Are we being prepared for Christmas food shortages?

Last year i bought my M&S turkey crown as soon as they came in(frozen) but this year im pushed to be able to make freezer room i think.

If only everyone could remember this.

I've eaten five year old ones, I'd always steam an old one (rather than microwave) after adding a little liquid (fruit juice?) to the bowl, under the pudding.

That christmas is just ONE day was brought home big time to me when i was so ill all over christmas and new yr and more in 2019! (Possible covid) So last yr i scaled it down a lot and made it all easier to prepare etc.And posted or got sent direct the gifts (mostly for GC.)This year will be largely the same and anything we havent got,well, we havent got.We wont go hungry, just have different.?

Thanks for that Ginny.its lovely?

Thanks for the pud advice CC.?

Can you "bulk buy" turkeys? -and why would you???

I love Christmas but I agree it will probably have to be scaled back this year. We will manage with what we have/can get but it really angers me how ordinary people have to put up with all the inconveniences that will only increase now because of Brexit. The worst for me is probably not being able to see friends in Germany and France over Christmas - feel like I’m stuck on Plague Island disconnected from Europe which is just what this Government wants.

@cc Thanks too for the pud advice. I have two from last year -family gathering was cancelled due to Covid lockdowns. They’re the quite expensive large Tesco Finest ones and I’ve been dithering as to whether to throw them out, as my mum swears that they last years !!

A media blackout for about 3 months would be welcome at the moment ,no more scaremongering what a blessing that would be

Growing up, we never had much. Presents were second hand but that didn't bother us. Christmas dinner was a chicken because turkeys weren't common in central Scotland at that time. We enjoyed what we had. The world changed and expectations changed too. Perhaps a reset to simpler times is well overdue.

In the late 1960's to put it into perspective we had only just rented a colour tv. At Christmas we bought alcohol and it sat on our wall unit for the period. It was then moved out of sight. There were no X boxes or mobiles so presents tended to be cheaper to buy. We had just taken on a large mortgage and couldn't afford luxury gifts but we always had good food on the big day and after lunch we all played board games and had a few drinks. We had a full supper laid out in the evening and afterwards put on our music and danced and had a good time. I think Christmas has been commercialised to the extent that people are made to feel guilty for not buying expensive gifts and of course children are brainwashed by all the adverts. We are made to feel that everything has to be 'perfect' and are put under enormous pressure for just one day.

Christmas is a quiet affair for me, I go to DD's about 9.30/10.00 Christmas morning, Lunch is now a Buffet so that no-one is stuck in the kitchen, presents are exchanged soon after I arrive at DD's as a friend joins us about 11.00. 3.00/3.30 I take myself off back home for a relaxing evening.

I make sure I have treats like smoked salmon & prawns, lots of salad & some scrumptious sweets/chocolates/puddings. Usually have some party food in my freezer.

Presents are limited to DD,DiL , 2 DGSs, DM & friend. Most of the presents are cash with little fun gifts

No I'm not a "grinch" or "bah humbug", I'm only 66 but my DD & I decided on this sort of Christmas several years ago

Christmas is about the company not the food, don't care what I eat

Breaking up from work on Christmas Eve. Shops closed sometimes for 4/5 days. Turkey's costing a small fortune and frozen ones the size of a pigeon.queues at butchers/greengrocers stall on market.dad struggling home on train from Manchester with brown paper carrier full of spirits (for guests, he didn't drink!) And said bag disintegrating at station smashing a bottle of Bell's....me walking up to station to help him carry it all home..... Those days are GONE!! Now ,shops open even on Christmas day! Home delivery of groceries including meat/booze/presents etc. Why oh why? Does everyone make such a ridiculous fuss about Christmas??? Probably because the advertising industry tells us we need to! Shortages? Of what? Sprouts? Stuffing? Gin? Ours? Get a grip Britain! There's nothing we cannot do without that will ruin a good Christmas. I won't be seeing my son's/their partners/my DGC/ in fact ANY one. So can we all get our priorities reset and stop being so blooming stoopid?! Christmas is about reflection family and humility, not John Lewis or the biggest bronze/green/purple turkey advocated by nigella......

Ps. DH just commented that the USA get it right-they say "happy holidays" never a mention of Christmas, because that's what has become of the Christian celebration .and NO I'm not a god botherer...

All this talk of food , water and present giving makes me weep for those poor people in Afghanistan.

Well I grew up in the 60's and my Dad went to work on Christmas Day. There was no excess of anything. Small gifts were exchanged and as a child I got one big present eg a doll or a pram, a transistor radio and a dog that I remember especially and a few selection boxes from family and maybe new slippers. We dressed up in our best clothes. My Dad came home from work early and we had our Christmas Dinner which was a chicken, not a turkey. Usually soup for a starter and trifle for pudding which was a real treat. We made a lot of our own decorations, we also had bought decorations made from paper which hung from the ceiling with a big paper bell in the middle which were reused every year. Our tree was real and it was considered expensive. It wasn't extravagant in the least and was the best Chrismas ever. No watching TV, no phoning relatives or friends because we had no phone. It was much better then. If the weather was OK you saw children out playing in the street with their new toys. The lucky ones with a bike. I don't know how on earth Christmas has turned into the excessive thing that it has but to be quite honest it needs to change.

Always reuse same decorations gathered over years for Christmas tree, and house,which has been dug up from garden manty times and replanted after 12th night, decorate with holly and ivy from garden, make wreath for door and family bring designated items for xmas lunch..eg some choose to bring one of items on list eg chocs, nuts, clementines, cooked desserts for those who cant eat xmas pud, sprouts a ham etc , someone brings brandy butter, I do the turkey or goose or beef and make mincepies. 20 odd people have a feast , just need another dishwasher ..

We had chicken for Christmas if just 5 of us for Xmas lunch..always a feast with bread sauvce chipolatas, bacon!

Although they can only do stuff so very cheaply because of the non existent workers' rights! We have too many - they have none. Wonder where the Goldilocks countries are?

It's great business - get people to 'buy ahead' - lots of twits will eat the special biscuits etc before time, and then they cry Christmas Shortage. Good game eh? My pet hate is that thing called 'party food' vile nutrient poor pap (lovely flavouring). There won't be real shortages - Xmas has become a 'who can eat most rubbish' fest. Most of the country could benefit from eating a little less, so lets keep the panic level low.

I don't get why people want to stuff themselves silly at Christmas....

A lot of people stuff themselves silly all year so Xmas I suppose needs to be doubly -stuffed.

I suppose people buy treats they wouldn't normally buy at Christmas? Our families were quite poor and there would be buying, putting by and making of things from September onwards.

We all love party food and a good buffet I love vol u vents especially