Panic buying

Decades ago there was a sugar shortage and a then neighbour of my mum stockpiled tons of sugar (well, about 40 bags...we helped carry it in)
What was weird was the fact that none of the family used sugar in anything.
When mum asked the neighbour why so much sugar, she replied 'Well, you never know'.
We never did know what happened to it.
Some people stock up as a comfort thing when it's not necessary to do so.

No idea about our supemarkets. We saw the weather forecast and made sure we had enough of everything to last until Monday when it is expected to clear.

Just cleared the drive enough for DH to get a car out as he really 'needs' his Sunday paper! I will go out in the morning for the first time since it started.

For those shops that have remained stocks I think we should thank the lorry drivers for their efforts. We shouldn't knock the drivers who couldn't make the deliveries either [not that anyone has on here]. It illustrates how much we rely on lorry drivers - but their working conditions are appalling eg lack of safe and secure parking; lack of access to toilet facilities; and yes, there is a driver shortage surprise surprise

Living on the SW north coast with its frequent adverse weather conditions I always stock up my two freezers beginning December and make sure cupboards have plenty tinned food and cartons of long life milk as a standby should milk I have frozen been used


.

I think that the damage to the sea wall/railway line at Dawlish was fairly minor as they did a good job of repairs after it collapsed in 2014:

www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/no-structural-damage-dawlish-sea-1287992

I got out my AW-T bread maker only to find it would mix but no longer bake.
As for milk, I’m using less because I’m trying all those interesting teas I had as Christmas presents!

Buying a lot week to week is expensive, but one by one adding an extra tin of beans or evaporated milk, or a bag of bread flour, only adds a pound or two, and once the store-cupboard is stocked up you don't have to spend any more than normal - if you are eating something from the cupboard or freezer, that is one meal that you are not buying fresh so you can replace the stored thing. Storage space could be a box under the bed (along with everything else!)

Do you think that lentils and dried split peas are OK when they're past their sell-by date? Two years past in one case
We could have some very nourishing soups if only I was brave enough to use them.

My local M&S food store here in NE Scotland had no bread this morning, and a lot of empty shelf space generally. I Couldn't understand at first why there were boxed birthday cakes spread out on shelves, where they're not usually to be found, then I realised that these were the bread shelves.

Jalima of course they are go ahead. I've just found some fruit tea at the back of the cupboard which is 2 years out of date and it is lovely.

DH is in charge of the kitchen so every now and again when he is out I have a root around and see what needs using up and leave it out for him. Some of it ends up back in the cupboards but I never give up!

My dad is having bread withdrawal symptoms . His little loaf from Wednesday is gone and I don’t think he believes me that there’s no bread on the shelves of the supermarkets. He keeps telling me he has plenty of Lurpak but nowt to spread it on.

Here here golden girl it's a thankless task at this time of year elegran my ds plans meals and when I asked about it being more expensive buying week to week they have tried both ways and don't find week to week anymore expensive .

Jalima They will be fine unless at some time in the past you re-allocated them as baking beans to weigh down pastry in an empty pastry case. I once inadvertently made soup from an unlabelled jamjar of yellow split peas. They never softened, not even after simmering for hours. I now label my baking beans clearly.

Thanks!
Now I have to go and make soup instead of wasting time on GN.

People have been panic buying. Thee Asda near me, and Tesco's near where I work were absolutely rammed. Some of the delivery trucks have probably had trouble getting through though. Let's hope we soon get back to normal....whatever normal is

Here at the bottom of a steep hill in the Forest of Dean, only people with 4WDs or tractors can get out. The nearest supermarkets (two or three miles away) have not been restocked for several days according to the social media community group.
The main roads are now clear so I imagine things will get back to normal fairly soon.
We were lucky enough to have enough milk and bread in before it snowed. We are used to preparing for being snowed in here. Just hope the electricity doesn’t go off.
The only thing we’ve run out of is birdseed!

I went into my local Tesco yesterday (Sat) lots of empty shelves -veg/fruit/meats even the freezer section - and we have no snow whatsoever here. Apparently deliveries come from Bristol etc and the lorries haven't been able to get through.

Been pouring with rain since last night so maybe back to normal later.

I think it's families with teenagers who buy all the extra bread. Snow days from school means neighbours' children come round and they eat endless toast from boredom! Those families probably buy lots of bread normally but when supermarkets are not getting supplies we notice the difference. My local supermarket stocks less bread than it did some years ago, fewer are buying it so it runs out quickly when there is a weather emergency.

I buy some packs of bread mix just before Christmas ‘just in case’ , also instant milk powder, this is the first time I’ve needed to use them for years. (Normally I try to use them up before Easter.)
Freezer always has frozen veg in it. So we usually get by .
As long as we have power we are good to go.
We do have a couple of those small gas burners, so we can always boil a kettle plus a fireplace for heat.
However I think next November I’ll have a bit more stuff in the freezer and be more prepared.

I live in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, and have not had any bother finding bread. Always have milk, because I buy some fresh and some long life every week. No problems at all, apart from trying to keep the house warm, difficult because this estate is made up of prefabs, with no cavity walls so no wall insulation.

We live in Embleton (been here a month). Finally got out of village to go to Alnwick on A1 to do some shopping yesterday.
Pleasantly surprised got everything I wanted on my list at Sainsburys, plenty bread and fresh veg available.
However we were ok the previous three days, I made soup and we had the freezer well stocked.

I've resorted to a daily diet of porridge and stovies. Luckily I had just made the latter before house arrest arrived. Also I love both so feel no deprivation without bread. Isn't it a case of wanting something more because it can't be had. Adapt and survive is the name of the game. Have to confess to slight withdrawal symptoms at the lack of raspberry ice cream on a stick!! Salivating at the very mention.

Saturday about 2pm at Morrisons Paignton, Devon, no bread, no eggs, no milk (not even long life,) virtually no veges, no potatoes.

So today we went to Tescos in Newton Abbot, no fresh milk and bread shelves empty. The fresh baked french sticks were being fought over; no Queensbury Rules. We settled for hot cross buns for lunch; very tasty.

I always keep a couple of cartons of long life milk in just in case and have a loaf of bread in freezer at all times. In Midlands I was able to shop as normal plenty of milk, bread and fresh produce but we have a lot of motorway network. My sister used lots of milk making whole family hot chocolate and when she walked to shop in south west could not get milk or bread as lorries could not get by with supplies.

On Saturday, we were in Sainsbury’s and there was no milk as they had not had there usual deliveries, so as others have said not just panic buying.