To be surprised that some friends are buying extra food because of Brexit?

[abacucat]

I suspect that specific foods may get be in short supply for a short period of time, but there will still be plenty of food in the shops. It is not going to be Armageddon. So this seemed an over reaction to me. Or am I going to be that person in the disaster movie who is laughing saying everyone is over reacting, who ends up dead when the disaster finally hits?

👩🏻‍🌾 Dig for Victory!!!!

ExplodingKitten - most people do a weekly shop in the UK with small 'top ups' of fresh stuff. This means you're ok for a week. Fine, but they are saying Brexit distruption could be more like 6-8 weeks.

Realistically, the 1st week will be fine, the supermarkets will have stocked up. Then its the week after (the week the kids break up for Easter holidays - yay!) when replenishing in the shops will be tricky.

It's going to be hard working out how much and of what we'll need, how long it will need to last. How long will it take supermarkets to change their supply routes.

It's scary and I don't know the answer.

I’m lucky to live near a small town that is able to support a number of independent retailers - butchers, a deli, greengrocers, bakers, a fishmonger. They stock a great deal of local produce, but also many imported items. I wonder how long they could continue trading profitably if stock was depleted and supplies disrupted?
We have a smallish supermarket, conveniently in the middle of town, so it actually increases footfall in the high street. However, I could envisage a situation where the supermarket would weather the storm, with its greater resources and sophisticated logistics - but the independent traders might not. And so goodbye to another of the long lamented local high streets.

Realistically, the 1st week will be fine,

I think that if no deal is in place by March, there would be a run on certain items well before 29/3.

It’ll be fine if there is a run on certain items before 29 March as they can be replenished. It’s after this date the problems start

It's not exactly a coincidence is it that March 29th is the date....exactly the day that most UK private schools break up for Easter....everyone knows if we hard Brexit food will be a problem. Our school has sent out letters saying it's perfectly fine to book flights out the week before the 29th to avoid chaos at the airport.

So what happens with schools and nurseries if there are food shortages? Or if there's fuel shortages and teachers can't get to work anymore? Presumably they will close which means parents then can't go to work, then what? Will employers be accommodating due to the circumstances?

Frightening really!

I was going to say something about my massive stash of tins and packets... but totally blown away by the ridiculous comments about how rosy it was in WWII. I think my brain just melted.

I don't think the date was that well thought out hollyhaphazard - it was more May giving into pressure to get the ball rolling 2 years ago. (If it was, they'd have gone for June time - outside of school holidays so not lots of families stuck at airports, lots of UK produced food available)

No one in government genuinely thought we'd end up with 'No Deal' - hense why there's been a degree of scrambling to make arrangements and plans this late.

This wasn't supposed to happen. And it still might not, but it's looking more likely...

galaxy - only a week until schools break up for Easter. Most will have had their food ordered and delivered for that week the week before.

Hopefully things will have started to settle down by the time the Easter holidays have finished?

Seems an over-reaction to be doing it now.

If it was, they'd have gone for June time - outside of school holidays so not lots of families stuck at airports, lots of UK produced food available

Na you would go for Oct/Nov time. Less hours of daylight. Less liklihood of protests in colder weather. Less people pissed off and worried that their summer holiday will be cancelled and far enough before Christmas for people to go 'it'll all be over before Christmas'. And yes, just after Harvest.

But that would have required May engaging her brain rather than indulging in brinkmanship to rule by decree.

amp.ft.com/content/d05498f6-1299-11e9-a581-4ff78404524e?__twitter_impression=true
Six-day queues into Dover feared under no-deal Brexit scenario
Government-ordered research finds just 80-second customs checks would mean permanent gridlock

A summary of the analysis obtained by the Financial Times claims extra processing time of 80 seconds per truck would lead to “no recovery” — described by an official as widespread permanent gridlock.

The research, carried out by academics at University College London for the Department for Transport, will add to misgivings about the potential disruption of a disorderly exit from the EU. The research was presented to ministers in 2017 but never published.

FABULOUS!

It’ll be fine if there is a run on certain items before 29 March as they can be replenished. It’s after this date the problems start

I think you would probably find that supply chains were a bit more inflexible than that, especially in the days just before a potential no-deal Brexit when some lorry owners may not want lorries potentially stuck on the wrong side of a border, and retailers might be anxious not to run down stockpiles before Brexit has actually happened. You'd probably get panic buying in that situation which wouldn't help. This scenario is one of the reasons why I think no deal isn't very likely.

I'm in Ireland, the most food secure nation on earth and I have a 'brexit stash.' Obviously, I have absolutely no risk of going hungry but we don't produce a lot of fruit and veg in late spring, so I'm making sure I have plenty of tinned and frozen (refreezable) fruit and veg. I'm also making sure that I have a few months supply of a Twinnings tea I drink and a couple of supplements I take that are produced in the UK. I'll also be sure to keep both my car and van topped up with fuel (and my home heating oil). That way I'll be sure of being able to travel for several weeks in the event of fuel disruption.

Tbh, our government appears to be doing an excellent job of preparing for the worst (unlike yours who are shambolic and shady as fuck) and the rest of the EU will be bending over backwards to get everything back to normal for us asap, so issues with supply will probably be short lived in Ireland.

But I see no cons to preparedness. It would be absolutely moronic not to plan a little for such an unprecedented and potentially disruptive event. If it proves unnecessary, I'll just work my way through my stock and laugh about my survivalist over-reaction. If there are shortages I'll be glad I acted when I could and ensured I was minimally impacted by this stupid farce.

@hollyhaphazard
March 29th is the date....exactly the day that most UK private schools break up for Easter
But the state schools that 93% of children attend break up a week later.

The date was set because of the Tax law changes that come in to the EU on 2nd April

I have a cupboard full of Heinz spaghetti hoops and ketchup
#piorities

Surely the end of March is the date because its the end of the financial year? Not because the schools break up for holidays then.

The whole thing is about tax avoidance. A50 was triggered far too early, without any prep or any idea of what we wanted to avoid being subject to EU rules on it. Another reason we are in the mess we are in.

On another note as I tried to find out online but it doesn’t really say anyone know where neonate formula is made ?

NeocAte that was meant to say !!

My daughter is coeliac so I am starting to buy extra flour and various similar store cupboard staples. It won’t be so easy for us to eat whatever is available so I’m getting prepared now.

This thread has made me panic, I'm going shopping tomorrow. Told my parents to also.
Better be on the safe side

On another note as I tried to find out online but it doesn’t really say anyone know where neonate formula is made ?

It's made by Danone but I can't see where.

Found it. It looks like it's made in the Netherlands.

investinholland.com/danone-invests-e240-million-in-new-facility-in-the-netherlands/