To be surprised that some friends are buying extra food because of Brexit? part 2

[Satsumaeater]

Here is a new thread

Link to old one: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3472089-To-be-surprised-that-some-friends-are-buying-extra-food-because-of-Brexit?pg=1

It's not* going to be wasted that should read.

Well yeh, we all will if we HAVE to. But if you're prepared you might not need to.

But also, there is no right or wrong to this. If everyone was buying extras we may have already been In trouble and kicking off panic buying even more. So it's good there is a happy medium

@purplelass , no one in our house has special needs but pasta at breakfast would be pretty grim if you didn't have to.
I've lived as a single woman under martial law relying on Weetabix and hobnobs in another country. Which was tolerable as a single woman living alone. Not really the same kind of flexibility if you have more than one in the house, particularly children relying on you.

If everyone was buying extras we may have already been In trouble and kicking off panic buying even more. So it's good there is a happy medium

Definitely! Like I said I'm not criticising anyone who wants to stock up, just looking for opinions and information really.

Mostly sorted here, just need to fill up the car (it's on fumes anyhow) and some more tinned fruit - that's the only thing we don't normally eat so I've had to trial it on the kids first. All neatly stacked in plastic boxes. I want a scout badge for Being Prepared Regardless of what happens with the vote, I feel better about possible impending snow - last year was quite dangerous up this hill and very hard to drive in. If I can get us to school and work without having to faff about diverting for shopping that's a big bonus.

The only thing I'm really concerned about is DH's medication as it's one of those you can only order after a set period of time, there's no real way of having even a month in hand. He is less worried as he's reached a point where he doesn't need it daily, but it scares me that he might run out and be in pain, it's deeply unpleasant.

purplelass but it's not just SEN. There are food allergens and intolerances, dietary requirements such as diabetes, veganism, and various other reasons why there might be certain products that people cannot do without.

I'm not expecting anything on an apocalyptic scale, but if the government are advising businesses such as supermarkets to plan ahead, so should we. Do you really trust this government with the wellbeing of every individual in the UK?

Well yeh, we all will if we HAVE to. But if you're prepared you might not need to. Yes.

I would hope if there was indication of a shortage that supermarkets might start drip feeding us some Info or give us a heads up on what to buy.

Gissus a card then elements

Which is why I said if someone has SEN / medical issues which I believe includes food allergies and intolerances, and dietary requirements such as diabetes.

silentcrow I feel for you re medication. Both my in-laws have medication that is vital - MIL for her quality of life and FIL for actually having a life. Neither can make do without, and FIL's is insulin for his T1 diabetes. The insulin is a big concern for us as a family. You have my sympathy.

purplelass sorry, I missed the medical issues part when the baby started thrashing about!

Nobody in our house has SEN or allergies or is a fussy eater. But quite simply, if I can take steps to maintain a pleasant, varied and nutritious diet for my family, why the fuck (gratuitous swear for the journos) wouldn't I? I mean, don't most people, in most aspects of living their lives, take reasonable steps to ensure a more pleasant experience than mere basic existence? What makes Brexit so special that some people have to do a competitive "I like hardship considerably more than yew so nerrr"? It's that BlitzSpirit fetish again, isn't it?

I'm not the one who voted for mass hairshirts, I don't see why I or my children should settle for eating "whatever" is left in the shop. Or, if there's even the slightest chance of unrest, why I should have to perhaps make a choice between risking going out to buy food or everyone having to be hungry for as long as it takes for things to calm down.

Tumblefluff ha ha no worries

TheElementSong I think the bottom line is at best some might be mildly inconvenienced and at worst... I don't even want to go there. But for those of us that didn't ask for it we have to make the best of a bad situation.

This makes me chuckle, what do you think will happens? That the Eu is going to come take all the food back ahah

so because of this thread in my lunch break went aldi and spent 98 pounds on food.

im in london and the shelves are full btw

@JellyBears the ports will be clogged up if we No Deal so they couldn't get stuff back even if they wanted to.

This makes me chuckle, what do you think will happens? That the Eu is going to come take all the food back ahah

^^

Jellybears it takes time to find new suppliers, vet them, carry out due diligence and anti bribery and corruption checks and agreements. Everything will have a delay. So whilst there might be delays getting that set up, we have to eat what the UK can manufacture and that's not lots to be honest and people have to take what tney het and that leads to empty shelves. So chuckle all you like, but its no laughing matter.

Jellybears you chuckle away. My friend is potentially looking at a deported husband and losing her house if she can't make the bills, and having her 3 young children (one autistic) walk to the supermarket in the hopes of dairy free gluten free produce for her youngest without any transport in winter weather. Go on, you have a giggle.

To really grasp the potential for disruption, you can't think about one person's Weetabix and a few pallets of extra canned goods. It's the immense scale of provision that's the issue. There are 66 million people in the UK, and the overwhelming majority are wholly dependent on purchased food (ie they don't have a smallholding or hunting rights or a convenient forest full of foragable food).

If even a relatively small amount of food become unavailable, eg no Weetabix or fresh tomatoes, then people will switch to an alternative: cornflakes, tinned tomatoes, whatever. No big deal, here and there. Over 66 million, though, this is a huge switch in purchasing patterns.

If supply routes are still problematic, the alternative food options then begin run out. Yes, businesses have been stockpiling, but there's only so much they can store, and the lack of leadership or clarity on what kind of Brexit we're heading towards won't have helped.

A social effect now comes into play: empty shelf anxiety. Nobody's hungry, let alone starving, but they haven't been able to get what they planned to buy and it's not just the Weetabix shelf that's empty. People are now buying alternative products, but in greater quantities, because it might not be around for long. Why buy one bag of porridge when you could buy two? Or three, just in case? Or - how much porridge can I carry?

This is when panic-buying starts. A bit of long-life stockpiling is one thing; massed public anxiety and empty shelves are another. Even if there's still a perfectly adequate stock of food in the shops (albeit not the food you wanted), this is the point where people begin to buy in excess, and purchases have to be rationed, and the more this happens, the more people worry, and the more they attempt to buy.

Is it a famine, or a zombie apocalypse? No. But there's definitely the realistic potential of unpleasantness and inconvenience, especially if you live in a really high-density urban area. I really hope it won't come to this, but I wouldn't trust our politicians to organise a child's birthday party, let alone a smooth Brexit.

Best case scenario is a lot of food banks will be getting extra donations this summer.

LuYu I agree. But some seem to be struggling to see things from the personal level of those of us who are worried, and I was hoping to illuminate a little. I hope that I have.

You are right though. This has the potential to either be nothing at all, or to be a logistical nightmare.

Good explanation LuYu! Also, important to note (again, for anybody who hasn't paid attention, or is using the NewBrexitEnglish Dictionary or is a fucking journo) that people pre-planning and gradually buying items several months ahead of the event is in fact the opposite of panic-buying.

I don't suppose it'll be noted by any of the drive-by empty-slogan-spritzers though.

Can I ask how many days worth of food are people prepping for? Just a few days, weeks etc?