Who has done the Christmas Big Shop? Any dispatches from the trenches?

[LaChienneDesFromages]

I haven’t been to the supermarket for the legendary Christmas Big Shop. This year was supposed to be no exception and I had a plum delivery slot booked (surely there’s no beating 10am on 23rd?) But we cancelled it yesterday morning for the very good reason of visiting our new cousin/niece who is finally coming home today after surgery and a spell in NICU.

So, it was decided that DD15 and I, being the ones who couldn’t think of an excuse quickly enough went to Waitrose at 9am. We briefly considered the giant Tesco but they were queuing around the corner for the car park by that time.

This was the biggest Big Shop in years for us. We were buying for ourselves (2 adults, 2 teens, Labradors with greed issues, a ravenous 12 year old) plus various guests (most invited, plus a few girl/boy friends and a couple of friends of guests at a loose end coming along for the ride) everyday from Saturday-Boxing Day.

DH had helpfully added to my A4 tabulated shopping list with illegible scrawls (we bought him 4 frozen petit pains instead of what was apparently a pork pie.) We hauled around a big trolley and a small ‘booze and eggs’ trolley trying not to flatten Barbour-clad chaps trying to remember if Liz said halibut or monkfish. It was moderately busy, the shop staff had headsets, like government bodyguards.

At one point we were unable to manoeuvre the primary trolley and I called out foodstuffs while DD ran about retrieving them, Challenge Anneka (the reference was lost on her) style. She obviously also brought back multiple items from
the baby section which were very much not on the list.

Finally we got to the checkout and realised we’d forgotten Disaronno (for DD14’s experimental syllabub tonight) and potted shrimps (for Grandpa) so we did a short round two before hauling a million bags into the boot/back seat of my Mini and heading off in search of tea and a mince pie.

We forgot the Christmas pudding so it’s Quality Street for Christmas Day pudding unless anyone else goes to get one. DH headed to the farm shop to collect the Christmas meat at 8am this morning, DC’s are cooking dinner for 10 this evening. Today, I’m unavailable for any activities other than baby worship.

I’d love to hear any other Big Shop observations. Actually, I’d most like to find your shopping list.

In Tesco for 8am this morning. Plenty of trolleys, plenty of parking, plenty of food.
Busy but perfectly manageable.

@Chewbecca I still have to put my glasses on to see price labels oñ shelves. I don't know why they can't be in shopping list style font.

Currently about halfway through a 90 min queue to get into the naice butchers

Went to my local small lidl at 10.45 today didn't want to risk the Asda/ morrisons or tescos. It quite small and never busy.

Plenty of parking.

No queues.

Space in the car park.

Only 2 people ahead of me in the queue.

Only went in for a few bits but loads of 15p veg- carrots swedes potatoes. So got some carrots and potatoes as well.

Was dreading it but surprisingly simple.

Did smart shop at a local Sainsburys just outside of the town centre that's not the BIG Sainsburys and it was fairly quiet - in at 7.55 and out by 8.30, no queue at self checkout. Only thing I had to go elsewhere for were soft white rolls as the date was tomorrow in Sainsburys, picked them up in the Tesco Express round the corner for the 27th.

Not at all stressful or crowded...which is making a change from the rest of the lead up this year, so it's very welcome.

I got all the booze and cupboard stuff weeks ago thank god as I've had covid.
Big M&S at 8.15am today for the fresh stuff. ( meant to be there for opening at 8 but ...). In and out in 30 mins - with my two grown up DSs helping. We got everything, it was pretty busy but not insane. There were only about 3 normal turkeys on the shelf, all the rest were stuffed crowns etc.

That's why I've given up on the naice butchers, the queues are ridiculous.

I was supposed to go and help my friend, but her grandson didn't want to go so I'm babysitting instead.
I bloody love this kid getting me out of shopping!

Went last night, I feel like people have been building up their stash as we were literally the only people there buying crisps, chocolate etc!!! Not too crazy at all!!!

I was in a big M&S yesterday and it was carnage. Put some things in my trolley, saw the queues to pay and promptly put everything back again. Thankfully it wasn’t the big shop just some extras and something for dinner last night.

DH had done a big Sainsbury’s delivery for Thursday so that all came ok.

Went to Waitrose this morning to collect turkey and beef and get everything else and it was fine. Slight panic as they couldn’t find my order but all well in the end. Busy but not too bad. We were done by 10.30.

Just realised we forgot to get Chinese duck and bits for dinner tonight though…….

Surprisingly fine here, but I’m told yesterday was absolute carnage.

It's interesting that it's not at all carnage around us; Tesco was quiet, there was nobody in the nice butchers or the fruit and veg shop. We do live in quite a diverse area with a high % of other religions so I wonder if that has a knock on impact.

I had to go into Tesco yesterday as my click and collect was missing a few things (which they did have inside, the lying bastards) and it was a madhouse. People parking in not-spaces, aisles absolutely rammed, queues for the tills a good six trollies deep. Luckily I didn’t have much so could use the self-checkout which wasn’t so bad.

I’ve been poorly and not got anything for Christmas or the days surrounding it.
The cupboards are literally bare.

So I’m going to have to brave it out today but I’m thinking of leaving it as late as possible.

I hate shopping at the best of times but I can’t cope when it’s too busy and people are panicking, especially when I’m not feeling 100%.

DD and I ended up in Waitrose on Tuesday evening as we'd invited a few people over on Weds & needed to feed them something. Realised they had all of their Christmas stuff in and the dates got me through to when I needed them so got bits like the smoked salmon & ham which I'd always prefer to buy in person there & then.
We then ended up in Sainsburys yesterday so got all of the essentials like pigs in blankets, stuffing and so on then so we knew we had them. We still have a massive Sainsburys delivery in a few hours but it's more regular stuff like fruit or stuff for the Boxing Day fry up than key Christmas Day essentials.

Sanisburys delivery this morning, a few subs, no mince pies but nothing we cannot get at the local supermarket. Everything else DH ordered and picked up from the butchers. M&S yesterday was busy but I've seen worse. I am not going near a big store for anything for at least a week or longer if possible.

You'll hate me.

Thursday: Cheese shop, 2 people ahead of us. Supermarket was unusually quiet so I got non Christmas stuff and headed home to make my list

Yesterday. Husband nipped round and got stuff like herbs, nuts, etc. I went to the farm shop and got all the veg, eggs etc, used my loyalty point and got it all for free

This morning nipped out to butcher's used loyalty points and got a tenner off. Picked up last bits we had forgotten and bread from proper 'artisan bakers'

No queueing, no substitutions, no hassle.

This afternoon I'll be baking, tomorrow we'll be walking the dog, much maligned picky bits for tea. Christmas morning prepping veg, capon etc then playing cards, listening to music whilst it all cooks.

It's taken us years but we finally have worked out the balance between taking time to make it 'a day' and not fussing so much it becomes 'one hell of a day'

Well even be ready if we get a panicked call from DHs sister if she didn't manage to think of an excuse not to visit alcoholic BIL this year. We are, as they say, well chilled 😄

Oops! Forgot the M+S food hall, the I spend DHs work voucher on said picky bits. It was jam packed but we got a till with only 1 person with a basket ahead of us 😊

DH was in town at 9am & says there was a queue of 20 people in the street outside our local naice butchers.

Had my shop delivered this morning, realised I only ordered Christmas stuff and have nothing in for dinner tonight or tomorrow, now trying to work out what time i should brave Tesco.

We are having a the big family Christmas Lunch on the 28th, it will be interesting to see what is available on the 27th.

We have potatoes for roasting, stuffing, stuff for yorkshires, carrots. Hopefully that will suffice if all else fails 😜

I've cancelled my order for tomorrow, as we've decided to use the baking potatoes in today's order for roasties, & put the oranges we already had into mulled wine so we don't go down with scurvey due to the absence of easy peelers*. I hope someone gets a nice surprise that they can get a Christmas Eve delivery slot - I couldn't stand the strain of wondering if everything would be in stock, & decided to go with Potato Plan B for the sake of my mental health/temper.

While putting the order away, I found a usable aubergine in the fridge & I have some frozen minced lamb, so that missing meal will be moussaka with the festive mini cheesy crostini that I bought & forgot about (also found in the fridge).

*I suggested DH might like to drive back into town & get the missing items, but I got a decisive no.

Dh is there now, Sainsbury’s

Luckily we did a big Ocado as a fair bit is out of stock

Same in Waitrose bar a bit of a trolley jam around the bread aisle (that is a bit of a sharp corner to negotiate with a trolley, what with the cheese and deli counter, mind) and v well stocked bar turkeys. Manager was drifting around looking frazzled but nothing new there.