Hell is ever closer part 5: playing cupboard and fridge Tetris

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

Here's our new thread!

Given I have not been able to get raisins for a while, I still have a kilo or two in stock.

I may pop back tomorrow with a proper list.

I managed to get a pack of peppers (I ordered 3, but only 1 appeared), plus some other bits, via Deliveroo from the Co-op. At least they'll tide us over for a bit longer.

This is why I always have to go with a list @BlackeyedSusan, otherwise I just get distracted and need a return journey

(I might choose the cheese too @NoWordForFluffy )

This is the state of the pepper section in our local Sainsbury's! I had to resort to M&S to fulfil our sweet pepper requirements!

how odd.

raisins back in stock, last bought in december, but only the more expensive raisins. some of the out of stock cheese was back too.

morrisons own rice sachets are still oos but the tilda ones are there. (twice the price so no thanks, as yet. )

I am venturing back into supermarkets now. not often. and only asda as it is bigger space wise, less busy and easier to socially distance

Our peppers issue appears to be totally localised. Whoever is in charge of stock distribution needs to send peppers to Merseyside please!

I've seen more raisins etc, but also only the dearer ones.

Our Asda is hell on earth. I think you'd end up in Morrison's or Tesco here!

I had to go in to Sainsburys the other day for a few fresh bits for a picnic... there was a queue to get in but the store was quite quiet, which I suppose is the better way to do it!

I'll probably be back at a supermarket tomorrow for some cardboard boxes to sort out my stash. It really needs reorganising but I have no tidy way of keeping everything

They're shut tomorrow (in England at least), so save yourself a trip!

Sainsbury is my shop of choice during the day, Asda is hell on earth! Normally head to the shops about 9pm, then I can take my pick!

I'm a late night shopper too @Dontlickthetrolley. I've tried going during the day whilst the DC are at school but it's usually quite busy still I'd rather wait and go late on when they're asleep, unless I'm going slightly further afield to a different supermarket. Which I'm not doing during lockdown anyway!

School day only here. Kids not old enough to be left in the evening on their own yet.

No peppers here in South Wales for the last couple of weeks. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that there were no single peppers, but I could get the 3 pack of sweet peppers. Now none at all :(

The other thing thats been missing from my last 3 shops is corn - although tinned seems to be available, but no fresh.

Has anyone else noticed that the fresh food (particularly soft fruit) suddenly has really short dates?

I've started to try and empty my big chest freezer, since there doesn't seem like any issues at the moment getting frozen food, I plan to empty completely and defrost - it hasn't been done in over 2 years as haven't wanted to run my stock down, so really needs doing asap.

I've been using food up for past 3 weeks, and I estimate its going to take another 3 weeks to empty completely, so have been pleasantly surprised just how much I actually had in there. Lots of random stuff though, so going to try and plan better when I refill.

At least it's not just me having a peppers problem! Ours went the same way as yours, initially single ones, then the packs followed suit.

I've not seen anything in the news about shortages. It's a bit odd, as they were all predicting shortages post-Brexit, so why not tell people when they're happening?

Sainsbury's own diet lemonade in 2L bottles is unavailable here too. So very random!

odd isn't it? random shortages here and there. got little sweet peppers in the veg delivery and got a red bell pepper. had no problems with getting them in my deliveries from morrisons and there were loads in Asda a week or so ago last time I went... I wonder if it is spreading or there are supply issues and they are only delivering to certain distribution centres? I think you are in adjacnet areas so whether it is spreading to other areas?

morrisons cheaper cheese is coming back into stock gradually. but for ages it was out. they are still out of their own microwave rice. they are getting raisins back into stock, although I found another kilo of raisins in a heap of shopping bags that was somewhere unexpected.

it is a bloody good job that I had a very big stash of raisins as we would have run out weeks ago if not.

it is very unsettling.

I've been able to add single orange and a pack of mixed peppers to next week's delivery. I reckon the chance of getting them is still somewhere between nil and slimmer than a slim thing in slim season. (I've discovered Sainsbury's has a stock checker online and neither item is yet in stock at the supermarket my delivery comes from.)

They're clearly hoping that people don't notice shortages. Clearly no journalists are affected / arsed enough to investigate the reasons.

30 March 2021

There is a limited supply of peppers in the European markets... Volumes in March have been much lower than usual.

Prices are high at the moment and actually shot up at the end of last week, very occasionally exceeding 5 Euro per kilo. The scarcest peppers are the red and yellow bell ones, as well as the red Lamuyo.

www.freshplaza.com/article/9307312/in-a-normal-year-we-d-be-able-to-supply-significant-quantities-of-peppers-for-another-month/

Posted too soon:

"While the impact of storm Filomena was immediately clear in crops like zucchini, eggplant or cucumbers, in peppers it has only become noticeable in March. The production volume has been significantly reduced and there will be very little supply in the month of April. In a normal year, we'd be able to supply significant quantities for another month," says José Antonio Baños, president of Ejidomar. "Besides, the frosts and rains also hit the pepper plants in Murcia, where they will start later this year."

The cold wave recorded in the Netherlands in February is also delaying the bell pepper season. Dutch produce is barely arriving. "In the coming weeks, there won't be a great supply of peppers,"

Ah ha!

Not mainstream press, however.

And you obviously, given your practice have better Googling powers than I do, as I hadn't found that article (though I'm not sure when I last looked).

Salad pepper shortage hit here. No subs.

Started Merseyside, spread to Wales now W.Mids. I will see if there are some around when I go out.

If they are fertile, I will try to plant some.

That was interesting clav. Bloody weather eh!

I've never succeeded with peppers, sadly. If I get two tiny ones a year, from loads of plants, I'm lucky. I don't think it's hot enough, even in the greenhouse.

Annoyingly, peppers are now showing as available on the app, so they've obviously had a delivery overnight.

I have a shop booked for Sunday (Yesterdays delivery was the one I'd normally have got last Sunday, but couldn't get because of Easter, and I need one Sunday as 3 x packed lunches to make), so I've added peppers to that order, will let you know if they arrive.

The other items i've noticed that are scarce at the moment are nectarines, plums and bananas. The bananas at least usually have some available to order, but I normally buy the kids sized one for school snack time (schools not allowed to provide snack atm) and they've been unavailable for weeks.

I've been debating whether to run my stock down a little, but I think I'm too concerned about what happens when import controls start, so I'm just going to rotate instead, use up some of the less popular items that are taking up space and replace with more useful items. Covid has actually been a good test of what we actually use as opposed to what I thought we did - its surprised me the random things we've run out.

I'm just waiting for shops to open on Monday, then I'm off to buy corn seeds - I'm going to attempt to grow those this year.

I really rate this company for seeds: www.premierseedsdirect.com/

I'm going to the shop tomorrow, so I shall see what stock they have, salad-wise.

We've had no issues with bananas. I'll do you a food swap! 🍌 🫑😂