[Growster...]

The voice of reason as always Mum!

Thank you!

[WeavingGryphon]

We've ran out of POPCORN KERNALS. Oh there's no pasta, passatta, hardly any toilet or kitchen rolls and soap is a dream,

I wandered along to the local shop which always had boxes of popcorn kernals thinking there's never been no popcorn in the 10 odd years I've been shopping there. But then I wondered if people are staying in making their own fun maybe there's been a secret run on them? There was one bag.

I was talking to a member of staff and they were disgusted by how people are acting, especially towards older folk who are frail, barrelling them over and stealing out of trolleys. Yes, stealing out of their trolleys.

[mrs bouquet]

That is so low.   But making popcorn is fun, I used to make it with my children, and we laughed a lot.  Just a lot of clearing up afterward.    Mrs Bouquet

[mumofstig]

An email received from Trashco about arrangements for delivering on-line orders..

Deliveries and advice if you are self-isolating
 We want to deliver to you as safely as possible, so please let us know if you’re in self-isolation by telling us in the delivery instructions box when you order online. To be on the safe side, our drivers will be asking everyone they deliver to if they’re self-isolating, so please don’t be offended if you’re asked.

 Following the Government’s advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19, if you’re self-isolating, your driver won’t be able to come into your home. But to help make things easier, although we have a bagless policy, we’ll provide clean shopping bags which your driver will use to pack your shopping for you at your door. Lastly, to avoid having to touch our signature touchpad devices, your driver will ask if you’re happy with everything and then sign the order for you.

At least they seem to be getting organised

[wighty]

Speaking last night to my brother who is in Australia, he told me that there is a real problem there with loo rolls, kitchen rolls, paper tissues and napkins as they have no facilities to make their own and the country's supply comes from China.  Has the media picked up on this, reported it distortedly and this is why people in other countries, who all have facilities to make their own, are panicking?

[New shoot]

I'll confess to some stock piling today.  OH had a bit of time spare, so I nabbed him and his van to get some new bamboo canes from the garden centre.  Then I bought MP compost, potting grit, a big bucket of Growmore and another one of pelleted chicken manure.

Well a girl has to get her priorities right you now   

Our local Aldi had loads of loo roll today, but no pasta.  It is just panic buying causing bumps in the supply chain, which then make sudden gaps. There are only so many lorries moving stuff at any one time.   If everyone calmed down a bit, there would be plenty to share round.

[Plot 1 Problems]

I too have a stockpile admission to my shame. I bought 2 cases of Robinson's Old Tom (8.5% abv) to see me through the hard times. Should last until at least Monday...

[Growster...]

Just before all this started, we were running down our two under-the-counter freezers, as they were just full of so much stuff, it was crazy buying new meat and veg, so we decided to use it all up - properly...

So after shepherd's pies made from three-year old raspberries, cod toast etc, we at last had some space!

It just goes to prove that the best laid plans etc. etc., but we did revert to an old trick we used when working, which was to freeze milk. Our milkman used to get to us after we'd gone to work, so it stayed outside for the birds/sun/etc all day! That wasn't a good idea!

So we do have a gallon tucked away (freezer one, second drawer down, zone 4, area 5(b), section 'Dairy', bought-by date March 1, use by date - oh to hell with that, it's in the blasted freezer innit, so who cares...

But I can tell you one thing - my dentist will have a job on her hands, as sourdough bread freezes to a hardened version of reinforced concrete!

[WeavingGryphon]

I'll confess to some stock piling today.  OH had a bit of time spare, so I nabbed him and his van to get some new bamboo canes from the garden centre.  Then I bought MP compost, potting grit, a big bucket of Growmore and another one of pelleted chicken manure.

Well a girl has to get her priorities right you now   

Our local Aldi had loads of loo roll today, but no pasta.  It is just panic buying causing bumps in the supply chain, which then make sudden gaps. There are only so many lorries moving stuff at any one time.   If everyone calmed down a bit, there would be plenty to share round.

One of the other mums at the school was all over Aberdeen-Asda, Aldi, Lidl and Tescos trying to get pasta and there wasn't a bag to be had. Besides the 2 packets of lasagna sheets. I didn't mention she could have broken them up and pretended they were pappardelle ribbon pasta as she was pretty miserable.

[New shoot]

A lot of the dried pasta we eat here in the UK is made in Italy, so that may be part of the problem.  We are getting some in at work on deliveries, but not loads.  I was last there Thursday night and it was on the shelves then.

The supermarkets are trying to ramp up supplies, but more on lorries for each store means the lorries don't get round as fast to everyone.  It is a bit like chasing your tail, so deliveries have to be managed size wise and then if you add panic buying into the mix ... 

[WeavingGryphon]

A lot of the dried pasta we eat here in the UK is made in Italy, so that may be part of the problem.  We are getting some in at work on deliveries, but not loads.  I was last there Thursday night and it was on the shelves then.

The supermarkets are trying to ramp up supplies, but more on lorries for each store means the lorries don't get round as fast to everyone.  It is a bit like chasing your tail, so deliveries have to be managed size wise and then if you add panic buying into the mix ... 

I clicked like, but if there was an interesting button I'd have clicked that too.

The Husband and I have concluded this to ourselves. We believe that factories are running. But if the farms/ factories are closed or on minimum shifts what happens to the pasta/ fresh produce that needs picked or prepared? What about tomatoes that are grown for passatta (we're almost out) or wheat due to be made into pasta. Or as someone above mentioned the courgettes needing picked now that Spain is on emergency setting. I doubt that the Italians have the space for all the wheat to be stored until people are cleared and the Canadians won't want it cluttering up their store houses. For clarity most pasta (Durum) wheat is grown in Canada and the pasta made in Italy so supermarkets can say "Made in Italy".

There isn't huge stocks of food kicking about, it's made/grown and shipped continuously.

[mumofstig]

I thought the EU combined still grew more Duram than Canada?  Still it doesn't matter in the present circumstances, if Italy can't process/export it because of the virus 
Next will be a rice shortage, I suppose if people can't get their pasta fix 

[Growster...]

Home made pasta is to die for, it just takes several days for one meal...

I suppose the ready-meals business will suffer as well, some of the 3 for £7.00 in Waitrose are pretty popular!

[New shoot]

There isn't huge stocks of food kicking about, it's made/grown and shipped continuously.

Well luckily  we had the Brexit 'we're all doomed' fiasco, so there is a fair bit of surplus stock kicking about     It is a supply chain though and there are a few issues, not least getting lorry drivers to go into badly hit areas, or so they are saying at work. 

The trade routes are open, the factories and farms are open, but if we all decide we need 500 toilet rolls and 25kg of pasta, we break the chain and shortages become a self-fulfilling prophecy.   

[New shoot]

Next will be a rice shortage, I suppose if people can't get their pasta fix 

Already flying out round here   

I did think the other day that dried pulses would be a good buy if you don't have any.  Dhal lentils cook fast. Add some frozen veg and curry spices and that would keep you fed for a while.  If you buy some whole beans like green lentils or mung beans, you could grow your own sprouts if you can't buy veg.  More New shoot prepper tips to follow (joke!)