Is it reasonable to walk 2.2 miles to the supermarket

[HyperactivePineapple]

When I have a small shop very close?

The nearest supermarket (Tesco) is 2.2 miles away, and the next nearest one (Lidl) is 3.5 miles away.

The nearby shop is expensive and has a limited range of products.

I haven't been to the supermarket since lockdown, but I am running out of things that I have in as standard and the local shop doesn't sell. But there is no guarantee that the supermarket would have them in stock either (although they do stock them as standard, but my list includes things like yeast and wholemeal bread flour which are hard to get just now).

I would treat it as my daily exercise too, if I was to go.

So mumsnet jury, should I stay or should I go?

Phone them and ask if they have what you need first?

My store isnt taking any phone calls just now due to the deluge of call s they were getting from Jo Public, nobody is free to take them what with taking on a shedload of new staff that need training, trying to keep deliveries coming and onto the shelves, trying to get people to social distance, and a hundred other things a day. They dont need inundated with calls asking if they have pasta or flour or milk etc. Chances are the person answering wont know unless they are in that area there and then or they could say yes and half an hour later there is none left!

Who says there is no flour? No shortage here?
Is it so difficult to imagine that other places have shortages of things that your store doesnt?

Flour seems to be coming back in to the shops now. I just did the NHS hour in my Tesco and they had everything in stock!
I think it is totally fine OP.

Ours is 2.5 miles away. No, no deliveries of fruit and veg or meat or any deliveries at all. So we walk it.

Phone them and ask if they have what you need first?

What planet are you on?

Walking to the supermarket is totally fine.

@zonkin It was me who asked what people are doing with all the flour :)

I bake now and then too. As do loads of people.

I have never had any issue getting flour pre Covid, but now, my local Waitrose has none,

I can't get any online for delivery from Tesco or Ocado. When I do find some online ,as it appears to come back into stock, it's gone out of stock again before my delivery date. At the moment it's IN but in 3 days' time it might be out of my basket again.

I have to check my online basket now and then to find out what's gone out of my basket because between placing the order and the delivery date, a lot of stuff becomes unavailable. If the total falls under £40 I'd have to pay more for delivery.

People have always baked but there has never been a sell-out of flour.

At the moment that includes gluten free pasta, risotto rice and flour.

It's fine.

And one trip to a large shop is likely safer than 3 trips to a small shop.

*that= things taken out of basket as now unavailable.

Walk and enjoy the fresh air! Flour is not available where I live.

Totally fine but how will you carry your bags?!

Reading about it, it appears that there IS plenty of flour BUT it is mostly produced for the outlets that require bulk quantities, ie. Greggs and restaurants and the like.

As those places have closed, the mills can't keep up with the 'household' production requirements due to everybody buying it all at once. The flour is there, just in 25kg sacks apparently.

OP already said she uses a backpack and has done shopping this way before

Frankly a limited range of products is what we all need.
24 different bottles of Soya sauce is crazy.
Hopefully the “new” normal AC (after corona) will include LESS choice.

some people are baking cakes biscuits as activities with kids previously didn't have time except the odd saturday afternoon now with school at home and parents at home it is an activity which doesn;'t require leaving home unlike most easter holiday activities parks museums shops nature walks etc etc

Able bodied people taking up delivery slots does not help the vulnerable get deliveries.

Our local supermarket has stock of most things now - much better than a couple of weeks ago. They even had infant calpol yesterday!

There is no flour to be had anywhere

Tesco has flour here.

Is it so difficult to imagine that other places have shortages of things that your store doesnt?

Is it so difficult to imagine that just because your area doesn’t have something, that doesn’t mean there is a huge shortage everywhere?

i have spent a fortune buying local, it shows but if able, i would go further

OP, I have a garage about 4 mins walk from me with a small Spar attached to it. It's fine for milk, but for anything else I would definitely need other shops. We actually have a lot of choice within walking distance and are very lucky. But even if we didn't, and had to drive to a supermarket, I couldn't rely on the Spar. I'd be living on toast and pot noodles.

Here the flour shortage started same time as elderly told to self-isolate so presumably they got it to bake with as little else to do and also means can go to shops less if no-one to help them.

Would imagine some families are also getting for baking for both food and as an activity can do with kids. It's back in our village supermarket now and we can also get it via the pub for £1.10 a packet twice a week. Village bakers is also operating its usual part-time hours. You can also order from mills here and get delivered. We only use flour to make the odd cake so only got 1 or maybe 2 packs so far.

You walking further to a bigger shop, leaves more stock in the smaller local shop for your neighbours who perhaps can’t walk as far or are self-isolating and relying on others to pick bits up for them locally. You’re using it as your daily exercise too, not using a car so not risking accident or creating pollution.

There are no rules as to the length of your daily walk, so I would say absolutely fine.

Yes I would.

Thanks everyone