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?

“What colour unicorn would you like?”

They’re already blaming us for the fact that the EU turned out to have its own negotiating position.

I don't need to go to the shops to stock up. I already have what I need. I go now for the normal weekly shop which I can stop doing if I can't get to the shops. I have MS. It snows heavily here in winter. Apparently that means I'm expecting zombies. Silly childish notion.

In all honesty I don’t think anyone is going to die of starvation because of Brexit. Does anyone really believe that could happen?

A report out this week called 'Hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity in the UK' commissioned by the Environmental Audit Committee (this is a Parliamentary Select Committee which has the remit of essentially assessing whether policy is actually working as it should in terms of environmental protection and sustainable development) stated the following:

• more than 2 million people in the UK were food insecure – meaning they struggled to eat regularly and healthily – with an estimated 19% of all under-15’s living with moderately or severely food insecure adults.

• up to a third of people admitted to hospital, up to 42% admitted to care homes and a fifth of those received into mental health units were food insecure.

• those who are food insecure have fallen between the cracks in government plans

So whilst the government apparently appears to be planning for no deal Brexit in an incredibly poor and ill thought out way, you tell me what happens to those people if food prices rise and availability of food is somehow restricted or disrupted?

You might scoff at the idea of starvation in the UK, but is this born out of ignorance of the current reality or out of wilful blindness of not wanting to believe this might be a horrific possibility and far from some sort of hysterical hyperbole.

If lorries are stuck in huge traffic traffic jams on either side of the border, how are people proposing that all the tins/packs of non-fresh stuff are getting to your local supermarket?

The only reason supermarkets won't have much stock is because of all the cranks stocking up

Absolutely correct! Everybody knows that every single item for purchase in the British Isles was brought here in 1987, and no more items will ever enter these isles again. There is a big counter in a warehouse somewhere, counting down the number of items available to buy.

Therefore, if a MNer purchases one extra tin of tomatoes today in January she will literally cause there to be one less tin of tomatoes available for purchase in March.

Oh Jesus

Has the Lord perhaps provided us with the new definition of PANIC as taking gradual action in January for an event in March?

During winter I always stock up a little with soups, pasta rice, long life milk etc, due to shortages due to snow hassle etc.

Agree Threehours - but I was actually meaning that in the immediate aftermath of Brexit occurring (i.e. March 29th onwards) there will be food available and no one is going to starve. Sorry, my post wasn’t particularly clear. I do agree with you on the longer term effects though.

Apparently that means I'm expecting zombies. Silly childish notion.

Does canning and desiccating food also induce terrible literalism?

My dear kissingintherain, I have flagged up many many many many many times that prepping for Brexit does not require pressure canning or dehydrating. That is the stuff I do because I am a prepper and I absolutely do not think any of that is necessary when preparing for Brexit. It is my hobby, my thing , my way of doing things that other people do not have to follow. I have US family and canning and dehydrating food is far more normal there. I apologise of my enjoying my hobby is offensive to you. It so happens that I have knowledge and experience that other people find useful at the moment and I am happy to share. I'm not trying to recruit people or have them live their life differently. Rather than reading how people are anxious and panicky, I am offering my suggestions for an approach to a difficult situation.

I fear, bellinisurge, that your descriptions of canning and dehydrating fall foul of the new definition of "bloodcurdling". Furthermore, they may induce readers to purchase items in January in preparation for events in March which is a vile practice, being newly defined as "panic".

You should be very ashamed of yourself.

Pretty sure i flag up anything that is a prepper thing and not necessary as a Brexit prep thing but, hey, focus on that shit rather than people's concern. I'd kinda hope it establishes my bonafides as someone who knows a bit about prepping and wants people to calm the fuck down and do realistic practical things to help themselves but, hey, there's no fun in that.

Bowerbird5 one of the rules is not to tell many people, as pp have said. If others don't prepare and know you have food they might tell others or turn up any themselves. As much as I'd love to help my friends and the poorest, I've voted remain and hinted heavily on fb that we should be thinking about canning and stockpiling for March.

@bellinsurge any idea on long term storage for dairy free butter? We have allergies and I bake alot, that's the only thing I'm really struggling with to figure out a way round it atm. What I've seen seems to be pretty short dated

dairy free and soya free

Can you freeze the dairy free butter? You can freeze ordinary butter.
You lot are giving me the willies, I think I might just get in more of the Gluten free flour and other free from things I need for baking. I'll get soups and UHT milk in too now.

You can freeze butter. I also have ghee which is shelf stable. I cheated and didn't make it myself but you can. Also look at shelf stable vegan options like coconut oil and what recipes you can use them in.

@bellinisurge I actually have coconut oil for making chocolate, didn't of using that, thanks for the idea, will see what other options there are too :)

You can also freeze margarine (and buy tinned butter and margarine online) and “baking block” and blends like anchor spreadable (which is cheaper than butter when on offer)

And lard which makes very good pastry

And is super cheap

@bellinisurge
Thanks for al your posts, it’s been super helpful and you’ve always come across that slot of the things you do aren’t needed, it’s just the preppier side of things but adjusted those tk what is relevant for the majority of us.

Bellinisurge is actually calming people by giving advice so they feel more in control. The opposite of causing panic!

It's Brexit not WW2! Hop on the Eurostar and stock up in France if it gets annoying. Here in NZ, we have to drive for an hour to buy French Camembert anyway. Lol.

Would you hop on the ferry to go to the other islan in NZ to stock up on shopping?