[rowlandwells]

we have plenty of veg and fruit in our 3 freezers from our allotment some of it is possible there a couple of years old we also had a good picking of plumbs last year that quite a lot went in the freezer so we hope toilet  rolls are of plenty

[John]

If this goes on for a long time you may finally get to use the old stuff in the freezer

[Growster...]

Oh yes!

The bottom of the freezer is still full of old peas and stuff...

I did chuck some five-year-old kidney some while ago, as 1) we don't' like it, and 2) it just looked horrible...

Other than that, I did venture forth today - rubber gloves on - and got some necessities like whisky and beer!

Well, you have to when the pub's closed...

[Wellington]

I’m afraid I have been stocking up. My cousin is in Italy, and has been quarantined for weeks now, so I am hearing firsthand what it is like. I haven’t bought anything that is in short supply, because I have been well ahead of the trend, so I feel no guilt, but I don’t think our supply chains are as robust as Boris would have us believe, and there is certainly a bottleneck at the retail end. I’m a widowed parent, so there is no one to cook, or pop out for supplies if I’m ill, and I would have to take my daughter shopping with me now the schools are closed, so I would rather shop as little as possible. I was back to my usual shop last week when everyone else really got started. I don’t think we will really see shortages yet, but in a month or two when production is hit by staff absence and price hikes for shortages of labour. I usually batch cook and freeze in portions anyway, and took the view a fortnight ago that a freezer full of meals and soups was never likely to go to waste.

I dearly hope (and expect) that we will still be allowed up to our plot (exercise and shopping all in one go) and just hope that we don’t suffer too much theft in the hardship that is likely to follow for many. And that I can get stuff growing (I have not had a very good year so far!)
 

[Growster...]

Wellington, you can always stockpile goodwill and friendship, its here, and free!

Stay well, eh?

[WeavingGryphon]

I usually batch cook and freeze in portions anyway, and took the view a fortnight ago that a freezer full of meals and soups was never likely to go to waste.

Remember that your stuck inside and she's out of school so your calorific needs aka portion sizes have gone down. Have you spotted the Joe Wicks facebook channel? He's doing 30 minutes of exercise at 9am to help kids keep fit. We've ours doing it.

[New shoot]

there is certainly a bottleneck at the retail end.

Hopefully easing soon.  Most shop workers have been run ragged the last few weeks putting stock out, but the retailers are expecting excessive stockpiling to stop soon.  Italy is a country they have been watching to see how trends develop and they saw a settling down of things once people realised there was and would be food.

The lorries we have where I work have been running full pelt, but could not keep up.  There are now restricted shopping hours, restrictions on what you can buy and more staff being recruited.  Expect some more rules and regs to come as every key industry experiences more government intevention (in a good way to make sure we all get the basics).

I would ask people to bear with food retail staff.  If we are all pushed till our pips squeak, there is more chance of us getting ill.  I think there is a proper grown-up response to this by the powers that be and we will get through if people play ball 

Batch cooking for the freezer is a good idea though.  Home made meals are always going to be better for you if you can't face cooking from scratch 

[Wellington]

I usually batch cook and freeze in portions anyway, and took the view a fortnight ago that a freezer full of meals and soups was never likely to go to waste.

Remember that your stuck inside and she's out of school so your calorific needs aka portion sizes have gone down. Have you spotted the Joe Wicks facebook channel? He's doing 30 minutes of exercise at 9am to help kids keep fit. We've ours doing it.

She's doing Joe wicks in the mornings.  Her karate and dance classes have been moved online, and we will be biking over to my mums two miles away a couple of times a week to leave things on her doorstep from our food delivery. I usually work from home anyway, and do a weights workout in the spare room, and we are planing to do schoolwork and chores the mornings, and get up to the plot in the afternoons and lick it into shape. Somehow, I don't feel our portion sizes will be going down much at all!)  We are planning on growing more than we need and giving it away, as I think we will see shortages of fresh foods later on this year.  I really do think that now we are in household isolation, things will settle down a bit, especially as the supermarkets get a handle on deliveries, and streamline production (we really don't need so much choice).  It's the uncertainly that made people so antsy, and feel the need to prepare.

[Mr Dog]

Shocked today to find out that Mrs Dog's been stock piling.   

[mumofstig]

Shocked today to find out that Mrs Dog's been stock piling.

D'oh! 

[Aunt Sally]

    If only the selfish few were following Mrs Dog’s example, there would be no shortages.

[Plot 1 Problems]

I had to pop out to the supermarket today for the first time since the lock down. It was eerily quiet, plus the security staff were only letting a set number of people in at any one time. Still a few empty shelves on the obvious items, but otherwise not too bad. Nipper was delighted as I returned with a curry box for he and the good lady!

[Tenhens]

I had to pop out to the supermarket today for the first time since the lock down. It was eerily quiet, plus the security staff were only letting a set number of people in at any one time. Still a few empty shelves on the obvious items, but otherwise not too bad. Nipper was delighted as I returned with a curry box for he and the good lady!

Similar experience at our local Tesco , well organised and reassuring . The lady on the till told me that last week she had gone home in tears such was the situation .  I had had about 8 items on my list , the only item I couldn't find was plain flour , otherwise ok.

Stay safe everyone .

[wighty]

The vegetable section in our Co-op was vastly improved today but the meat is still a bit low.  You have to wait outside for a 'gentleman' (not what we'd normally call him as he's an old friend ) to let you in.  We've been really busy in the shop today, but most of our suppliers say they are not delivering, so if we run out, tough. We have though been asked for some really odd things and lines that we cannot think of any supplier of like goods have here. 

[Growster...]

Today, I stockpiled (sowed) 24 more tom plants in the greenhouse, potted on 7 sweet pepper plants, started to harden off the leeks, spent an hour wondering where to plant three redcurrant and blackcurrant bushes, and planned for the long haul...

(Is that the right term...;0)