Are you experiencing big gap in the shelves in your area?

MerylStreep

Lillie
Brexit bashing by the back door is some posters raison d’etra.
When it’s been going on for 5 years there’s no way they can disguise it.

Some call it Brexit bashing, others call it reality check.

it must be to do with the olive production somehow
Interesting thought Lillie and very plausible, although I think I also read somewhere that the aluminium needed to manufacture tins was in short supply. (If it’s not aluminium I’m sure somebody will put me right. )
Anyway, a few years ago DH read about a poor olive harvest and possible hikes in the price of olive oil. He “encouraged” me to buy (quite) a few litre bottles - and I am just now on the last one. I don’t actually remember if the price went up or not though.
It is interesting how used we have become to choice - I can stand in the cereals aisle and there must be over 20 breakfast cereals- in my childhood it was Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Rice Crispies, Shredded Wheat, maybe Weetabix or porridge.
Oh the excitement of Sugar Puffs!
Are we actually better off?

Lillie
Brexit bashing by the back door is some posters raison d’etra.
When it’s been going on for 5 years there’s no way they can disguise it.

You can get them in Asda online, the sardines I mean, but we don't do that often.

exactly the same for albacore tuna in olive oil fairfraise
but loads in spring water

it must be to do with the olive production somehow

Anyway here it seems to be only sardines in olive oil off shelves in Marks and Lidl. I prefer those to brine and tomato sauce!

to be fair the op only asked a simple question under the general topic heading food

if she or others wanted it to be all about brexit then it misfired
i thought it was just to get an overview nationwide with no intent and then maybe to discuss alternative shops or items as i did in my first contribution

but gradually i did become involved in the spin off questions and of course began to associate the thread with the other brexit ones by the op

i said on a different thread that sometimes our words colour us for our entire gn life on every topic and i think this is why people re invent themselves
i hope the op comes up with other topics to discuss which dont always dwell on the same issues and i hope that posters contribute accordingly

the trouble is sometimes it is difficult to get away from that image
it depends how posters want to play it

What nonsense Ellee
First of all, things will iron themselves out as drivers self isolating with Covid will become double jabbed etc and also firms will offer good salaries to attract new delivery drivers.
Second, nobody has been ‘sent back from whence they came’
Due to Brexit, they have chosen to leave, which is quite different and more likely as a result of Covid last March than anything else.
Thirdly there is no hounding of any poster because of either their country of origin or the fact that they have chosen to live elsewhere.There are many posters on here who live in other countries.

Elleee

I'm interested lemongrove just how you think that things will 'iron themselves out'
What solutions do you offer?
It's clearly not just the pandemic is it?
Brexit has sent many HGV drivers, hospitality workers, fruit pickers et al back from whence they came. This is not conjecture, it is a fact
Just as an aside, I find the hounding of one poster's country of origin, disturbing and verging on bullying
This is an open forum and as such, anyone should be able to post about anything, without having to explain their personal circumstances
Poor show

Well said ???

I'm interested lemongrove just how you think that things will 'iron themselves out'
What solutions do you offer?
It's clearly not just the pandemic is it?
Brexit has sent many HGV drivers, hospitality workers, fruit pickers et al back from whence they came. This is not conjecture, it is a fact
Just as an aside, I find the hounding of one poster's country of origin, disturbing and verging on bullying
This is an open forum and as such, anyone should be able to post about anything, without having to explain their personal circumstances
Poor show

With the pandemic there could be delivery problems with certain foodstuffs in any European ( or not) country.
Things will soon iron themselves out though.

GillT57

JenniferEccles

Was this not the response you were hoping for OP?
Were you hoping for tales of woe, accounts of empty shelves ?

What’s the situation like in Switzerland?
Isn’t that more relevant to you as that’s where you live?

Why this obsession with Switzerland? Are you all at chez lemongrove and drinking too much?

??? Cheers Gill ? did we forget to invite you over?

I don’t think any of us are going to find ourselves going hungry.If there are problems with deliveries to one store, you can try another.
So far there are no problems at all in my village/ nearby town.

Apparently the problem with some goods is, there are not enough drivers to transport the goods.

The supermarket I work in had no milk a couple of weeks ago.

They had the supplies ready to be delivered but no delivery drivers to deliver.

I did notice at the weekend in the small Sainsbury we use that some of the freezers were almost empty apart from a few pizzas and some frozen veg.

Everything we wanted was there and I didn't notice that any of the dried goods shelves were low. Plenty of chilled products - milk, juice, cream, desserts, meat. Also lots of fresh and chilled veg.

Some of the Co-op shelves were a bit low, but none of them empty as far I could tell. We got the few things we went for so I might not have noticed other things missing as we tend to be in and out quite quickly.

I use ETC FAR TOO MUCH I apologise

I suppose as well as using different suppliers, people who provide catering (chefs etc) will just work with what they are supplied with. It's not like people shopping who need specific cat or dog food, squash etc Plus local pubs etc have good relations (unless chains) with local suppliers and supply chains.

welbeck

i think catering suppliers for restaurants use different distribution centres than supermarkets.
it is a different kind of activity, and scale.

Yes, welbeck
We know someone who drove a lorry supplying restaurants and hotels with catering supplies; he was furloughed last year when nowhere was open.

We're out to lunch tomorrow

Should I take a sandwich with me just in case?

It does appear to be patchy.

i think catering suppliers for restaurants use different distribution centres than supermarkets.
it is a different kind of activity, and scale.

I wondered about that too tippytipsy. I was out to dinner on both Friday and Saturday evening and there didn't appear to be anything "off " the menu and, when our meals arrived, they were plentiful. The shortages seem to be very localised.

If there are shortages then I assume restaurants must be having the same problem. So far everything I have ordered on the menu has been brought to the table or do they get in special supplies?

Sussex here. Big gaps in Co-op, Waitrose and Sainsbury's. Tesco fairly full up and didn't seem to be a problem. Iceland no problem. A lot of gaps among the fresh fruit and veg in the supermarkets but none in our local greengrocers. Apparently due to Brexit (lots of Eastern Europeans returned home), Covid and isolation, staff summer holidays, lack of lorry drivers and lack of trainers.

Janejudge there is a really good cartoon of The Scream, it shows a longer picture, and a foot on a lego brick.

I haven't found any shortages. I buy our cat pouches and have had no problems with supply.
The one thing that did take a few weeks for the supermarkets to restock was pork seasoning. ? Hardly a problem though