Fruit and veg gaps

Strawberries & peaches/nectarines is another favourite here, Witzend especially when it’s those ripen at home ones that never do. Sometimes I add a few drops of rose essence - the smell& taste is divine.

I can understand that the current very high temperatures might cause fruit and veg to rot. Yesterday I had to cook 3 Aubergines and freeze the results as they were starting to go soft. I had no space in the fridge and they usually keep well outside.

I have noticed gaps for a couple of weeks now. I wondered if the better weather had prompted a rush on salads or if Brexit was causing problems for overseas produce. Countryfile interviewed a grower in Lincolnshire a few weeks ago. All his Eastern European pickers have gone home and despite advertising for more, the response was poor and from those who did turn up to give it a go, only a handful have stuck it out. He was worried a lot of his produce would rot in the ground. Maybe the gaps are a combination of them all.

It's not regional:

inews.co.uk/news/hgv-driver-shortage-food-fresh-produce-rot-price-rises-crisis-brexit-1047059

Some GNers are obviously very lucky.

Wrt lorry drivers, I remember when I was growing up (I'm in my 40s) my friend's Dad was a lorry driver and they were really quite comfortable compared to a lot of friend group. He got paid quite a lot of money bceause he used to work abroad etc. I wonder at what point haulage companies stopped paying so well?
I wondered that too.

We have a friend who gave up his job as transport manager for a largish company and became an HGV driver - less stress and much better pay, he said. That was many years ago.

BlueBelle

My mornings work from my allotment no shortages for me ?

those strawberries look marvellous!

I went into my local morrisons for the first time in 20 months yesterday and it all seemed well stocked.

Wrt lorry drivers, I remember when I was growing up (I'm in my 40s) my friend's Dad was a lorry driver and they were really quite comfortable compared to a lot of friend group. He got paid quite a lot of money bceause he used to work abroad etc. I wonder at what point haulage companies stopped paying so well? our local one is owned by someone who stood as a UKIp MP

Apparently there was a shortage of drivers pre-pandemic then:

Peter Kohn runs the A-Class HGV Driving School in Gillingham. He says the problem has been exacerbated by the closing during lockdown of HGV test centres - and the selling off of many sites in recent years.

It’d be interesting to know what areas these shortages are in. We’re in Yorkshire and there seems to be more fresh produce than ever at our local market at the moment. In fact, we’ve been getting amazing plump cherries every week for months at £2 for a big bag. I have no idea where they come from, and neither has the stall holder.

Rhubarb grows really well here, of course. Despite the pies and crumbles, we give loads away from the allotment. Our strawberries are doing really well this year too - I can eat them by the bucketload, so we’ve none of them to spare! Again, the market and local fruit shop have plenty of both.

The shelves were full of fruit and veg in Lidl, the other day. In fact I bought too much!

SueDonim, I’ve often made strawberry and rhubarb crumble at a BiL’s place in France - rhubarb in the garden and very often strawberries that need using up.

Sometimes it’s rhubarb + whatever other fruit is there, or needs using up, so might be peaches, nectarines, apples. Always goes down well anyway.

I'm astonished!

Nothing missing from my order and the prices were cheap - in fact, prices are far too cheap to give the farmers a good deal.

Courgettes (organic) from M&S last week were more expensive but excellent.

Lots of empty shelves and missing items in our local Morrisons and Sainsburys. I also noticed repackaging of items such as courgettes where the items were both smaller and fewer - to disguise shortages I thought. Some prices were breathtaking, such that I stopped and bought more veg plants on the way to ensure our own supplies for later in the summer.

I think we are going to see some price increases. Some haulage companies are giving their drivers big pay rises to try and keep them and someone's going to have to pay for that. It could also lead to a shortage of drivers for rubbish collection and recycling. Councils can't afford to offer the same wages.

Bluebelle I'm going to make a summer pudding with fruit from the garden.

Watercress delivered today!

No gaps at all. No unavailable items in my Sainsburys online shops (apart from Bic biros for some reason ). No shortage of fruit and veg at the local fruit shop and market either.

Maybe it's regional? The only supermarket that I've seen with any hint of short supplies (toilet paper, kitchen roll, tissues etc) is Sainsburys and, to be honest, I can't remember a time when I've seen full shelves there since before March 2020. Sainsbury always seems to have big on going problem with stock control.

There are huge gaps in fresh fruit and veg at both my local Tesco and Waitrose. There is also inconsistent of supply of other items such as yoghurt and my cats' favourite food.

Yes, I noticed this today. No watercress in Morrisons. I was in Tesco later and they didn't have any watercress or fresh peas. (first world problems I know!)
Also Soda water is in very short supply for some reason??

Yes sure you will , my friends son has just passed his class 1. Can be excellent wages, but long hours. Still can’t do without them.

No not at all, even plenty of tinned tomatoes, although the press were saying there would be a shortage,. Fruit and veg in plentiful supply, although usually get this from my local market seller , who does home delivery.

I think it's the shortage of lorry drivers, it was on the news this would happen

Bluebelle my mouth is watering at the thought of rhubarb and strawberry crumble! ?

Callistemon at least they hadn’t moved the alcohol.

No, not noticed any shortages in our neck of the woods.