Email from Tesco about limiting items ? Ideas for replacements needed!

[Makinganewthinghappen]

Did anyone else get an email form Tesco saying orders online are limited to 80 items?

I managed to get a slot about 2 weeks ago for the 5th April. Dh and I can’t drive (health reasons) and we are a large family of 8 - we can walk to small corner shops but anything else we would need a train ride a few times a week to carry it back. We are obviously trying to avoid public transport too often.

We normally get a large (way more than 80 items) Tesco delivery once a week. It has been three weeks since our last delivery so our cupboards are bare and and the small shop near us hasn’t had stock of much for a while and doesn’t seem to be restocking .

There are no more delivery slots so this will be our last order for a while.

Anyway I need to replace quite a lot of items from my meal plan so that I have fewer overall.

There is also a limit of 3 items for each item.
I am already baking bread - we normally use a loaf a day.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can make these 80 items really matter to my cupboards ?

I have 2 bags of bread flour left but can’t seem to get anymore.

I am not complaining to be clear I am just looking for ideas?

What would you try to get in my situation?

Buy more multi packs? When did you get the email? I haven’t received one. I guess it’s to stop people buying for neighbours etc on the same shop

I’ve got one this morning. It’s worrying. Now vulnerable people who FINALLY manage to get a slot can’t even stock up a tiny bit for the next few weeks til they can get another slot.

Agree on the multipacks. Also pack of bananas rather than single bananas etc.
We’re in the same position, three children, don’t want to book too many online slots. Would rather avoid actual shops.

Oh yes I have just seen that I do have it. Well I guess it’s to stop the people buying for themselves and several neighbours I imagine. Some people were saying that you should only shop once a month online and order enough for the month, well guess you can’t now! 80 items wouldn’t last very long for me either as we are a family of 5 (4 kids) and they eat a lot!

Or a top up shop during the week at the corner shop when you run out of things but kind of defeats the purpose of online shopping.
Not many other options though

I think it would be that people were putting on such huge orders that drivers were having to make fewer deliveries because there was no space in the vans, this no spaces and cancelled slots. So seems fair to me

I am complaining.
Yes I do think a limit. But 80 is not much even for 1 w . Plus all the stuff that's been out of stock. So you may not have had toilet paper etc
I think essentials like tp/kitchen roll/shampoo /Calpol should have separate limit. Nappies even. If you can't get big packs!
Also to say only if you edit your order
1 that has never mattered before
2 if I had more than 80 already I would still need to edit it because their (shit) system lets other people but what you ordered weeks ago in store that day so you need to update as some is out of stock.
Also my 75yo parents have 1 delivery slot in 2w 80 items isn't a lot for about a month.

I'm sure you've thought of all this. If you have freezer space focus on frozen for veg, like peppers and onions that go a really long way. Big bag of lentils to bulk everything out, passata rather than tinned tomatoes.
Frozen fruit if they have it.
Don't bother with anything you can get from the corner shop.
Could you get the best flour you can and mix it with the bread flour you have? (I've no idea of the chemistry of flour, just reaching for ideas).

I do feel for you, as a single person i wouldn't need anywhere near 80items.

If you need toiletries, Superdrug delivery is free over £15.

If you can afford it there are loads of adverts on Instagram for meat delivery companies at the moment.

Best of luck.

And actually their own limits are causing pockets more time effort as 3 loves of bread again not a lot so people might get different types.

They really need to step up and offer boxes like another supermarket as for elderly Tec that might ride over.
It's families - not even large ones that need more than 80 items.
For a family of 4 i put at least that in at Lidl every week then too up bread and milk.
It is really hard to ration kids.

I’d work out meals, what you already have in the house and go from there

But basics would be:
Porridge oats - biggest size you can get
Large bag of potatoes
Large bag of onions.

Large jar of the kids favourite spread.
Large bag of bread flour

You’d probably get more from frozen Veges than cans or fresh.

A large chicken that you can then use to make stock with. Serve with the potatoes.

I’d be planning some meals of soup to use up leftovers too

Do you have any kind of farm shop near you to source items eg eggs fruit and vege?

Good luck

To be honest I'm struggling to get 80 items In my delivery for next week.. I'm up to 68 items and I've got multiple of most things i need but it will last a month and cant see another delivery slot beyond 16 april ( where are the May ones everyone seems to be getting ? )
Its pretty easy to get fruit and veg where I am so I. Suppose because I'm not adding those in my trolley it frees it up
I'd get frozen stuff if I were you OP .frozen veg , frozen fruit , rice , ( you can put up to 3 of these in your basket ) bread ( freeze a couple)

Tesco cancelled my delivery this morning that was supposed to be arriving today. It was way under 80 items so assume no staff to do the deliveries. Or they had too many orders.

Does this mean they will take random items off an existing order? I have my weekly shop due next week with Tesco. I probably have 90 items or so on my shop!

But basics would be

All the stuff that’s selling out? You can do a nice little planned order of 80 items and then half don’t come, the important half, so you can’t make your meals etc. That’s why people have been doing big orders, hedging their bets so at least SOMETHING to eat comes. Now they can’t even do that.

Could you find another supplier, like a food wholesaler who would normally supply the restaurant trade. In my area they are opening up to the public and doing free delivery over £50. One problem with using them is that is that many of the things they do are in catering size packs which are two big for us, but might be fine for your size family. Then you could use the Tesco shop for items the wholesaler couldn't supply. Just an idea.

Lego
Due to our new restrictions, if you make any changes to a current order that contains more than 80 items, you’ll be unable to check out until you’ve reduced your basket down to 80 items or less.

so It seems existing orders will remain the same unless you need to edit it

@minimum97, Tesco did that to me yesterday. They just cancelled and did not offer to redeliver. I phoned up as I have delivery saver plan and they said the staff were ill with the virus and sent me £10 voucher online which is nice of them. I have had to take a special needs child out today in his chair to try to get shopping. Maybe deliveries will be quicker in bags with less items so now do they can do more of them.

@LegoBloodyHurts I would log back into your shop and see if there is a message. FWIW I have a slot for mid-April but I logged onto tesco yesterday afternoon and they had added extra slots for today! Maybe worth checking everyday to see if they have added extra in your area. They also hadn't imposed the 80 item limit when I put my order in yesterday.

All of my shopping was delivered this morning with only about 3 subs - nothing unavailable, very different to last week.

Porridge for breakfast, can also make flapjacks and cookies for snacks a large bag is pretty cheap and goes a long way. Frozen veg can also be used to make soup or bulk out casseroles as well as serving with chicken etc. Rice in casseroles for an all in one meal goes a long way.

Lunches are what we tend to struggle with - soup is a staple here. If you can buy bread and milk locally you don’t need to include that in your order, same with basic toiletries.

Buy boxes if oxo cubes rather than things like stock pots because you get more in a box even using 2 at a time. Tubes of garlic or tomatoes paste along with tinned tomatoes/Passatta a will help what you’ve got go further, buy big multi packs of crisps and biscuits and put some away if you’re worried they’ll eat through what’s there. Buy lentils and broth mix to bulk out mince dishes or soup.

If you put a meal plan of your usual meals we could give some specific ideas. It’s really hard though, I know I get anxious if I think there’s not enough food in the house.

Be careful with multi packs ... I got one with 6 of a restricted item to 4 ... the guy at the till took 2 out. . This was last week when things still where half normal and I always buy the 6 pack for the week....

@Ylvamoon

Did you get changed for the whole pack?

Nope individualiy... which is about 5p extra per item- it wad fizzy water!

How big is your freezer?
butchersshop.fairfaxmeadow.co.uk/
This place is a restaurant supplier but is selling bulk orders of meat to the public now. Min spend is 50 quid, the steaks are expensive but you could buy lots of mince and chicken and fill the freezer with that, they deliver nationwide I think (although imagine mainland only)

Gosh never bad that happen to me with multipacks. I bought Pringles for the kids and was allowed 3 of each flavour so bought more than 3 in total thought they wouldn’t allow stuff like that but they did. On the other hand no packs of carrots and was only allowed to buy 3 single ones

What’s wrong with ordering for neighbours?
I have slots booked and have been adding shopping for both sets of Parents and 2 sets of elderly neighbours.
They haven’t been over the top massive shops even with extra added.

I would of thought it was sensible to share slots if you’re able to get them.

So in reality, everyone now has to go to the supermarkets.