Freight IS allowed in. No need for panic buying!

[tinselearedcow]

Some posters seem determined to whip up panic. From the BBC website:

Freight industry lobby group Logistics UK appealed for calm from shoppers, and said it was "maintaining close contact with UK government to ensure that supplies of fresh produce are available throughout Christmas and the new year".

Although freight from France is still allowed to enter Britain, there are fears lorry drivers might not travel because they fear being stuck in the UK over Christmas.

Unaccompanied freight, such as containers or lorry trailers on their own, can still be transported.

@Hmmph

I would assume that most of the basic Christmas food (Turkey, potatoes, sprouts, carrots, parsnips) are grown/raised in Britain or am I being naive?

I think everything in your list is mostly sourced in Britain yes. I just checked my online order and it is all labelled “British potatoes” etc. Things like tomatoes, salad and broccoli no. But think we will cope without them!

Things like tomatoes, salad and broccoli no. But think we will cope without them!

I'm sure you will, but I doubt you'll have nothing instead of broccoli, you'll be wanting extra cabbage or carrots instead?

I was literally only talking about Christmas dinner food. Obviously other food will be affected- I know the UK is far from being self sufficient. But people don’t need to panic about their Christmas dinner staples.

For the last few years we’ve done a lovely chicken curry for Xmas dinner. I decided one xmas eve when I was jostling for Marie pipers and stressing out over roast chestnuts that that was the last time.

We're due to go and do our Christmas shopping today or tomorrow. We traditionally do a late night run so it's quiet (24 hour store).

Not sure how this will look if panic buying sets in. We have a chicken in the freezer and are due to collect a turkey from the farm on Thurs - they always have sprouts on sale too. Might be a meat-heavy lunch if panic buyers swoop. Unfortunately the carrots we have in the ground have gone over really and we didn't grow potatoes this year.

I guess we'll just have to monitor the situation carefully and hope people remain calm.

@DailyPotion

Things like tomatoes, salad and broccoli no. But think we will cope without them!

I'm sure you will, but I doubt you'll have nothing instead of broccoli, you'll be wanting extra cabbage or carrots instead?

Well we will just have to have frozen veg and tinned tomatoes for a few days while this gets sorted, which I already have in my freezer and larder so no need to panic buy

I’m off to do a food shop in a little bit, hopefully there won’t be stupid panic buyers yet again. I actually do need tinned tomatoes, but I’ll limit myself to two so I don’t look like a knob.

I have five toilet rolls and I know someone who has a garage filled with them. So at least I won’t dpend Christmas wiping my arse on printer paper.

Unaccompanied freight is not usually fresh food. So Poundland may be able to restock its tat from China, but that doesn’t get tomatoes through from Spain. And what are people imagining these alternative ports are? Belgium and the Netherlands don’t want British people entering either and even if they did, their ships and ports are not set up to replace the french ports.

@Mistigri

It is definitely true that some freight can still get in, but the OP massively underestimates the potential disruption to supply chains.

Most truck drivers delivering in the U.K. aren't British. Hard to imagine that they or their employers will want them and their vehicles stuck in the U.K. with a no deal Brexit on the horizon.

Unaccompanied freight can come in - sure. But existing port capacity isn't configured for that.

This also affects British businesses exporting - last night on twitter there were some honestly quite distressing posts from Scottish seafood businesses with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of shellfish already on lorries and heading for France at what is their most lucrative time of year. If you care about the British fishing industry then this should really bother you.

I am not saying there won't be an impact and of course I feel sorry for fishing industry, but that is a different issue to the one I am posting about.

The UK is not going to run out of food and that is the point of the thread, because other people are posting things that will trigger panic buying which will cause problems.

The government are holding an emergency cobra meeting today to ensure this doesn't become a problem.

Well thank goodness for that, I’m sure everything will be absolutely fine then.

Not looking as good I'm afraid as what the BBC is peddling.

news.sky.com/story/emergency-talks-to-prevent-christmas-food-shortages-after-freight-hit-by-europes-border-closures-12169041

And what are people imagining these alternative ports are?

Just the ones which already exist!
No imagination required.

@meditrina

And what are people imagining these alternative ports are?

Just the ones which already exist!
No imagination required.

But the other ports that already exist already run to capacity, not to mention being a day's drive away. They can't just switch over night.

And further down, in the same article it says the Food and Drink federation are warning food supplies could be disrupted.
We’ll know who was right next week so we’ll just see how this post ages. Enjoy your parsnips.

Awful news about the Scottish fishermen. Right before a possible no deal Brexit too.

But the other ports that already exist already run to capacity, not to mention being a day's drive away. They can't just switch over night

Yes, and that's why I didn't say that!!!!

@Beccasb

And further down, in the same article it says the Food and Drink federation are warning food supplies could be disrupted. We’ll know who was right next week so we’ll just see how this post ages. Enjoy your parsnips.

I am not saying there won't be disruptions! I am saying there is lots of food here in the UK at the moment and there is no need to panic buy, because if people do there will be problems, just like at the start of lockdown.

Ach, sod it. It seems pointless to keep saying the same thing over and over. I will go off and enjoy my parsnips and let everyone who wants to enjoy the drama and scaremongering do their thing.

@EnPoinsettia I think it’s already a problem regardless of the cobra meeting. Even if lorries are allowed in, once they sat on British tarmac they not going to be able to get back to France and return with additional goods is it will all break down eventually. Can’t believe some people’s biggest concern is their Xmas food though 🤦‍♀️

Good post op, and to all those naysayers with your ‘ if it was your husband etc’ just stop

Dover isn’t the only port in this country, and not all freight cones via France. Those on the continent who, like us depend on business will find other ports to use, as will our businesses exporting if it carries on

Let’s just keep some perspective and not whip everything up into a frenzy

We’re going to find out soon enough! I imagine it won’t look scary in the supermarkets straight away. It will be when the shelves aren’t able to be restocked after the Christmas rush that the January diets will start in earnest.

It is an issue mostly with perishables. They're not the kinds of things you can panic buy so hopefully you've all got some frozen veg in. We'll all see in a week

Hahahaha. The idea that as the government is meeting today to discuss this, the problems are solved. Oh hahahaha. As if. [strolls off laughing]

Sainsbury’s have just released a statement on Sky News saying that “we will start to see gaps in some fresh foods over the next few days”. Think I’m more inclined to believe the supermarkets rather than BoJo

"All got some frozen veg in" hahahaha yeah everyone has a freezer. Oh my aching sides.