[Growster...]

Hey News!

Here's a clap for you...

CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP

Bless your cotton socks, you deserve a medal!

(Or a tincture when we eventually meet in about fifty years time)...

[grinling]

my flour from Lidl is uk, less wheat was harvested last year due to the weather. Can't find yeast up here, but the shelves are not too bad, though have loads of toilet rolls.

[Growster...]

Mrs Growster and I have had so much goodwill and friendship given to us over the past week or so..

We're eternally grateful, and won't ever forget all these lovely people from our little village.

Big sea-change in the way we all work is coming on soon...

[GraciesGran]

We have an amazing very small local shop.  He's kept us going over the last few weeks and his wife has been doing deliveries to those people who can't get out.  Yesterday it was free samosas with every paper, a biscuit for the dog and I only went in for my newspaper.  He might have limited stock but he has, and is adapting to the crisis and winning the admiration of the village.

[WeavingGryphon]

The stock piling seems to have got worse here, the supermarket was empty. You can't get flour, unless your paying £4.50 for 1.5Kg for normal not artisan flour from a farm shop, yeast, table salt can be tricky, golden syrup (I have a recipe), pasta, rice and hand wash.

Chopped tomatoes are okay but your lucky if passatta is there.

We were at least able to give some allotment rhubarb and advice to the neighbour we brought New year's Day lunch to.

Is everyone okay?

[John]

Surprised people are still stockpiling / panic buying. Supplies seem to be pretty much back to normal as far as we can judge from what we're told.

Biggest problem seems to be online ordering - getting the elusive slots. I've a feeling we're in for a long haul and the supermarkets are going to be increasing their delivery infrastructure permanently.

[New shoot]

Surprised people are still stockpiling / panic buying.

They are not at all where I work, but anything related to baking is not easy to keep on the shelves. I think people are amusing themselves making bread and cakes.

Most of the rest of our stock is back and fairly plentiful, except for random things. Marmite for one.  I got asked several times for that yesterday by people all forlorn as they had tried everywhere with no luck.

We are still well over 100 home deliveries every day and trying to ramp up for more. We have a whole team starting at 1am every morning and working through until 7/8am to get the orders ready. 

The good news is that we have been able to give work to a fair few newbies and hopefully some of them get a permanent job when this all settles down 

[Growster...]

I ventured forth this morning for the 'Oldies slot' in Waitrose, and was about twelfth in the queue! Saw lots of village chums, had a few laughs (all at 6'8" distance), and went round as if nothing has happened at all!

They're disinfecting the zapper guns after every use, and while I did have plastic gloves on, (very fetching silvery-grey, skin tight..:0},there were also a few customers wearing masks!

I really don't want to go there too often, but really had to this time, as quite a few basics have disappeared, so it was ever thus...

(The car's also filthy, as we haven't used it for nearly a month..:0)

[mrs bouquet]

After trying for 3 days to get a slot for online, and checking every hour or so, I finally got a slot for this coming Saturday.    Went to finish off this morning only to be told I had no slot    So I quickly looked and got one for next Monday (which is what I wanted in the first place).    I ordered stuff for my daughter, beers, wine and other stuff, some for a friend working from home, but suffers with Asthma.  The total was over £170     
I shall have a good laugh sorting that lot out.  Then I shall ring them and they can collect their stuff.   AND PAY.     It is not actually stockpiling because I shall not buy again for another 3/4 weeks.  Some things I cannt buy singley, because Sainsbury is only stocking the outer wraps of 2, 3 or 4's.  They have also stopped many of their own label, so one has to buy the expensive ones.   Mrs Bouquet

[WeavingGryphon]

We were in and the In Laws were in yesterday and both of us left without most of our stuff they are in more often than we are and actually said the shop like what it was at the start.

Youngest and I just waited an hour to get into the shop, queue had easily 100 people in it and left without any of what we wanted . Got some fruit instead, and some alive yeast from the bakery!

Of course there was one pair who just walked up beside everyone ignoring the 2m rule. Gah.

[snowdrops]

Where’s worth trying for bread flour, we’re getting dangerously short. dIL went to Tesco’s early this morning but they hadn’t any, Lidl & Aldi haven’t had any for a few weeks.

[WeavingGryphon]

Where’s worth trying for bread flour, we’re getting dangerously short. dIL went to Tesco’s early this morning but they hadn’t any, Lidl & Aldi haven’t had any for a few weeks.

I order direct from Matthews Cotswold mill, so I don't have to hang on much longer... Maybe. Why don't you try them?

They grow, mill and ship the flour themselves and it's so much nicer than the standard supermarket flour. You can get plain flour, self raising, strong bread flour, Canadian, Pizza, maise, 8 seed, seeded dark crunch, seeded light crunch, rye, spelt, Italian 00, French traditional or strong patisserie, Migliore Ciabatta Italiano, and wholemeal. Different types also have a stone ground and organic flours.

https://www.fwpmatthews.co.uk/baking-at-home/

[snowdrops]

Thanks WG, the online shop is closed until Monday, so I’ll try then if I don’t find any should I go out tomorrow

[WeavingGryphon]

Thanks WG, the online shop is closed until Monday, so I’ll try then if I don’t find any should I go out tomorrow

They aren't the source of the plain and wholemeal flour I'm struggling with, that was Marriages. Who are selling peanuts to help attract badgers to be culled. Vaccinations, not culls.