Supermarket items out of stock

Jaycee5 = Brakes was always a commercial enterprise delivering reaady meals to hotels/restaurants etc. Maybe they have diversified into domestic deliveries.
I was extremely surprised one day to see them delivering to a restaurant in France!

A kind GN member who lives a few miles away from me managed to get some flour( both plain and SR) in Aldi's today which she has offered to me. As I am shielding, my son in law will collect it for me. It is really thoughtful of her as she knew I was completely out of it.

I actually went shopping today!!!! First time in 9 weeks, felt quite odd. Had decided to stay in because of age not health, so DD’s doing it. But missed a couple of essentials off the last shop so decided to go to our local M&S food hall. Waited out side for about 5 minutes and then in, and they seemed to have everything. No shortage at all. People were keeping well away from everyone, and it was very quiet. Both flour and eggs aplenty!!! Think I shall try to persuade them we can manage and shop there!!

I noticed on the soap shelf at Tesco a notice saying to hang on to your pump dispensers as they were in short supply. Perhaps they are doing more refill packs?

Waitrose were restricting on-line orders for some items from, say, 3 packs of eggs to 2, and also some restrictions on other products in the dairy section which seems fair so that everyone can at least get some. My order arrived yesterday. only one item unavailable.

I did not panic-buy the first time around but I have an uneasy feeling that things could go wrong, ie increase in Covid deaths,and we may be in for another lockdown so I shall make sure my store cupboards and freezer are full. Does anyone else feel the same?

I bought plain flour from a catering supplies company (creamsupplies.com) recommended by DS2. DS1 got flour from his local pub which has set up as a corner shop during the lock-down. My sons are useful sources of information! I found some instant dried yeast at the back of a cupboard. Two years past 'best before' but was perfectly satisfactory. My neighbours, who do my shopping, couldn't find brown sugar but gave me some that they had. Their kids enjoyed the flapjack I made with it.

I’ve had the same breakfast for 30 years too, ever since we had a weekend at the Nanny Brow Hotel in the Lake District.
Porridge oats soaked in milk, with stewed apricots and prunes, topped with Greek yoghurt. I now add a seed & nut mix.

We were without potatoes for over a week when Morrison’s ran out. After a week of pasta, rice and bread for the carbohydrate element of the meal, I was surprised to find I was actually craving a baked potato.
Rectified with the last delivery though, and most of the substitutions have been fine, if in some cases a little amusing.

Leolady I don’t have any grown up grandchildren so can’t comment on your situation, but you would be better to start your own thread. You should get more responses that way.

Aldi here has never run out of flour.

Off subject but in support of the 20 year the same breakfast lady, I have had the same breakfast since being a child, so over 50 years. Toast and marmalade.

Just had Asda delivery only 1 item unavailable and 4 subs all just different brands , a definite improvement on other weeks when it has been up to 13 subs.

Really shocked at those who've had flour in their deliveries. After 4 deliveries (mainly Morrisons) I never been successful even though it looks like in stock when I order. I really miss it as love baking. Managed to get some ready made pastry - rubbish. Waitrose was the worst. It is never in stock for on line deliveries as it reserve all supplies for those who go into the store (so my Waitrose delivery man told me)

DH is a Fruit and Fibre person Stoker48 and won't have anything but Morrison's.

I suggest you get adventurous and have a different cereal Maybe Jordan's. Supermarkets are trying to more of some basics. This is the reason less selection.

Printer paper! None in Tesco - shelves were bare. I suppose it’s because so many people are working from home. I only buy a ream once in a blue moon so always get it from Tesco when I shop. Oh well, looks like I’ll have a 30 minute walk to my local Range - but I bet the queues will be horrendous as their garden centres are now open. By the way, when I shopped at my local M&S at a retail park on Wednesday (Tesco is also close by so I combine the two) there was a young assistant telling us all in the queue that the whole of the store was now open for business as usual - i.e. you could purchase clothes and pay at the food till. BUT, if you did that, then you would lose your place in the queue! The food queue was one-way. Madness! Why would anyone do that? I think it shows how their profits have fallen and they are desperate for the money.

Anyone else feeling sad and disappointed by the lack of communication from their grown up grandchildren. I have six from 16 years to 24. Some live away and some local and the only time we speak is when I initiate it. I’m so upset I’m thinking of altering my will.

Shopping online with Morrisons. For 2 weeks could get no free-range eggs. Got them on Monday though. No Morrisons flour but given McDougalls. Only allowed 2 loaves of Warberton's bread but wanted 3 loaves to last week. Only allowed 4 cat milk but have 6 cats so need 7 but neighbors get me 3 on their order as no cats. No yeast for 3 weeks in a row. Used all yeast from cupboard. Got some last week and this week though. I could not get Morrisons decaff tea bags for 4 weeks and they are only ones I like so had to drink coffee. Got 2 boxes this week though.

I've just had my second Iceland delivery. Same delivery bloke as last time, he's v. pleasant and helpful, shall stick with them when lockdown finishes - if ever!
Got the gin but no tonics to with it - gonna make do with a 6-pack of Tango,then. Gin and orange! How very 60s
And spring onions? Thought it was just me who uses lots of them,but seemingly not..
Got my full quota of stuffed olives tho, so I'm well pleased.
btw,jaycee5 last order I got your gi-normous's cauliflower's twin!

I must praise Ocado, I have used them for years and have a smart pass so I have a regular slot each week. This has proved invaluable as my husband is in the vulnerable group and I’m staying in to shield him. I have had flour (all types)and eggs delivered weekly since this whole nightmare started, and there have been very few substitutions or missing items. They have always delivered their own brand as well as Waitrose, but later in the year they will be swapping to M&S, a move I hope will continue their successful operation.

Re M&S, I had an email saying they were doing deliveries in my area, using Deliveroo.
Worth checking out.

I've not found anything as good as Domestos blue bottle bleach. Their white bottle, I find is weaker, as are other brands that I've tried.

NannyC1, my DD was commenting the other day that her very fit 50 year old SIL is regularly trawling the websites to get a shopping delivery slot, when less able people can't.

I too like fruit and fibre cereal. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that Lidl's Crownfield Fruit and Fibre is very good.

I think my big gripe is when items are in stock when you place your order, then the dreaded e-mail on the morning of delivery that tells you 50% of what you ordered is no longer available!!! Infuriating.

When my Waitrose online order was delivered a couple of weeks ago, the driver told me that there wasn’t a shortage of flour. The problem was that they couldn’t get enough paper bags to put it in! I have always made my own bread - every other day now because both grandsons we are legal guardians to are home for lunch. My lovely daughter bought me a 16 kg bag of wholemeal flour online. A real lifesaver!!

Craftycat I saw a woman in a local shop hoard buying flour and toilet papers in the early days just before the formal lock down. They let her practically clean them out of toilet paper but limited her to two packets of flour.
As she left she said 'thank goodness I came here, Morrisons would only let me have two packets [of toilet paper]'. She was very proud of herself.
I think it is people buying it because they heard there would be a shortage and then causing one.
I did get pasta last week which I couldn't before. It was from Iceland though and I forget that they sell large quantities so it will last me ages.

Sorry to ask this but I think its true (and I am sure some of you won't like it). Why are some of you getting online shopping delivered when you can go out and shop. I'm on the 12 week lockdown and cannot just go out when I feel like it. I feel you should not be doing an online supermarket shop if you can actually go out. Very selfish! leave the slots for those who cannot go out and the food in the supermarkets for those who can.