping. Many people are using it when they don’t need to meaning the vulnerable (often the older and less tech savvy) cannot get food without going out. The whole situation is showing just how selfish many people are. Very sad.
but it wouldn’t take long for the wholesale businesses that normally supply restaurants to redirect produce to shops.
Unfortunately a lot of the catering food is heading for landfill. The packs are too big for the general population (2.6kg tin of beans anyone?) and the labelling requirements are different.
Unfortunately a lot of the catering food is heading for landfill. The packs are too big for the general population (2.6kg tin of beans anyone?) and the labelling requirements are different.
That’s certainly true unfortunately. However, numerous wholesalers are starting to provide direct to consumer services such as Bidfood. A relaxation in labelling rules would rapidly ease that problem and maybe free up a considerable amount of meat, flour etc. The government could relax those rules very rapidly if they wanted, as seen by other actions recently. As for pack sizes I’m not sure. Many people have been buying in wholesale quantities which is why were are in this situation. A 2.6kg tin of beans is only the same a 6 regular tins. Not too outrageous for a family (not in one sitting I hope though!!). Meat could be split into smaller portions by the wholesaler or at the supermarkets using the currently empty (at least in the supermarkets I’ve been to) meat counter. Not ideal and would need some action by government but all certainly achievable in times of need and much better than sending it to landfill.
Or people could stop being dicks and just shop normally.
Three days without baked beans now and I'm jonesing bad.
Why are the shops suddenly bare of them? Are people rotating what they panic buy?
Would kill for a 2.6kg tin.
I guess I’m lucky (?) in that I have time on my hands, as there’s no flying to do. I’m running the house catering on a “zero waste” policy - that bin photo ^^^^ is just idiotic. It is possible to keep well stocked without waste. Anything perishable gets used in the order required. Any excess veg gets chopped and frozen. Pot meals are portioned carefully & excess goes in the freezer.
For example we have some browning bananas, so tonight it’s bananas & custard for the kids after the roast. Tomorrow will be curry from the leftover chicken, and any spare veg from today will go into the pot.
We are all buying a little bit extra, more regularly and it's knackered the supply chain.
Analysing the shopping habits of over 100,000 UK consumers, Kantar found that just a minority of people are engaging in what might traditionally be thought of as stockpiling. For example, 6% of liquid soap buyers have taken home extraordinary quantities, and only 3% of dry pasta shoppers.
https://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/Accidental-stockpilers-driving-shelf-shortages
However, numerous wholesalers are starting to provide direct to consumer services such as Bidfood.
There’s a local one to us that started doing it to clear stock, but have now decided to stay open. Handy for us it’s 10 minutes away, phone your order and go and collect from outside their premises. It works really well, much better than venturing into a supermarket and we’re not going to run out of chicken or sausages for a while 😃
found this lurking at the back of a cupboard
I've got one of those. About a week's worth of calories in a pinch.
I saw that picture yesterday, the not very ripe bananas did make me wonder if it was a staged photo & story. Also I saw it on the Mail Online which added to my suspicions.
but it wouldn’t take long for the wholesale businesses that normally supply restaurants to redirect produce to shops.
Unfortunately a lot of the catering food is heading for landfill. The packs are too big for the general population (2.6kg tin of beans anyone?) and the labelling requirements are different.
A local company near us is dong this. They are offering next day delivery on most items, They have big warnings on their website advising you to check the quantity/weight of what you are ordering, but basics are available in manageable sizes (1/2 dozen eggs, 500g pasta, 2Kg of Margarine - OK that last one is big, but it will not go off quickly)
The important bit for me is that they will deliver tomorrow, and are open for new accounts. This is something that none of the major supermarkets will do for my mum which is why I ended up shopping for her today and doing a weird "bridge of spies" style of handover...
If you are near Poole/Bournemouth/Ringwood/Southampton they can be found here; Harvest Fine Foods
Walked straight into Sainsburys today for a top up of fresh goods and some bits for my parents who are in week 2 of 12 weeks isolation. Now people have stopped panicking buying there’s loads of stuff except still some cleaning products.
Now people have stopped panicking buying there’s loads of stuff except still some cleaning products.
Certainly not the case everywhere. Still queues and limited stock round here. Also no deliveries or CnC slots for the next 3 weeks.
Agree with Drac, there is lots of stuff in the regular supermarkets now. Shopping is lots easier than it was about 4-7 days ago. There is no need to panic.
However, my mum and a few of her friends are too scared to go out. Mum told me yesterday that she had no fresh fruit or veg in the house and had just finished the last of the frozen veg (she is well inside the at risk category and struggles to eat the calories she needs each day)
I didn't panic buy, I put some parsnips back yesterday as I had picked up two packs rather than one by mistake, but I have been close to running out of stuff (toilet roll!)
Thats fine for us as we can 'pop' out and grab some stuff as we need it, but each trip is 'exposure' so I get why the old'uns are scared and the couple that I saw about 10 days ago with four trolleys piled high with food and topped off with lots of toilet roll {self censored}
Also no deliveries or CnC slots for the next 3 weeks.
From what my parents say there’s no delivery dates for weeks in their area which is why I buy for them once a week then drop supplies in.
Thanks for the link - very timely. My in-laws are near Christchurch, (a long way from us), and are worried about food supplies, (both over 70, ill and father in law had to queue 1.5 hours to get into Sainsburys). I think they are OK for supplies at this moment - but worried about their options. Might be the place in your link gives them a home delivery option for the essentials.
Most of the tinned stuff is bare up here, we usually keep a stock of stuff anyway but baked beans are low and tinned tomatoes are almost extinct.
I hope the excess stuff at least finds its way to a food bank if its not eaten by the time this is over.
Went to ASDA earlier. Toilet rolls! (Not much) pasta! What strange wonderland is this?
Both my local ASDA and Tesco have now deployed a queuing system where they let people in in batches. Quite what that's supposed to achieve I cannot fathom.
As for deliveries,
This has probably been posted before but it's worth mentioning again. Morrisons are doing food parcels outside of their regular delivery slots, might be helpful for those with distant relatives.
https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/how-it-works
M&S in Solihull was fully stocked - even have the loo rolls. Hardly a soul in sight which might help some of the older ones if they need to stock up.
We bought a freezer a couple of weeks ago and stocked up for family of five. My wife normally just buys fresh each day. I think we have the CV last week so having a few supplies helped us avoid going out.
For those who are housebound check deliveroo out, a lot of corner shops and even the local BP/M+S are delivering via this, obviously choice is limited but plenty of essentials
I just got your PM - reply sent - if there were a kudos button somewhere here - you just got some!
All the best.
We are a family of five; my wife did a shop yesterday.
She was made to put 2 pizzas back as there is a maximum of 3 per shop. So, we can't get a pizza each.
But it's OK, I can go back tomorrow and get the other two. It will just completely mess up what staying at home is meant to achieve.
She was made to put 2 pizzas back as there is a maximum of 3 per shop. So, we can’t get a pizza each. But it’s OK, I can go back tomorrow and get the other two. It will just completely mess up what staying at home is meant to achieve.
I can see how you'd be losing your shit over this, but...how about...3/5s of a pizza each and some chips? 🙂
Get some salad with it, christ even some chips, it's not bloody hard.
If it's frozen then it probably will be.
I can see how you’d be losing your shit over this
I haven't lost my poo; I just think it's a bit unjust. I can go back, or I can go t o another supermarket
I can go back, or I can go t o another supermarket
Yes, when they've put more stock out so the next 10 people can also get pizza... 5 pizzas, come on man, have a word with yourself.
I had the oddest one yesterday.
Paint, well specifically garden furniture paint.
We bought a wooden playhouse for my daughter - She is 5. It will give her something to do in the garden and probably more importantly, will give me a "project". So I thought I'd be organised and buy some paint before the thing arrives.
Cue 2 hours scouring the internet for somewhere that had paint in stock and more importantly was still open to sell it to me.
Hardly life and death, and lets be honest really not that important in the grand scheme of things, but it seemed a really odd thing to be in short supply.
Strangely the paint and decorticating shop I went past on the way home last night (big one in Tooting south of the tube) was the only shop with a queue outside it. Who new undercoat was an essential purchase.
Things have improved a LOT locally this week.
It could be that people have wised up, listened to common sense and have decided to eat the food they have and not buy everything under the sun just because.
But I don't think that's the case, I've had to go once or twice for small things, and I see the same old pattern emerging. You stand, in the cold outside 2m apart waiting for your turn to go in, it's cold and miserable. Every few minutes someone will tear into the carpark, drive up to the door either look at the queue and leave, or shout out asking if you have to wait, which of course you do, then leave.
They weren't there because they NEEDED food, they were there because either because they were bored, or they wanted that 4th bag of pasta / rice / beans.
The supermarket either by design or mistake have fixed a lot of panic buying, simply by making it more boring to go shopping than just drive home again. Within a few days I'd hope they're not even bothering to go now.
Not that I'm completely innocent of stockpiling.
When the Virus really took hold in the UK I did my own little risk assessment.
Wife is front line NHS, with the lack of kit there's a decent chance she'll get it and in turn us.
Just as panic set in my daughter had Hand, foot and mouth, it was very hard to get enough Calpol for her, which was a worry.
It took a few days to get everything together, but I stockpiled 3 days worth of Paracetamol for 3 of us (2 adults, 1 teen) and 3 days worth of Calpol (or ASDA own brand version to be exact) That's only a box each and a bottle of calpol. I was trying to mitigate the worst case of both Adults getting ill at the same time and not being able to go out and buy any, they won't sell it to teenagers and kids.
Also with food, usually I'm pretty efficient, I buy 7 days worth of food and 7 days later, buy some more, but I don't want to get down to zero, so I bought 9 days worth and replenish every 7 days as normal. I just don't want that worst case of two really ill adults at the same time.
This whole thing has made me think, I can see me being that type of person who always has something stashed away from now on.
OK genius, tell us what you’d do instead ?
I’d have listened to the experts who war gamed a pandemic years ago - and foreign experts. Instead of a special adviser who somehow suffers from the Dunning Kruger effect and yet states he listens to the experts (judging by his blog, only those who he personally admires and conform ideologically to his world view). I wouldn’t have shown rank incompetence in responding to things like the European drive for ventilators either.
I can see how you’d be losing your shit over this, but…how about…3/5s of a pizza each and some chips? 🙂
There's a bit of make do and adjust during lockdown.
But just to be clear for the normal times: A pizza is a meal (or at least the main course) on its own. If you are big and hungry, you buy a big one; children, those on diets, buy a little one.
You heathens probably cut it up and eat it with a knife and fork too.
Italians are turning in their.... nope, not going to say it.
Went to my local big Tesco this morning, about 10am. It was awesome! Car park was quiet, loads of parent and child spaces. Short, spaced out queue outside. Instructions to keep apart and no more than 5 people per aisle once inside. Hardly anyone there. Had everything apart from basmati, a limited choice of pasta and handwash. Plenty of loo roll. It was a dream!
I went to Morrison's in Harrogate yesterday - still absolutely cleaned out of tinned tomatoes, tinned tuna, most fresh meat and absolutely all types of flour (other than specialist stuff like gram flour) but sadly had piles and piles and piles of fresh bread that they were selling off at half price because no-one was buying it (I would have bought a loaf for the freezer had we had space. I did buy a packet of half-price caramel shortbread though.
Went to Sainsbo's yesterday quite late in the afternoon (5 ish), not very busy, had to queue for about 2 mins to get in as they were doing one out one in. Everyone observing distancing, they had at least something of most things except flour (why?!) and pasta (hasn't everyone got enough yet?) Low on bog roll but they had some including big multipacks. Managed to stock up for a week or two so won't need to go back for a while! As above, loads of bread on offer. Very noticeable lack of offers on other stock though especially cans/packets which will push up the price of a shop even though the prices have stayed the same. E.g. there'd always be one brand of tinned tuna on offer - they had plenty of stock yesterday across all brands but no offers!
5 pizzas, come on man, have a word with yourself.
I did. We decided you're a chump.
We can get packs of 6 sausages, and goodness knows how many potatoes are in a bag. Madness.
Going click & collect later, just checked my order (again) to make sure everything was there and it isn't. Namely longlife non-dairy milk which means trying a different supermarket and not actually reducing my outings.
And breathe.
Well, our only and last Ocado delivery came today, all of the chicken and pork was stripped out. This means mean going out to find some meat for the family.
Cat's looking nervous.
Kryton57
Subscriber
Well, our only and last Ocado delivery came today, all of the chicken and pork was stripped out. This means mean going out to find some meat for the family.
Is your local pub/butcher delivering?
Kryton - any farm shops near you? Check out food service companies - their market has disappeared as restaurants, schools, works canteens have closed - so some of them have now turned to home deliveries as they have stock they need to shift; you might need to do some searching.
Went to pick up a prescription today. Sign up in the pharmacy saying they were selling hand sanitiser.
At five quid a bottle.
Went to pick up a prescription today. Sign up in the pharmacy saying they were selling hand sanitiser.
At five quid a bottle.
How much were they selling bar soap for, out of interest Cougar?
@cougar Report to trading standards? They are having a word with shop owners doing this (at least they are here!)
I have 10kg of chapati flour! I usually buy a 5kg sack but they didnt have anything else.
Had Moroccan style meatballs with nan bread last night!! Tonight I'm trying it in suet crust pastry with a beef and veg pie. Its like a shit version of ready steady cook!
How much were they selling bar soap for, out of interest Cougar?
I didn't notice, TBH. I was trying not to hang about.
Report to trading standards?
Yeah, isn't it illegal? I'm sure I heard something about that a little while ago.
Selling price of cougar's hand sanitiser should be seen in context of retailer's buying price to assess potential profiteering.
+1 for your local butcher. Ours didn't miss a beat and was straight onto delivery once lock-down started. No faff - just email the order and it comes the next day. Min £40 though so I have been batch-cooking a bit.
anagallis_arvensis
MemberI have 10kg of chapati flour! I usually buy a 5kg sack but they didnt have anything else.
Shudders at the memory of adapting our palletisers to stack 10kg bags, was it one of those with a bright design and a glossy surface 😮
Getting them to stay put on a 1 Tonne pallet load was a nightmare, 32kg in a nice chimney 4 stack or 16kg in the alternating stack pattern at a push
don’t be soft. Every manufacturer who can make it, is making as much as they possibly can. Lots are giving it away (breweries etc). The wholesale price will not be affected. The only reason for increasing prices is the scarcity/demand. It is clearly profiteering.Selling price of cougar’s hand sanitiser should be seen in context of retailer’s buying price to assess potential profiteering.
Ocado delivery last Sunday - 3 substitutions, all sensible.
Local farm shop delivered veg last week whilst in isolation, and local butcher just delivered (ordered last night) a lamb joint and beef pie.
Got a farm shop delivery for my isolated mum up in Norfolk, also managed to sign up for tesco on her behalf & book a slot for 22 Apr.
We are getting there and it’s possible with legwork.
was it one of those with a bright design and a glossy surface
Paper sack, pie was great!
My local butcher has everything a meathead could ever want.
The local baker is selling 1kg bags of flour for those who want to make their own. Or you can buy the stuff ready baked.
Tesco and Asda locally have problems filling shelves; it shows the limited imagination of local shoppers
don’t be soft. Every manufacturer who can make it, is making as much as they possibly can. Lots are giving it away (breweries etc). The wholesale price will not be affected. The only reason for increasing prices is the scarcity/demand. It is clearly profiteering.
Usual amount produced is 300000l
If everyone wanted 500ml. You need millions.
Yes everyone's making it , brewery's are garnering publicity , many round me are crowd funding to produce it.
Then giving it away to those who need it most.
.because they are decent human beings.
The whole sales who are selling it are at the mercy of market forces and highest bidder wins. ..that means that the price goes up to the consumer.
See Frances face masks that were sold from under their noses to the USA for an example of market forces and being a dick
According to government website you need to self isolate for two weeks if you have it or your family member has it https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/.
We also know food deliveries are completely clogged up.
With these two facts in mind, why you wouldn't have a two weeks supply of food to cover the time you are self-isolating is beyond me.
I've never had a doubt in the system being able to generate food for everyone, its the delivering it to you house that I knew would also be the issue.
According to government website you need to self isolate for two weeks if you have it or your family member has it https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/.
We also know food deliveries are completely clogged up.With these two facts in mind, why you wouldn’t have a two weeks supply of food to cover the time you are self-isolating is beyond me.
I’ve never had a doubt in the system being able to generate food for everyone, its the delivering it to you house that I knew would also be they issue.
Isolation length depends on if you’ve had it, or someone in your household has had it (or had symptoms) as per your link. Therefore, you don’t need 2 weeks of food as the person who had symptoms first should be able to go out after 7 days as long as they don’t have a temperature.
The reason there is a food crisis is because lots of people have suddenly stockpiled stuff just as you are suggesting. That has caused the system to break down and has left the old and vulnerable in a really poor position as they are struggling to get food. If you (or someone in your immediate household) are not over 70 or in the extremely vulnerable category then you should be using the shops (not daily obviously, but say about weekly) rather than using vital and overloaded delivery services and stockpiling items that those in a less fortunate position cannot now get. If you subsequently get isolated it’s not difficult to get friends or family to shop for you or get local firms to deliver (you are now in the needy category so delivery is fair enough).
Stockpiling and selfish, unnecessary use of supermarket delivery services are the cause of the problem.
selfish, unnecessary use of supermarket delivery services
Does that include those that have always used home delivery? I am conflicted about it as we have always booked in our normal slots in good time - should I cancel the upcoming bookings I have? I would do it if I was confident they would go to someone that needs them, but they could equally go to someone that has no real need of them. (We shop at Tesco and they haven't restricted slots to those in need like Sainsbury's have done).
Isolation length depends on if you’ve had it, or someone in your household has had it (or had symptoms) as per your link. Therefore, you don’t need 2 weeks of food as the person who had symptoms first should be able to go out after 7 days as long as they don’t have a temperature.
This in my opinion a risky move, to ensure keyworkers get back to work asap. Covid has an unpredictable nastiness to it.
The reason there is a food crisis is because lots of people have suddenly stockpiled stuff just as you are suggesting.
The posts from other people above suggest there is not a food availability crisis. The food crisis is the one that may come as suggested by STWs official information outlet: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/20/farmers-call-for-land-army-to-sustain-uk-food-production-during-coronavirus-crisis
Another interesting take on the food situation: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/apr/03/off-our-trolleys-what-stockpiling-in-the-coronavirus-crisis-reveals-about-us
That has caused the system to break down and has left the old and vulnerable in a really poor position as they are struggling to get food. If you (or someone in your immediate household) are not over 70 or in the extremely vulnerable category then you should be using the shops (not daily obviously, but say about weekly) rather than using vital and overloaded delivery services and stockpiling items that those in a less fortunate position cannot now get.
The old and vulnerable were told to isolate before the food panic. Other than that I completely agree, if you are not in a vulnerable position, do not use the delivery service. I also agree with your point, shopping should be done weekly and not daily, to avoid more spreading.
My assumption is that me or my partner(healthcare) will probably get Covid, therefore I have two opotions, first I buy enough food for two weeks-since I consider the governments approach risky, or second I risk not having enough food during self-isolation and depend on the food delivery system. Seeing that the food delivery service is overwhelmed to a far greater extent than stocking of food, I chose the first.
I am not trying to mitigate a global food industry crisis, since in that scenario we are truly doomed. I am trying to mitigate the unfortunate shortcomings of food delivery services.
OH came back from shopping trip with 3 x Easter eggs 2 x lindt bunnies for the 2 of us, and some tiny little choc bunnies for the 2 boys (3 + 1). All going cheap. BUY! BUY! BUY!
Easter eggs were still full price here. They did have loo roll though.
Murica..
25p for Easter eggs yesterday at Morrison’s.
Has Kerley been back for any more stock yet do we know? 😂
According to government website you need to self isolate for two weeks if you have it
7 from the onset of symptoms.
Did anyone actually run out of bog roll?
My mum had 2 rolls left last week, but she lives alone & is rationing herself 😳
My mum had 2 rolls left last week, but she lives alone & is rationing herself 😳
My mum had 2 rolls left last week, but she lives alone & is rationing herself 😳
^^ I think you followed through mate.
The above made me chuckle.
We didn't run out of bog roll but were down to my emergency roll, I keep behind one of the plastic flaps In the back of the work van. I assume a better spec vehicle would have a first aid kit and warning triangle there.
⬆ That video up there of queue outside the American supermarket.
Why not just collect the trolley on your way in?
should I cancel the upcoming bookings I have? I would do it if I was confident they would go to someone that needs them, but they could equally go to someone that has no real need of them.
If you keep it, they are definitely going to someone who does not need them. If you give it up, it might go to someone who really needs it.
Why not just collect the trolley on your way in?
Helps with the social distancing. Over here in Germany you are not allowed in a supermarket without a trolley-
Helps with the social distancing. Over here in Germany you are not allowed in a supermarket without a trolley-
In the U.K. most supermarkets have markers outside to stand at the shop floors in some are sectional you can’t enter a section until others have cleared. I was stood yesterday behind someone with a trolly. I had stand one section further as the trolly plus them pushed them too close to me.