panic food buying Uk

[wargarden]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/0 ... r-shelves/
is this wide spread or just areas with virus.

will ration cookery and war cookery info
come back in style?
will UK soon need ration books again?

[Mamta]

[Suelle]

None of the media reports, nor the government talking heads, distinguish between 'panic buying' and stocking up with enough basic supplies to get through 14 days of self-isolation, if things come to that.

I've certainly done the latter - most of my friends and neighbours are in the same vulnerable category as me, due to age, which means I couldn't rely on them to be able to help.

[northleedsbhoy]

[suffolk]

[Herbidacious]

I don't think any of us can give an authoritative answer. There is definitely some going on in my neck of the woods, and that's as much as I can say. If/where it happens probably relates more to how worried people are, than how many cases of the virus there are.
I think people will avoid ration and war cooking, assuming they even know how to cook, unless it were essential. That said, a woman was complaining that they were out of bread mixres, and she supposed she'd have to try and make some from scratch using bread flour (I assume she realized she'd need yeast.)
Presumably shortages caused by stockpiling will tail off and the shelves will be replensihed. However if we get to a state where the supply chain is affected by pepole being off work for whateever reason, that's another matter. I guess look to Itlay (as not sure how easy it is to look to China) for how things might pan out.

[earthmaiden]

If imports are affected people will soon see how much we rely on them! I doubt we will reach a wartime rationing stage but believe that food in supermarkets should be rationed so that supply chains can cope. If those operating the supply chains cannot work then there will be almost instant shortages (just think of supermarket shelves when it snows for a couple of days!).

It's hard for people on low incomes, with little space, or the homeless to stockpile even for a 2 week period.

[Herbidacious]

Some are rationing some thing, but onviously not on a needs basis.

All the Sainsbury's basics basics ran out before people started buying the posher stuff. The only pasta and rice left in the supermarket yesterday, were some uber posh, expensive pasta and some basmati rice.

[suffolk]

You have to have good credit or surplus cash in order to stockpile ... loads of people live from week to week or even one job to another (for the self employed).

[Gruney]

[liketocook]

I was in the ironmongers earlier for lightbulbs (they didn't have the ones I wanted ) and above their (rather bare) household supplies section they had a Kitchener poster adapted to say "Do you really need to buy this?" which I thought was quite clever. The woman at the till said they had sold more carbolic soap over the past week than they usually do in a year!!

[Herbidacious]

Indeed Gruney. In our local Lidl there is always a pile of stuff by the till which people have found they don't have enough for. ( I know at least some of this is there for that reason, as I have been behind people in the queue who have had to give stuff back.)

[scullion]

i went shopping last tuesday - normal shopping - maybe other people would think that i was panic buying fruit but it was the normal amount for us i may have to go and get more fruit and veg by the end of the week.
we always have a well stocked pantry. if we have to isolate ourselves for any length of time we will still be better off than many in this country and the developing world who have to put up with the lack permanently.
by the time we need any dry or store cupboard stuff the panic buying will be over and we'll be able to shop as normal.

[dennispc]

https://www.businessinsider.com/coronav ... ?r=US&IR=T

[Pepper Pig]

Put that in your pipe and smoke it wargarden!

[scullion]

[earthmaiden]

The percentages are fascinating aren't they! I read 'face masks' as the beauty sort first of all and really did wonder ... .

[wargarden]

northleedsbhoy well ;just went home/ garden store
and supermarket. only shortages i saw were latex gloves,
hand sanitizer and dust masks. I always
am prepared with those since it flu season here.
the rest of items that seem to being hoard in uk are
full or in half selves that you would expect given I was
shopping in middle of day.

[wargarden]

scullion hard pretzels are heavy carbohydrates and have long shelf life.

[northleedsbhoy]

[wargarden]

northleedsbhoy only some american

[suffolk]

[Herbidacious]

Pretzels are not exactly substantial though are they. Not really meal-worthy. Tortilla chips might be better? You could make nachos

[earthmaiden]

Our local Coop was quite well stocked yesterday but the tinned meat shelf had gaps. Although very nice, it's the sort if shop people go to through necessity rather than choice so panic buying hits them last. I only went in for a couple of things but did buy an extra jar of coffee. I would hate to run out of that. I did notice several people yawning, coughing etc without even putting their hand over their mouth. I suppose it saves exchange of germs by hand ... .

Re pretzels. If you're going to be stuck in the house for 2 weeks then comfort food sounds quite tempting!

[Herbidacious]

Although pretzels definitely do not count as comfort food, as far as I am concerned. I'd rather eat cream creackers. But if I have to eat savoury snacks, Walker's lime and coriander chutney popodoms, please.

[scullion]

agreed, pretzels are a waste of calories in my opinion - i would prefer twiglets and i only buy those once a decade. i may have only bought pretzels once in my life - and that was when the kids were small.
i can remember them hanging around for a very long time before being chucked out. the pretzels, not the kids.
i would have roasted peanuts (or bombay mix).

[suffolk]

I quite like the big chewy pretzels you can buy at some bakers nowadays ... the packs of little dry salty ones iare boring.

Walkers Sensations Bangkok Streetmix for me please

[Herbidacious]

[Herbidacious]

German bready pretzels with big salt crystals are good. Not had once since about 1983 though....

[earthmaiden]

I like bready ones but also love the savoury snack ones. I used to buy them for a treat in the USA and eat rather too many of them in one go .

[Gruney]

Morrisons sold out of paracetamol.

[KC2]

Curiously, dashed into Poundland today - didn't go round the whole shop so don't know about things like loo paper - but the toothpaste shelves were half empty

[Herbidacious]

Local huge Sainsbury's down to about 66% full of stocks I would say. Many aisles were empty or near empty. Most worryingly almost out of cat food and totally out of the type mine eat. And as most cat owners know, it's never the case that 'just any' cat food will do. We are not out of it, but worrying. Also of concern, but slightly less so, no cat litter. I don't think there was the same situation with dog food. I suppose dogs are less fussy? They won't starve...
Overheard staff member saying that as soon as they put stock out it disappeared. However a) the aisles were clogged up with trolleys of stuff not being put out and b) they are not very efficient at putting stock out at the best of times. This does suggest that they *have* stuff to put out though.
Glad people weren't helping themselves to the trolleys, but that's only a matter of time if this continues.
Woman in front of me was saying there were no eggs. I said there were, and her reply was thay they were too expensive. She normally pays 99p. Not sure I approve of 99p eggs, but the point is that a lot of people can't afford more expensive brands, and those are all, if anything, that's left of some types of food.

[earthmaiden]

The egg section was almost empty in my local large Sainsburys yesterday. It was noticeable how aisles with perishable foods remained stacked up with a good few rtc items but shelves of tinned/dried kind of things which will keep were almost bare.

[Herbidacious]

Well it's logical. I imagine a lot of people don't have large freezer capacity.

[earthmaiden]

Yes, it just highlighted how much people are stockpiling though.

[nursemimi]

the only things I saw out at the store were loo rolls, Hand sanitizer and bleach.
I usually have a well stocked pantry and freezer so we would be fine. The only things
i would run out of are fresh milk, produce, and eggs.

[earthmaiden]

I caught an interview on daytime TV yesterday. They were interviewing a very 'middle class' man who was earnestly explaining how hard it would be if they had to completely rely on the very local shops because they didn't stock the sort of food they were used to.

[Herbidacious]

I may be totally relying on my brilliant local Turkish food shop(s) at this rate.

[wargarden]

add eggs,meat to list things running short.

[Gruney]

[suffolk]

Plenty of fresh produce in the shops around here.

[StokeySue]

I get the feeling that things that don’t stockpile well are fine

[StokeySue]

I get the feeling that things that don’t stockpile well are fine

[Herbidacious]

Eggs were low in our Sainsburys on Friday.

I wouldn't know about meat (But the aisles certainly weren't empty.)

Surprised cheese isn't low. I bet I could create a cheese shortage by posting on FB "They were nearly out of cheese in our Sainsburys"

Someone posted in our local FB page that they had plenty of tins of tomatoes and pasta in one of those little indie chains of supermarkets on the high street. When a hope was expressed that people wouldn't rush out and buy things from these shops unless they really needed them, as these are the shops that old folk who can't manage to get all the way to the big supermarket shop in, she quickly said she just fancied making spag bol this weekend and that was the only reason she mentioned it... Hmm.

[wargarden]

plenty of cheese and good olive oil here
also chicken and pigs feet have large supply in meat section.
and plenty of canned escargot

[scullion]

i think americans get a load of 'fake news' (when did it stop being misinformation) about the uk - just remember all the rubbish about some areas being controlled by muslim fundamentalists. i think they just want to believe that they're coping better/ better off than the motherland!
the chillers in lidl were filled with meat, as usual, as i walked past. i didn't notice eggs as i got a dozen from the farm last week.

[scullion]

i bought cheese and olive oil yesterday - no shortage.
as a vegetarian i wouldn't have noticed if there was a shortage of the feet - but i doubt there was.
if anyone wants snails i have plenty in the garden.

[StokeySue]

Depends on what you mean by “cheese” of course

I’d guess people would stockpile generic cheddar an Parmesan m other varieties not so much

[earthmaiden]

Are pig's feet widely eaten where you are wargarden?