So now: no meat, no veg, no fruit, no bread....

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Live in London- must be 7 supermarkets within a 10 minute drive of me, I went to 3 today- no meat, no veg, no fruit, no bread- on top of no cleaning products.
What exactly are we supposed to do? I haven’t seen a restocked supermarket in weeks.
FYI I consider all preppers scum!

If your supermarket has stock, Where are you? What time are you turning up to shop?

Also OP, I’m working in the NHS too. If you’re in the NW, drop me a message and I’ll help you out once I’m done with my two weeks at home.

I have been panic buying cornetto’s since last Wednesday. In my defence, there appears to be no shortage of those.

Oh and also don't assume everyone is capable of prepping

I did in a very small way on my very limited budget and i am not in a position to give it away now either. My kids come first. We have enough for us for a little while and thats it.

Better dust off the OFRS for the Zombie apocalypse

I did a big food bank shop a couple of weeks ago.
I spoke to our elderly neighbours and told them to contact us if they need anything.
I will plant extra fruit and veg this year we will eat some, preserve some and give some away.

There are 4 of us including two secondary age children, still in school, in a London Borough that has over 20 cases. I have to work on the assumption that one of us will be infected and so have a minimum of 2 weeks food for adults.

Buy. What. You. Need.

for 4 adults (DC eat as much as an adult)

I don’t consider us to be preppers or panic buyers. We just keep a well stocked larder.
We are self isolating because we have symptoms of CV so haven’t been near any shops.
I can see on social media that all of the small local shops are offering delivery and seem to be quite well stocked so if we do run out of anything we should be okay. I think fresh fruit will be needed by next week although we do have tinned and frozen so not the end of the world if we can’t get it.

@BanKittenHeels that’s really lovely of you.

Agreed, I’m on a low income and just done a pretty irrational Shop because there’s nothing worth buying, in the meantime the government aren’t helping in any way whatsoever.

Shops here (Australia)are putting limits on certain products. One or two at a time. Mainly paper products, cleaning, anti bacterial, rice, flour, pasta, UHT milk etc. Plenty of fresh and frozen atm. Woolies and Coles are opening an hour early each day so that pensioners/disabled and carers can shop and not miss out. This of course could change and thing may become more difficult. I wish the shops where you are would do the same. Also shutting an hour earlier to restock shelves and clean. Sorry its so difficult for you all.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

The OP ladies and gentleman is a prime example of the kind of individual we will be relying on to abide by the rules of a lockdown if we have one. Doesn’t bode well really

are you that ignorant of the situation in China and Italy? You think everyone is living off their tinned goods and anyone who’s unable to have prepped is left to starve?! My MIL in Italy is able to shop, my colleagues in China are able to shop. This poster ladies and gentlemen is an example of a person who needs to read beyond the headlines

My point is that you’ve repeatedly demonstrated that you’re too challenged to understand the difference between prepping and panic buying. This unprecedented turn of events has turned you into the one of the “bitter” camp.

I don’t base anything on headlines though ironically, you clearly do as you are posting about headlines of events taking place elsewhere. It would be pointless to do so as the UK is famously taking an entirely different approach from the rest of the world regardless of some random MIL in Italy.

Honestly, it’s like trying to nail jelly to the ceiling.

"Oh and also don't assume everyone is capable of prepping"
Obviously now the only way to mirror what I have in my pantry is to panic buy.
But I built it up over a year. Slowly. A cheap Asda tin at a time some weeks.
Not because I have psychic powers. But because our little Manchester suburb gets snowed in occasionally. Or I could become very unwell - I have MS. Or because, at least in somethings, I believe in fixing the roof while the sun shines [frowns at the roof that needs looking at].

Agreed, I’m on a low income and just done a pretty irrational Shop

It's actually making things more expensive. For example, I needed a loaf of bread for my dcs lunch boxes this week. I normally get a loaf for 50p. The only one left was a half loaf for £1.60! But I had no choice. Wanted some chicken for dinner but nothing in shops so I bought two expensive yet horrible ready meals because that's all they had.

Sainsbury’s have just introduced a 3 item rule.

We are trying to self-isolate but couldn't get a food delivery so I bobbed to the local Tesco express, which is across from my house, just as it opened as I could see it was empty. Before I got out there were a few people, whom I gave a wide berth. They had no meat, bread, spuds, loo rolls, etc anyway. By the time I got in my house the little car-park was packed with cars. It seems people are driving round all the local shops now to get what they can.
There's old folks community flats just round the corner. We have quite a few neighbours who are elderly and self-isolating too but have no choice but to try their luck at the local shops only to find those are empty too now.

Thank goodness for all the supermarket staff they are working flat out, done 6 months week in 2 weeks, coming into contact with 100`s of us every day. They are Amazing.
The lady in Tesco said she has had to do so much over time and her childcare cost have increased and she isn't getting extra help to pay the costs.
Big cheers and Thank You supermarket staff and shop staff..

I made a point of thanking a few staff at Tesco this morning for working so hard for us. I bet a lot of them have had to put up with a lot of shit from disgruntled customers over the last few days

I grew up in a religious household in foreign countries who politically were very unstable.

1 the bible tells us to prep in the "fat" years in case they are followed by "lean" years. I don't go tp church myself but it is advice of two thousand years ago that os actually still current. We've just been lucky in the west to not have experienced difficulties in that way.

1. When soldiers are swarming the streets with guns during a coop you don't go out to get food. In a politically unstable country you make sure that you have food in the house in case it's safer to stay in for a few weeks.
2. A prepper will have a continous stock. So they keep using what they have so it doesn't go past it's best before date. A bit like sanpro, you don't wait till you come on, you already have some in the house and when you start using it you buy a packet for next month with the next shop. That is prepping.

OP, are you actually listening to us or do you just want to hate? If you read the older prepper threads you will see that preppers actually want other people to be prepared so they can stay healthy and don't have to panic.

3. A prepper will have a continous stock. So they keep using what they have so it doesn't go past it's best before date. A bit like sanpro, you don't wait till you come on, you already have some in the house and when you start using it you buy a packet for next month with the next shop. That is prepping.

Hear hear!

Look online. I managed to get a shop delivery for Monday although obviously you don't know if it will all turn up

Afternoon, all.

Just a brief reminder that we could all do with a bit of peace and love now. We know people are very worried and understandably feeling a bit like venting spleen. We do get it, honestly. But we really want to do all we can to keep Mumsnet as a civil and pleasant place in this sea of angst.

We usually say 'think about what you're typing and imagine you were in the pub and whether it would cause a sharp intake of breath', but that's probably a useless analogy right now.

So maybe just try and remember that we're all in the same boat one way or another and keep it civil and friendly. We don't want the boards to go all Lord of the Flies just yet if possible.

Strength, honour, bog rolls and .

We don't want the boards to go all Lord of the Flies just yet if possible

and

Thread has probably moved on by now, but since a PP asked: I"m in Dulwich/Forest Hill area, and Aldi/Sainsbury's (large and small formats) but also loads of independents have worked so far. The shops selling loose dry goods (Lordship Lane and Half Moon Lane) seem fine for rice, pulses, pasta; corner shops for lav paper and kitchen roll; greengrocers and delis (Sydenham High Street - the magnificent PFC and Fresh&Fruity! ) also sell tinned pulses and tomatoes. I'll be checking out the butchers today. We'll see how we go.
Glad to hear that the supermarkets are imposing limits on multibuys and creating special slots for vulnerable groups. My parents (83 and 89) are managing to shop so far, and using more tinned fish and pulses to get protein rations in for the next couple of weeks.

I haven't panic brought but I am topping up constantly whenever anything gets low. As someone said we might need to isolate for two weeks at any one time so I am making sure I constantly have two weeks worth of food. Also, once they close schools I don't fancy dragging two kids around the supermarket. So I have not panic brought but have brought 2 of everything rather than my usual 1. If everyone has done that then no wonder food is down. I think most people have probably done that rather than brought multiple numbers of the same items.

It's those people who have packets and packets of items at the expense of others that I am cross with.

imagine you were in the pub and whether it would cause a sharp intake of breath

We're not supposed to be in the pub

I wonder if OP went into a fully stocked supermarket now she would fill her trolley in a way some would consider stock piling?

And if you call those of us sensible enough to buy extra in small amounts over a long period, scum, then expect to get some crap back.

I did though yesterday when in a supermarket that looked like it had been looted, that there must be people stocking up now not because of a fear of empty shelves next week but because they are aware thus could be their last wage packet.

I'm seriously expecting to start hearing stories of food delivery lorry's being robbed.