FOOD Shortages England

Shelves aren’t too bad here in North Essex, but did order with my home delivery a couple of festive tins of sweets ( gonna hide them til Christmas lol ) The shortage of cat food could be because of an issue with the rumoured safety of Felix cat food

There were only 3 x 6 bottles of water at my local Sainsbury's yesterday, which is quite a large area. I didn't panic but and just purchased 1 pack of 6 leaving some for others.

Not just England, same here in Scotland, probably Wales and NI too.

usuallyright

Never known so many whingers about Brexit. Best thing to happen for the last 50 years. All these whingers must have threesight, they certainly do not have foresight.

Never known so many whingers about Brexit.

Oh, I'm sure you have usuallyright (irony emoji?)

We told you it would be s***, and it is. Our foresight's fine.

I’m very concerned that all this publicity could lead to panic buying especially ahead of Christmas. My apologies for using this word in August! We will but what we need each week. If there are shortages of some items we will adapt. As for the C event I couldn’t care less. After last year I realise that’s it’s about people not food and drink. We had plenty to eat and drink then but didn’t enjoy it at all.

Our local Freecycle and Facebook groups have what I have never seen before, loads of people selling/giving away all their furniture and many of their possessions and getting out of the U.K. It would be good to think there are Brits just waiting to walk into the jobs they have left behind but somehow I doubt it since the average European incomers worked all hours at the tough jobs. The government wanted them to jump through hoops if they wanted to stay and they have had enough of being made to feel like interlopers. Just as we predicted.
I couldn’t care less what we get to eat at Christmas but I do care what a sorry mess this country has turned in to.

I'm in Kent and mostly shop in my local Tesco. There have been significant shortages for quite a number of weeks and each time I go in there seems less choice and more empty spaces though certainly not enough food shortages to go hungry. There has been no fresh milk on around 50% of my visits over the past month and those shelves remain empty when not full of milk. Many items have not been there in the usual variety eg only one type of mushroom (organic),no leeks, one type of pepper, much reduced own brand stuff eg no washing liquid or powder. With the exception of milk something still on most shelves, just not the, choice and with quite a number of price hikes. As is often the case, those on low incomes will presumably be most affected. Some friends in France report less availability of British foods but no other shortages. Friends in Italy, Spain and Germany say they have noticed no food or other shortages but haven't specifically commented about British products.

I'm in Bucks. There were no shortages of anything this morning, so I'm not sure why some places are affected while others aren't.

Just got back from Waitrose (NW Surrey), and the only real gaps I noticed was bottled water (which we don't buy). Everything else seemed to be stocked up, including the fruit and veg.

During the week I bought milk at a small Sainsbury. There was quite a lot out and they were busy restocking some, so had obviously received a delivery. They also had plenty of fresh veg. They were a bit low on chilled meals and meat but I've noticed that they are often low in certain areas, I think it's more to do with their restocking procedures than anything else.

I was just going to ask about actual food shortages, HollyJ, so thank you for your post. Less choice, though potentially tiresome, is not the same as shortage.

TBH, with the obesity epidemic that is in the news so much, I sometimes wonder if a bit more hunger might do some people* the world of good.

*Including MrB ?.

i'm really surprised that all you T'rump haters on her aren't blaming the Donald

?get your tin hat ready Baggs as some people think having to buy a different brand of something or not getting hold of another item is the start of Armageddon.

I think a lot of this is scaremongering by the media

This is the beginning. People have no idea of the inflationary pressures that Brexit is about to bring. The goods coming in and being delayed is costing these companies money, they will need to make that money back, that means price rises. The wages of lorry drivers will be increasing, that money needs to come from somewhere, that means price rises, the cost of fuel is increasing, that money needs to come from somewhere, that means, price rises. You're shopping bills are about to increase like you will not believe because the UK is out of the customs union and the single market. Getting goods into the UK from abroad now means excess customs checks and delays, companies are charging to get these goods through and to deal with all the added red tape, bureaucracy and duty that wasn't there before. You're the ones who will pay for it......... Enjoy you're brexit bonus.........

Just had notification by friends of supermarkets being short of certain products near York, Manchester and Sheffield in multiple supermarkets not all in big cities. Haven't been near mine because of the tourists pouring across the A66, but got ice cream wafers instead of "Brandy " cups on my delivery this morning. maybe that old WI recipe book will come in useful again. Ice cream wafers with pureed turnips any anyone?

Yes, Olive53, prices go up, but still the proportion of income that people spend on food nowadays is far, far smaller than it was even a generation ago.

I'll go in search of some data for that claim right now. I know exactly where it is: ourworldindata.org

That may well be true, but when people spent more on food they spent way, way less on housing.

Young people (who did not, on the whole, vote for Brexit) are paying a much higher percentage of their income on rent and mortgages than a generation ago, and to add higher food prices to that will make a huge difference to their lifestyle and that of their children.

To knowingly vote for that seems positively vindictive.

I should have said and humanprogress.org

Young people (who did not, on the whole, vote for Brexit) are paying a much higher percentage of their income on rent and mortgages than a generation ago, and to add higher food prices to that will make a huge difference to their lifestyle and that of their children.

Yes but they are still not poorer than previous generations. Young people, with or without children, have way more "stuff" than ever before (as do old people), much of which is not essential.

Anyway, two links:

ourworldindata.org/food-prices

www.humanprogress.org/falling-food-prices-for-unskilled-workers-in-the-united-states-1919-2019/

The second is from the US but it applies in Europe too.

Shortages in England. Try living in Northern Ireland post brexit.

Young people, with or without children, have way more "stuff" than ever before (as do old people), much of which is not essential.
According to the Child Poverty Action Group, over 4.3 million children in the UK live in poverty, and 75% of those come from families where the parents are in work.

Condemning these children to further cuts in their living standards should have a massive payoff, so that they won't suffer even more - what is that likely to be?

A letter in one of the nationals today suggested the shortages are, in part, caused by the tax change IR35 for HGV Drivers, since April 2021.
Previously Drivers could set up as a limited company and pay much less tax and national insurance. From April this year, full contributions could not be avoided for Drivers.

I believe it's a shortage of drivers rather than Brexit. The covid lockdown restricted the number of drivers that could train and pass their HGV, and PSV presumably, in 2020. I think there was already a shortage of drivers before that as well so it's all been compounded. I have to admit I don't envy them their job but I'm really grateful someone wants to do it.

But what is essential? once upon a time we lived in cold uninsulated unheated houses with water from a well and no internal sanitation. CH, indoor plumbing was only for wimps.

Most of us could manage with fewer clothes, but clothes are so cheap, the modern teenager with a room full of clothes has spent less on them than we did in our days of school uniform with two sets of 'civvies' I remember from childhood.

It is expenditure on services that I consider non-essentials. We didn't eat out, once or twice a year at most, made our own packed lunches, did our own decorating, dressmaking, walked our own dogs. Cooked our own meals, no ready meals

Howeve, many people, perforce, had to live without those services during the lockdowns and many, I think, have rather enjoyed it, and while I know many people were out of work during this period, many were simply workng from home or furloughed and the amount of money they have saved as a result has helped many people onto the housing ladder sooner than expected and given others a nice cushion of savings.