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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
touterustome · 21/02/2023 10:32

Brexit

ifonly4 · 21/02/2023 10:33

Looks like some Tescos have had peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes in. Managed to get all three at 8am - only two boxes of different tomatoes, one box peppers but usual supply of cucumbers. I'm lucky in that I'm in our village most days and as I do my shopping on foot I'm in there a few days a week, so can keep trying if something is out of stock.

IClaudine · 21/02/2023 10:43

There are lots of photos circulating on Twitter purporting to be of current empty shelves. Lots of them are actually from 2020 when people were panic buying.

There are gaps in the shelves where I am, but usually later in the day. It is annoying, that's all. We are not going to starve. Plenty of alternatives available.

qpmz · 21/02/2023 10:52

Since way before Brexit, the fruit and veg in continental Europe has always been of a superior quality. British supermarkets use more plastic packaging and they weed out anything that isn't perfectly shaped and sized. Go to France and Spain and it's loose, misshapen, slightly marked and delicious.

My second point is that people on Mumsnet are way too obsessed with meal planning and seem to freak out if they can't get a precise ingredient!

MarshaMelrose · 21/02/2023 10:59

You'll be pleased to hear, @qpmz , that wonky veg is all the rage in the UK. It used to be cheaper than the other stuff but I'm not sure now.

I do love going round a continental supermarket - you're right. But all fruit tastes best when it's in season. No better strawberry than a ripe British one. 🍓 Those forced Spanish ones are pretty tasteless. As are most of the fruit we get out of season. I'm just so jealous of your weather that you can grow so many lovely fruit and veg.

maddy68 · 21/02/2023 11:23

Sparklingbrook · 21/02/2023 05:49

Bad weather in Spain is to blame for a lot of the salad shortages.

What???

I live in Spain. We have plenty of fruit and veg. Our shelves are well stocked

Sorry this is a brexit supply issue

So1invictus · 21/02/2023 11:59

qpmz · 21/02/2023 10:52

Since way before Brexit, the fruit and veg in continental Europe has always been of a superior quality. British supermarkets use more plastic packaging and they weed out anything that isn't perfectly shaped and sized. Go to France and Spain and it's loose, misshapen, slightly marked and delicious.

My second point is that people on Mumsnet are way too obsessed with meal planning and seem to freak out if they can't get a precise ingredient!

Depends.
I'm in Puglia and despair at the plastic. The tomatoes I mentioned upthread- are in plastic trays with plastic wrap round them. It's our plastic recycling collection tomorrow and our (weekly) load is enormous, two great big bin bags every week at least. There are two of us now DD is at university.
If you go to a greengrocer for a kilo of anything it will be cheaper than the supermarket but you take it as given that some of it you'll have to throw away.

GPTec1 · 21/02/2023 12:00

halfsiesonapotnoodle · 21/02/2023 09:57

Bad weather in Spain has led to this.

Sort of agree in that it has led to some shortages and the EU wholesalers prioritise their nearest & easiest markets.

@MarshaMelrose Not annoyed, where i am, there is loads of fruit veg and eggs & no, i am not in Lancs!

But to to ignore the issues of Brexit does not make them go away.

CantMakeHeadNorTail · 21/02/2023 12:05

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

MarshaMelrose · 21/02/2023 12:28

GPTec1 · 21/02/2023 12:00

Sort of agree in that it has led to some shortages and the EU wholesalers prioritise their nearest & easiest markets.

@MarshaMelrose Not annoyed, where i am, there is loads of fruit veg and eggs & no, i am not in Lancs!

But to to ignore the issues of Brexit does not make them go away.

Show quote history

I'm irritated by some Brexit stuff, too. But if Brexit isn't causing me an issue over fruit and veg and eggs, what am I ignoring in this thread?

If I misread your post, I apologise, it did read to me that you were annoyed that I wasn't suffering food shortages as a result of Brexit. It's sometimes difficult to tell the tone of a post and I'm sure you wouldn't be that petty. If you've read the thread, you'll see there are a large number of people from Al over the country that have fully stocked supermarkets, so your French lorry drivers are clearly braving the queues. Big shout out to French lorry drivers. And it's a bit of a comfort that our prices are still lower than some places abroad. - Not France, though. I'm sure it's all much cheaper, bigger, fresher, yummier in France. Ah, I do love France.

icanbewhatiwant · 21/02/2023 12:33

I did an online shop Friday. Morrisons and Tesco had no tomatoes. No peppers. Morrisons had cucumber but not Tesco. I went into Aldi and most not available there either, same at the local co op.

GPTec1 · 21/02/2023 13:21

@MarshaMelrose Yes apologies too, its difficult to judge the tone of a post, probably impossible!

France is perfect, so you re correct, everything is better here mmmmmmmm! not quite but not seen the huge spike in inflation though, nationalisation of EDF and all that!!!!

RoseyLentil · 21/02/2023 13:26

Yesterday morning about 9am my Tesco had very little fruit and veg. I went there cos it's closer. Left and went to Lidl in town and they had fully stocked everything 👍
I'm in Somerset

Original poster
ItWillWash · 21/02/2023 13:32

I might have to move to France or Ireland. I'm not sure I can cope without salad and grapes and I need pineapple.

OP posts:
MockneyReject · 21/02/2023 13:32

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.

Gaslit? How? I went to the supermarket (Waitrose) yesterday, and the salad aisle was bare. Nothing. I saw it with my own eyes!

Sadlifter · 21/02/2023 14:30

Just come out of Lidl and everything fully stocked. SW England

Gaslit 😅😅😅

GatoradeMeBitch · 21/02/2023 15:46

Gaslit? How? I went to the supermarket (Waitrose) yesterday, and the salad aisle was bare. Nothing. I saw it with my own eyes!

No, I think their point is that we are being told in the UK that it's problems in continental Europe causing these shortages, when for the most part it's yet more Brexit shit.

IClaudine · 21/02/2023 16:00

Aldi and Morrisons now rationing tomatoes and peppers...

www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/21/asda-morrisons-ration-tomatoes-peppers-fruit-shortages

IClaudine · 21/02/2023 16:01

Sorry Asda.

flutterbyebaby · 21/02/2023 16:53

Just ordered from Waitrose they seemed to have all the salad stuff, fruit and eggs in, fingers crossed for tomorrow

luckylavender · 21/02/2023 17:16

Gwen82 · 21/02/2023 05:47

I did a huge fruit and veg haul yesterday… involving Waitrose and Sainsbury .

All in stock

Have you read the news?

Jugglingitallmum · 21/02/2023 18:36

Just been to local Waitrose and fruit & veg aisle v bare.

leithreas · 21/02/2023 22:11

MockneyReject · 21/02/2023 13:32

Gaslit? How? I went to the supermarket (Waitrose) yesterday, and the salad aisle was bare. Nothing. I saw it with my own eyes!

Show quote history

That poster was lying about the supermarkets being fully stocked in Ireland anyway. They aren't. There was a piece on the radio here earlier about how they aren't. We have the same problems with salad, Strawberries etc. Perhaps she hit up the supermarket at the right time but we definitely have shortages of imported fruit and veg.

Ohifyouinsist · 21/02/2023 23:06

ItWillWash · 21/02/2023 13:32

I might have to move to France or Ireland. I'm not sure I can cope without salad and grapes and I need pineapple.

Our local French supermarket stocks little out of season fruit and veg. And it always promotes French grown produce.

I'd go for the Caribbean to be on the safe side Grin

Redebs · 21/02/2023 23:11

Brexit