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Original poster

Why is it so hard to get fruit and salad?

279 replies

ItWillWash · 21/02/2023 05:45

Is it my area or a widespread thing?

I'm trying to order a small same-day delivery so I have lunches and breakfasts for today and tomorrow until I can do a big shop.

Morrisons have suspended deliveries on Uber due to low stock. Tesco is sold out of all varieties of tomatoes, pineapples and grapes and also don't have the yogurts I like. Asda has sold out of lettuce, cucumber, and grapes. Iceland have sold out of lettuce and cucumbers.

It was the same last time I tried to order food online. What's going on?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Original poster
ItWillWash · 21/02/2023 08:36

I haven't noticed much of an issue with eggs. I've usually been able to get those from local shops when needed.

OP posts:
Arrrrrrragghhh · 21/02/2023 08:38

This is a photo of the plastic greenhouses a PP was talking about. Terrible for local bio diversity and for the many thousands of poorly treated migrant workers.
So maybe salad shortages in winter aren’t all bad.

Why is it so hard to get fruit and salad?
SnowAndFrostOutside · 21/02/2023 08:45

Not just you. I can't find tomatoes near us either in South Hampshire. It's been reported in the BBC website.

Sadlifter · 21/02/2023 08:49

Arrrrrrragghhh · 21/02/2023 08:38

This is a photo of the plastic greenhouses a PP was talking about. Terrible for local bio diversity and for the many thousands of poorly treated migrant workers.
So maybe salad shortages in winter aren’t all bad.

Exactly. Eat what you can buy, preferably seasonal and UK grown.

DazzlePaintedBattlePants · 21/02/2023 08:52

No major problems here in Cambridgeshire. Ireland’s population is considerably smaller than the U.K, so the same amount of veg goes far further there than here.

Also - lots of our fresh produce doesn’t come from the EU, especially this time of year. Lots from Morocco and South America.

So1invictus · 21/02/2023 08:58

It's not tomato season unless forced in industrial greenhouses (as above) anywhere. I'm in southern Italy and we have no shortage, but they're all mega expensive because they're not seasonal. I mentioned on the other thread about this- about £3-£4 for a tiny punnet of cherry tomatoes.

And yes, agree also re: exploitation of pickers. Our local chain of supermarkets now stocks a range of fresh produce certified as having been picked by people with regular and legal work contracts. That 90% of the stuff doesn't have that label speaks large. Every morning in every town square, hundreds of men and women wait to pick up a day's work. Herded into lorries and off to the fields to do a 12 hour shift.

They're picking green leafy veg and apples/pears/oranges at the moment obviously at the moment rather than soft spring/summer stuff.

toodlesofoodles · 21/02/2023 08:59

@MarshaMelrose I also live in the NW and there is shortages of tomatoes, cucumber, spinach, salads, peppers etc and has been for a week near on. I'd like to know where you are so I can come and stock up 🤣

cocksstrideintheevening · 21/02/2023 09:00

We are we London and Sainsbury's in particular seems to be struggling - no lettuce, cucumber or eggs in my weekend delivery. Local Tesco express has everything

IncessantNameChanger · 21/02/2023 09:03

Sparklfairy · 21/02/2023 05:50

This was Aldi yesterday. Its not even scarce stock where you have to pay more for on the vine sun ripened tomatoes as that's all they have, there's nothing at all!

The local lidl always looks like this unless you go before 3pm. Even then they will only one or two boxes of each salad item at most. It's been like that for months and I think it's got a lot to do with people moving away from more traditional supermarkets into Lidl and Aldi. That's my theory for Lidl and Aldi anyway

GPTec1 · 21/02/2023 09:05

Sadlifter · 21/02/2023 08:13

I mean, European food suppliers aren't going to just stop supplying to the UK because their drivers don't like the services. We buy something from Europe and have had absolutely no issues, plenty of drivers and lorries still.

I voted remain and think Brexit is shit, for context.

It all adds up, perishables can't be left in lorries for days on end & yes it is harder for eu hauliers to find drivers willing to go to the UK.

No they just don't stop supplying UK but a 10% drop in imports means we don't get enough, not we don't get any.

@MarshaMelrose Lucky you but many are not, its been well reported, though Tories do have a habit of only caring about themselves!

MarshaMelrose · 21/02/2023 09:14

toodlesofoodles · 21/02/2023 08:59

@MarshaMelrose I also live in the NW and there is shortages of tomatoes, cucumber, spinach, salads, peppers etc and has been for a week near on. I'd like to know where you are so I can come and stock up 🤣

Lancashire on the west coast. I just bought tomatoes and peppers on Friday from Lidl.

IndiaDreamer · 21/02/2023 09:15

N0tfinished · 21/02/2023 07:20

You're all being gaslit, no shortages here at all (Ireland). I was in our local Aldi, fully stocked with normal varieties of tomatoes, salads in bags and whole heads. Normal fruit & veg in stock. Same in our local convenience store. It's Brexit.

Just what are your saying....

The English Government - gas lighting us / you're saying this is another Brexit issue?

Really, if only this could've been predicted...

Ohifyouinsist · 21/02/2023 09:21

Arrrrrrragghhh · 21/02/2023 08:38

This is a photo of the plastic greenhouses a PP was talking about. Terrible for local bio diversity and for the many thousands of poorly treated migrant workers.
So maybe salad shortages in winter aren’t all bad.

That's awful. I've stopped buying a lot of out of season fruit and veg, particularly from Spain after Simon Reeve's TV exposé of what goes on. No flabby, tasteless out of season tomato is worth that.

MrsMariaReynolds · 21/02/2023 09:26

I've just returned from a week on the Iberian peninsula where produce was delicious, fresh and in abundance. If there's a shortage here, it is purely due to delivery logistics (ie "benefits" of Brexit) It's a shame nobody saw this coming... 😁

prescribingmum · 21/02/2023 09:27

Similar to PP, our locals have all run out by early afternoon most days. To get fresh produce, I go straight after the school run and find everything has just been topped up with all shelves full. If I go just before pick up, most salads and fruit are not available. I tend to shop seasonally at local greengrocer for most things and add on the few additional bits at local supermarket

I agree with PP who said it isn't a bad thing for supermarkets to have sold out by evening

MarshaMelrose · 21/02/2023 09:27

@MarshaMelrose Lucky you but many are not, its been well reported, though Tories do have a habit of only caring about themselves!

You mean the govt is just delivering to Tory constituencies? There are a few round here so maybe you're right. Lucky me.

Gwen82 · 21/02/2023 09:28

SE market town here

popped to marks this morning…. Shelves heaving with fruit and veg as normal 🤷‍♀️

HyacinthineMacaw · 21/02/2023 09:28

French supermarkets are full of lovely huge ripe Spanish tomatoes.

IndiaDreamer · 21/02/2023 09:36

HyacinthineMacaw · 21/02/2023 09:28

French supermarkets are full of lovely huge ripe Spanish tomatoes.

Strange that, it's almost like they are in a union with Spain.

GPTec1 · 21/02/2023 09:36

MarshaMelrose · 21/02/2023 09:27

@MarshaMelrose Lucky you but many are not, its been well reported, though Tories do have a habit of only caring about themselves!

You mean the govt is just delivering to Tory constituencies? There are a few round here so maybe you're right. Lucky me.

Point here is just because YOU have supply, plenty of posters are saying the opposite, which you are totally ignoring.

Bottom line is the SM market made exporting from Madrid to Malaga as easy as from Madrid to Manchester and vice versa, thats no longer the case and EU wholesalers will export to their nearest and easiest markets first, if the profit is the same.
Its hardly rocket science.

MarshaMelrose · 21/02/2023 09:38

I mentioned on the other thread about this- about £3-£4 for a tiny punnet of cherry tomatoes.

I love cherry tomatoes, but that's... woah! Certainly cheaper than that here. I think we've been spoilt in the UK with prices for so many years. Normally a pack of 6 salad tomatoes is 69p. Has been for more than a couple of years. I paid 85p a couple of weeks ago. And on Friday they were 94p. Just leaping up.

BogRollBOGOF · 21/02/2023 09:38

Aldi last week looked plundered. Across the road at the bigger supermarket it was fine, just a small sign saying that weather in Spain was affecting brocolli supplies, although there was brocolli there.
There was a display where there was some stock that was unusually located, but I'm not sure what it was covering over. I managed to get what I needed.

I buy little salad Nov-Mar as it's too cold to have much appetite to eat it, so decided to drop that aspiration that too often ended up with it going to waste anyway. Things like strawberries, I try to keep to staying in season too and they taste better for it.

HyacinthineMacaw · 21/02/2023 09:42

IndiaDreamer · 21/02/2023 09:36

Strange that, it's almost like they are in a union with Spain.

Show quote history

Well yes, that was rather my point.

MarshaMelrose · 21/02/2023 09:43

GPTec1 · 21/02/2023 09:36

Point here is just because YOU have supply, plenty of posters are saying the opposite, which you are totally ignoring.

Bottom line is the SM market made exporting from Madrid to Malaga as easy as from Madrid to Manchester and vice versa, thats no longer the case and EU wholesalers will export to their nearest and easiest markets first, if the profit is the same.
Its hardly rocket science.

Show quote history

Some posters are saying they have shortages, some say they haven't. And someone said the EU lorry drivers won't deliver to the UK. And I pointed out that that is clearly not true because I'm right up in the NW and we're still getting fruit and veg.

I'd think you'd be happy for those of us that have no shortages but actually you seem quite annoyed about it. I don't understand why that would be?

Gwen82 · 21/02/2023 09:43

MarshaMelrose · 21/02/2023 09:38

I mentioned on the other thread about this- about £3-£4 for a tiny punnet of cherry tomatoes.

I love cherry tomatoes, but that's... woah! Certainly cheaper than that here. I think we've been spoilt in the UK with prices for so many years. Normally a pack of 6 salad tomatoes is 69p. Has been for more than a couple of years. I paid 85p a couple of weeks ago. And on Friday they were 94p. Just leaping up.

500g cherry tomatoes at Waitrose for £1.50