What has happened to the UK??

I do apologise for the thoughtless "third world" comment. As others have realised, it was a throw-away, silly thing to say. I'm usually very much a glass half-full (or overflowing even!) person. It just suddenly struck me that in lots of small ways, life is getting a bit worse. I'll go and give myself a good talking to!

This government is certainly acting akin to that of a corrupt banana republic - if you don’t like the rules- ignore them, lie about them or excuse any rule breaking by cronies.

You go to 4 different supermarkets to meet all your needs?

The usual sweeping statements.
This year there were almost no soft fruits in the supermarkets. Local butchers and street markets don't have organic or ethically produced meat and produce either.

No soft fruits; no organic or ethically produced meat.
Not anywhere?
For the whole year?
Really ??

GillT57

Whilst I agree that comparisons to the third world are a bit over the top, all the posters blaming the OP for shopping at Tesco are missing the point, possibly deliberately in some cases. Although I generally find that Aldi and Lidl are well stocked, only the truly deluded would not admit there have been gaps on shelves over the past months, sometimes of inexplicable items, bleach being one. Luckily I do not have any EU packages to send though!

Funnily enough, I’m not deluded. I find Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose plus the occasional foray into Iceland provides us with all we need, bleach included.

Alegrias1

growstuff

Forsythia

We use Lidl, Waitrose and Aldi. No shortages in our area whatsoever. Plenty of meat in Lidl plus poultry and fruit and veg of every kind.
Fresh water from taps, hot baths, a real third world country…..

Wow! Maybe we could all move to this Utopian area!

There's bits of Northern England which still don't have any of those things after 10 days, I believe. Including water in the taps.

Whilst I agree that comparisons to the third world are a bit over the top, all the posters blaming the OP for shopping at Tesco are missing the point, possibly deliberately in some cases. Although I generally find that Aldi and Lidl are well stocked, only the truly deluded would not admit there have been gaps on shelves over the past months, sometimes of inexplicable items, bleach being one. Luckily I do not have any EU packages to send though!

Winterwhite I agree with your post and I think KT has a point even if using the 'living in a third world' throwaway comment is a bit out of date and opened her up to unnecessary criticism.
Covid has muddied the waters but the lack of lorry drivers, seasonal workers, hospitality workers along with shortage of goods in the shops and increased prices on many items is squarely down to Brexit. As are tiresome forms and increased costs involved with sending items abroad and ordering from abroad. The days when you could take your pick of excellent European produce are gone. This year there were almost no soft fruits in the supermarkets. Local butchers and street markets don't have organic or ethically produced meat and produce either and to some of us, that is important.

growstuff

Forsythia

We use Lidl, Waitrose and Aldi. No shortages in our area whatsoever. Plenty of meat in Lidl plus poultry and fruit and veg of every kind.
Fresh water from taps, hot baths, a real third world country…..

Wow! Maybe we could all move to this Utopian area!

Feel free to do so. We are in south London.

Hetty58

Shopping in Tesco must be depressing at the best of times. Right now, the idiots around here are buying twice their usual trolley load - just because it's December and they're in Christmas panic mode. They fling it out next week in their rubbish (when they haven't been able to eat it all) and do it all over again.

Why send parcels and cards abroad? Do it the easy way and order online, gift wrapped, for delivery there to cut out the middle man (you).

You don’t know what will be garbage and what won’t. Let people shop as they need

growstuff

Forsythia

We use Lidl, Waitrose and Aldi. No shortages in our area whatsoever. Plenty of meat in Lidl plus poultry and fruit and veg of every kind.
Fresh water from taps, hot baths, a real third world country…..

Wow! Maybe we could all move to this Utopian area!

There's bits of Northern England which still don't have any of those things after 10 days, I believe. Including water in the taps.

Forsythia

We use Lidl, Waitrose and Aldi. No shortages in our area whatsoever. Plenty of meat in Lidl plus poultry and fruit and veg of every kind.
Fresh water from taps, hot baths, a real third world country…..

Wow! Maybe we could all move to this Utopian area!

MayBeMaw

growstuff

Poppyred

I always think people are mad to shop for meat in TESCO, so EXPENSIVE!

Aldi and Lidl excellent choice at a fair price. Also plenty of fruit and veg - your shopping in the wrong shop. Lol

It depends whether Aldi or Lidl are accessible.

There are also shops in (most) high streets called Butchers who might be glad of our custom!
Fish is another matter if you live just about as far from the sea as possible as I do, but that said, 10 miles from me in Bedford there is one of the best fish shops I have seen in years.
Big supermarkets have for years encouraged us customers to prioritise price above quality with the result that many smaller producers have found themselves squeezed out.
I would not shop in Tesco unless it was really the only option, but that’s just my opinion.
When I am feeling flush, I like farmers’ markets and when I am counting the pennies I find shopping at a regular weekly market in a nearby small town at about 2.30 or 3.00.(just before they pack up for the day) there are usually amazing bargains to be had in fresh vegetables.
Distribution problems have been exacerbated by both Brexit and Covid- nothing is “normal” it seems, but OP has clearly never had to live in a Third World country or indeed Eastern Europe before the fall (rise?) of the Iron Curtain

Tesco and Waitrose are my only options for local supermarkets - and I can't afford Waitrose.

I really hate shopping for food in person, so I've been doing online shopping for years. Don't get all sniffy with me! I buy meat from a local farm and most of my vegetables are grown by me (hence my username) or supplied by a friend, who is a professional gardener.

No, I don't think the UK is like a third world country, but I still don't see why anybody with any sense would want to make life more difficult.

We use Lidl, Waitrose and Aldi. No shortages in our area whatsoever. Plenty of meat in Lidl plus poultry and fruit and veg of every kind.
Fresh water from taps, hot baths, a real third world country…..

I post small presents overseas and won’t stop I make allowances for the prices of postage

We lost our fish deli and butchers counters in all apart from one supermarket. Where a lot of the stock is out of date or the shelves are empty. There is only one fish shop open and that is miles away. Its not covid or Brexit it's simply we are limited in choice. I am not interested in eating cheap chickens jam packed on shelves. Boring limited choices of packaged fish I would like the choices we used to have. I shop on line for free range or specialist produce of my choice but the postage is becoming ridiculous.

I see KT's point of view. Buying, wrapping and sending parcels can be a pleasure to some even if a chore for others.
Deliveries to supermarket are more erratic than they used to be, and that is undoubtedly a by-product of Brexit.
I could point to other things that have gone downhill in the last 10 years of Tory government. The way the frail elderly are treated for one - with care home owners paying themselves hefty sums but keeping care workers barely above the minimum wage.
The state of the public utilities generally. Owned by private companies with no investment in infrastructure - hence villages in County Durham left without power for weeks.
Raw sewage pumped into rivers. These are obvious examples.
Cutting welfare benefits for the poor and promising tax cuts to the rich.
Third world may conjure up the wrong image, I agree, but is the above a state of civilisation of which we are proud?

growstuff

Poppyred

I always think people are mad to shop for meat in TESCO, so EXPENSIVE!

Aldi and Lidl excellent choice at a fair price. Also plenty of fruit and veg - your shopping in the wrong shop. Lol

It depends whether Aldi or Lidl are accessible.

There are also shops in (most) high streets called Butchers who might be glad of our custom!
Fish is another matter if you live just about as far from the sea as possible as I do, but that said, 10 miles from me in Bedford there is one of the best fish shops I have seen in years.
Big supermarkets have for years encouraged us customers to prioritise price above quality with the result that many smaller producers have found themselves squeezed out.
I would not shop in Tesco unless it was really the only option, but that’s just my opinion.
When I am feeling flush, I like farmers’ markets and when I am counting the pennies I find shopping at a regular weekly market in a nearby small town at about 2.30 or 3.00.(just before they pack up for the day) there are usually amazing bargains to be had in fresh vegetables.
Distribution problems have been exacerbated by both Brexit and Covid- nothing is “normal” it seems, but OP has clearly never had to live in a Third World country or indeed Eastern Europe before the fall (rise?) of the Iron Curtain

A packet of 1 large and two small cards to Germany, no customs label, 1.70. Both I and post worker agreed that was very good value. .
As said previously through post office parcel to Netherlands £6.00, again good value , yes customs label, but no problems, my grandaughter is a grown up. Tesco’s here, full of fruit and veg, from Spain, Netherlands and Belgium. Prefer home grown seasonal myself, but if not available plenty of choice. Your post seems full of self pity and woe is me. We are still alive, thank goodness , many haven’t survived Covid, we are warm, go without nothing of importance, personally I count my blessings that I do live in the UK.

I would be ordering from Amazon in the appropriate countries.

having to pay more and spend more time with bureaucracy to send stuff to relatives in Europe must really bloody annoying as well

I went to Sainsbury's yesterday after work and noticed how there was loads of chicken too and not much other meat. The fruit and veg aisle did look pretty sparse though.

It most probably wasn't wise to compare the UK to a third world country but I do appreciate the concern we appear to have inflicted some sort of punishment on ourselves (or had inflicted upon on us- whatever your persuasion) I'm really concerned about lack of staff in places, especially care.

I went to Co-op for a few bits, it was useless (expensive and empty shelves) but then went to Lidl (well stocked and more reasonable prices!) I ended up with a trolley full that I didn't know I needed

It is very Bah Humbug to compare the UK to a third world country. We don't know we're born, here.

If you are struggling with gifts, why not agree to make this the last year you exchange them with adults? I can tell you, it's very freeing to not have to plod around seeking the perfect gift or pretend to love the not-ideal gift you may recieve! Most of us as we get older don't need more clutter anyway.

Shopping in Tesco must be depressing at the best of times. Right now, the idiots around here are buying twice their usual trolley load - just because it's December and they're in Christmas panic mode. They fling it out next week in their rubbish (when they haven't been able to eat it all) and do it all over again.

Why send parcels and cards abroad? Do it the easy way and order online, gift wrapped, for delivery there to cut out the middle man (you).

Try another shop - I use Sainsburys (other stores are available!) and even through the "shortages" never had problems getting fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. The only shortages seemed to be in snacks and drinks!