Are we being prepared for Christmas food shortages?

There is a definite trend common to nearly all these emails and that is that we’d all welcome a more simple , scaled back Christmas without the gross excesses of previous years . All the tasteless, overpriced tat will end up in land fill and most of the food will be ditched when it passes its sell by date round about Easter . We would be a much nicer nation if we could learn , once again , to be content with just what we need and no more .

And they say that the younger generations have the corner on being sanctimonious.

Goodness. Can’t we let others celebrate the way they want?

Indeed no one is stopping people having a Christmas of porridge and dry bread, crack on. Other people want a different christmas and that's fine.

I couldn’t care less what I eat at Christmas we all eat far too much so maybe we can think of the people in the world who have real shortages, not of goodies but all food The amount some people buy for a couple of days is outrageous

Growing up in NE Scotland, Christmas was a quiet affair. I was an only child, so myself and parents had Christmas dinner at teatime when my father came home from work. ( a chicken, which was a rare treat - not turkey ) Despite having two grandmothers and lots of aunties, uncles and cousins, there were no big get togethers, each family quietly had their meal in their own home. I only had presents from my parents, my granny and a neighbour. Very few cards circulated in those days. Now every pupil gets a card from all others in the class, and the teachers are showered with gifts, and we hand cards to all and sundry and even still post a few. What a waste of paper in the current climate. I would prefer to only send cards to people that we won’t be able to greet, though there are many other methods of greeting others nowadays.

I love christmas but seriously cutback last year due to covid but still enjoyed it.No l shop at local farm shops near to me, less miles to travel, taste better and l envisage no shortages.So shop local l say, support local businesses !

We had very little when we were kids. Everything now is excessive. I certainly cant afford to push the boat out either. But I buy a few extras like most people. I only buy for close relatives. I like to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

tidyskatemum

I read a letter in The Times responding to the media hysteria at the prospect of pigs in blankets being unavailable at Christmas - “The cooks of Great Britain have got 4 months to practice wrapping a rasher of bacon round a chipolata sausage and cooking it” Fancy that!

?. I’d have to argue with that, though - best quality big fat sausages cut into thirds, wrapped in half a streaky rasher, are the creme de la creme of pigs in blankets.

Christmas - Christ Mass.
We celebrate but not over the top. The little ones have lots of little toys and one big toy. It’s about giving and those fortunate to have a family, well if possible a get together for a meal.
It’s about loving not receiving.

For heavens sake it's still August!?

the harvest isn't in yet.

After years of nightmare Christmases with grandchildren and their parents arriving at different times throughout the day and having to feed them (according to what they liked) and think of suitable presents for months before, much as I love them, I hated it and ended up exhausted or with a migraine. Last year thanks to Covid, I visited one family with gifts in the morning, the second in the afternoon where I had my Christmas meal (I provided turkey and trimmings plus my roast potatoes). On Boxing Day I visited the third with gifts. I know that I am lucky that my family all live near but we see each other regularly anyway so I really don't want to return to that stressful 'one day'. I am hoping the tradition has 'broken'.

Grannybuy, my Christmases were the same. Most of them in England but we're from Perth, so the chicken and only close family presents tradition applied. I loved them!

esgt1967

I hate the consumerism associated with Christmas - why do we go completely overboard in terms of food and drink for one or 2 days, it's ridiculous!

I personally switched off from it years ago, I buy enough for a roast dinner and a few nibbles and set a strict budget for presents, but that's it.

I’m with you esgt! A plate of dinner. After all, no matter what’s temptingly on the table once you’re full, that’s it! A wo(man) can only eat so much.
?

We shop monthly so always have a full trolley & when we go for our Christmas shop it will be our usual food shop for a month & only a few extra Christmas goodies, we will still get scornful looks & snide remarks but ignore them. The one thing that really bugs me when Christmas food shopping is that people are so judgemental when they see people with overloaded trolleys "I just know all that food is going to be wasted" "Ooh how stupid/greedy, the shops are only closed for one day for heavens sake" people will cry all over their social media pages. That may well be, but some of us want to avoid travelling & going for shopping during the Christmas holidays. Some people have large families or are hosting parties for friends & families (obviously not so much since pandemic) or they may be shopping for a family member or neighbour who can't get out as well as getting their own shopping in, so think a bit before you are quick to judge, sneer & mock, you DON'T know the facts so shut up.

highlanddreams

We shop monthly so always have a full trolley & when we go for our Christmas shop it will be our usual food shop for a month & only a few extra Christmas goodies, we will still get scornful looks & snide remarks but ignore them. The one thing that really bugs me when Christmas food shopping is that people are so judgemental when they see people with overloaded trolleys "I just know all that food is going to be wasted" "Ooh how stupid/greedy, the shops are only closed for one day for heavens sake" people will cry all over their social media pages. That may well be, but some of us want to avoid travelling & going for shopping during the Christmas holidays. Some people have large families or are hosting parties for friends & families (obviously not so much since pandemic) or they may be shopping for a family member or neighbour who can't get out as well as getting their own shopping in, so think a bit before you are quick to judge, sneer & mock, you DON'T know the facts so shut up.

???

esgt1967

I hate the consumerism associated with Christmas - why do we go completely overboard in terms of food and drink for one or 2 days, it's ridiculous!

I personally switched off from it years ago, I buy enough for a roast dinner and a few nibbles and set a strict budget for presents, but that's it.

What do you mean, ‘we’? In this house it’s not just one or two days, either - I will do a food shop for the whole week, so I don’t have to brave the shops until after New Year, and nothing will be wasted.

Sawsage2

For heavens sake it's still August!?

There’s always one! (This is the Christmas thread, in case anyone hadn’t noticed.)

Regarding the “sanctimonious” and similar comments - have any of you heard of the current food waste problems along with plastic pollution and general waste issues??
Seriously, where do some people live? In a fantasy land?
Each and every one of us should be concerned for the future of this planet!
We can all do our bit by cutting down on excess.
As other knowledgeable posters have said, we can only eat one plate of food. We don’t need 12 kinds of snacks or desserts etc.
Cutting down on excess buying, resisting buying rubbish and trying to eat less garbage over Christmas doesn’t translate to “dry bread and porridge “
Being aware of what’s happening in the world isn’t being “sanctimonious “

Great post highlanddreams

I try to be constantly prepared for shortages, esp in the winter. Did a quick scan of my tin/jar/dry selection. I have tinned chicken breast, various tinned veg, instant mash, mincemeat, flour, sugar, herbs, spices, fruit, custard powder, gravy mix, dried fruit, nuts. Since lockdown I've switched quite a few regular items to long-life. I could make something reasonable now without prep. ?

Yep I discovered a couple of years ago that dried milk makes very acceptable everyday custard when mixed up with good old Birds. ? Saves the proper milk for drinks in an ? emergency

As regards people getting sniffy about other people’s over-laden trolleys (Oh, the greed and excess!) I dare say there would have been a few sniffs about mine, the year when we had 9 adults for Christmas, all staying for at least 4 days, and I had no intention of going shopping again for a week.

As other knowledgeable posters have said, we can only eat one plate of food that was me.
?✅

I start buying slowly well before christmas,. tins etc.
We have special 'grown up ' chocs for the two of when we are watching a film but also buy the usual QS as well. Mostly because its all about tradition and we have always had them,
Some things i have cut back on and have discovered that they are not missed.
We have a traditional tree, each ornament means something and every one is different.
Never knowingly undercatered is my mantra,,alongside waste not,