Are we being prepared for Christmas food shortages?

Personally, I usually start present shopping now- spreading the cost out a lot!

Shelf stable foods get bought slowly over the coming months.

Treats get bought as soon as I see them, too many times in years past (pre covid) that I waited and then couldn’t get them!

For me, who usually has far more in than required, it becomes a game of “rotate the stock”.

I am not a panic buyer at all, but I have always stocked up during a good price reduction. I’m always “prepped”

Agree with you Mrs Pickle we will survive without an excess of food in the cupboards
I actually don't particularly like Christmas anymore and would love to return to much simpler celebration

I'm sure 21st century families will expect the usual gross excesses in food and presents and will feed deprived if they can't load up with stuff. Back in the 20th century it wasn't the greed-festival it is today but they won't be able to cope now! I really hate how Christmas has become so commercialised so it won't bother me.

Yes, I think we are

I suspect there will be shortages and Brexit will be mainly to blame, but by highlighting it now, the media will whip up hysteria and folk will bulk buy turkeys. Remember the toilet roll/pasta/flour shortages in the first lockdown? Panic buying at its worst. I've made a conscious decision to cut down the amount I buy, both in gifts and food.

turkeys aren't fat enough to be bought now are they?

No idea Janejudge! Folk might bulk buy them in November instead. Or there will be a run on gammon and chipolatas

I start Christmas shopping September I have always got tinned dried and frozen food in. I could survive on my cupboards alone for months it was the way I was brought up.
Regarding fresh produce at Christmas I will make do with what I can get. What I cannot get I will substitute with something else it will be compromise for Christmas.

I’ve still got turkey and stuffing in the freezer from last year. I’ll do what I’ve always done and buy a few bits per month from September.if I can’t get them, we’ll improvise or go without.

People are very lucky - if that's all they have to worry about! There won't be shortages - just maybe different choices, no big deal, surely?

We've still got last years Christmas pud as well. It'll be well matured. Other than that DH is really looking forward to a Christmas without any fuss. Its a good excuse not to do anything. His idea of bliss!

There has been perhaps marginally less choice at our local supermarkets and a couple of empty shelves at our local Tesco - the bottled water section - how people are managing without their choice of bottled water I don't know!

Do you think my 4 year old C********s pudding will be ok?

Could be 5 years old by next C*******s

?????

Chestnut just how far back in the 20th century were you thinking of. Post world war 1, the inter-war years, Post world war 2 rationing, or the you’ve never had it so good years? My parents definitely pulled out all the stops at Christmas in the 60s. They might not have directly suffered actual poverty in childhood but lived alongside it for long enough. Christmas meant shopping and that meant new decorations, real Christmas tree, new table wear, fruit, nuts, chocolates, booze, chocolates with booze in them homemade cakes and puddings, the best meats etc etc. I’d say it was more about food and surroundings and atmosphere then, than flashy toys though I had plenty. Also a lot more family games.(mixed blessing) and laughter and daft rows and noise.

Maybe not such a bad thing, if it's just the specialty foods. People will either need to make their own or find a way to celebrate that relies less on consuming. I'm thinking we might have a very scaled back Christmas this year.

I was thinking more of the second half of the 20th century (during our lifetimes) rather than the first half. It certainly wasn't the commercialised madness it is today with the shops bursting with unnecessary rubbish from August onwards.

Be afraid, be very afraid

There are children in the world who don't have clean water.
And I can think of many more real problems.
We need to be thankful and perhaps teach our children how lucky they are.

Let’s hope there is less plastic Chinese crap in the shops - we can certainly do without that. We actually enjoyed a scaled down Christmas last year with the 2 of us, a family zoom to show off Secret Santa presents , the rest of the day our own. A walk, a glass or two, watching a film- what’s not to like? I don’t think I want to go back to hosting 15-20 people at Christmas again.

Granmarderby10

Chestnut just how far back in the 20th century were you thinking of. Post world war 1, the inter-war years, Post world war 2 rationing, or the you’ve never had it so good years? My parents definitely pulled out all the stops at Christmas in the 60s. They might not have directly suffered actual poverty in childhood but lived alongside it for long enough. Christmas meant shopping and that meant new decorations, real Christmas tree, new table wear, fruit, nuts, chocolates, booze, chocolates with booze in them homemade cakes and puddings, the best meats etc etc. I’d say it was more about food and surroundings and atmosphere then, than flashy toys though I had plenty. Also a lot more family games.(mixed blessing) and laughter and daft rows and noise.

NEW decorations and tableware EVERY year? And you've carried on the tradition? Oh dear, what a skinflint I am. I'm still using inherited decorations and it never occurred to me to change my tableware every year!

I suppose it’s too much to hope that there’ll be a shortage of all the orange plastic tat that fills the shops in the run up to Halloween.

I’m going to stock up very soon with dried fruit though, since I now have enough saved jars for a good batch (or probably two) of Delia’s mincemeat - and I’ll need extra for the puds, but I don’t make those until much nearer the day.

I have some decorations that are 50 years old. I have stopped using tinsel because I think it looks tacky so I have got rid of that but I have dozens and dozens of different coloured balls for the Christmas tree and some little wooden hanging things, probably from Germany once upon a time. Every year I have a different colour scheme, last year was green and silver, no others. Too early to think yet, though. We usually have a lot of nice seafood because it is hot here. I still like Christmas pud,though.

Personally I love Christmas but then I’m lucky enough to have a grandchild living near me and a small family of relatives to cope with. I start slowly stocking up in September, and am one of those who keeps a decently stocked cupboard and buys extra when staples are on,offer. I suspect there are going to be a lot of people for whom the cost of food etc. is going to be an issue this Christmas and substitutes/ alternatives seem so often to be more expensive.

i hope all the plastic rubbishy toys made in china wont be able to reach our shores at christmas too