Tesco confirms it has discontinued selling cornflour due to "lack of customer demand"

[mandolinwind]

If you are going to be very inconvenienced by this decision please reply to the Twitter thread and tell Tesco what you use cornflour for in your kitchen:

twitter.com/croakinggoat/status/1592468320443592705

I've used it quite a bit this year

I love this type of thread - what starts as a simple question/statement makes you realise that there's a whole host of people out there doing weird shit with cooking ingredients!

Listening to all the uses in gluten free cooking, do we think it's going to come back on the "free from" shelf with 5x the price tag?

I bought some cornflour in Lidl a month or two ago, hopefully they will continue to sell it!

I'm surprised to hear this. I use it for Gluten Free white sauce. Never mind I will buy it elsewhere

I use it a lot as I need gluten free. Very annoying as it a key ingredient for things that I make.

If necessary you can buy cornmeal, which Tesco still sells, and grind it to the right consistency in a grinder.

I went in there for cornflour not long ago and couldn't find it. That would be why, then. I ended up ordering a multipack from Amazon.

I really don't give a flying shit about the future of Tesco though and will not be giving them feedback.

I don't make gravy often but just realised that i dont know how to without corn flour

I bet you are right, it'll be back labelled "gluten free" and 2x the price. Bastards!

Have they really, or is someone in customer services just badly informed?

I made some chips in the airfryer and on the recommendation of an online recipe, coated them in cornflour and it worked quite well.

I asked them via Twitter DM if they were in the process of repackaging the product or changing the weight, but they've said it's discontinued due to lack of demand.

They had also given the same response to another enquirer (on 8 November):

twitter.com/rhodri/status/1591188626175455233

Tesco will hopefully restock it but maybe will put it in the GF aisle rather than with the normal baking and cooking flours. (That's where DH found the rice flour in Booths when he wanted some for coating a banneton).
I use normal wheat flour for sauces and thickening casseroles/spag bol at the start of cooking (just stir into the meat after browning before adding any liquid) but DH uses cornflour at the end in his beef bourguignon and blueberry compote.

Amazon do their own brand cornflour. smile.amazon.co.uk/Cornflour-1-x-500-g/dp/B0937YLPQ8/ref=sr_1_6_f3_0o_fs?crid=UX4KFRNAKR69&keywords=cornflour&qid=1668516661&sprefix=cornflour%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-6

Tesco are cutting down the number of lines that they carry as they chase the Aldi model. Amazon, Justingredients, WholefoodsOnline, Doves Farm etc will be cashing in.

With online shopping, niche products (cornflour isn't bought every week by most people) are going to be more available than ever but they may be slightly dearer as the supermarkets stop carrying them.

Shopping is going to become more and more of an art.

I actually bought some originally for making chicken and sweetcorn soup. Sometimes I go for months without using it at all though so perhaps Tesco have a point. Now I've bought in bulk on Amazon my stock of cornflour wil porbbaly last me until retirement.

Tesco are a business, any item of stock that is not selling will be discontinued. They sell thousands of other items, l am sure people will live.

I'm going to add cornflour to my shopping list now, irrespective of the fact that I don't actually need any yet. I always use it for gravy but not much else, but always have some in the kitchen.

I've never used it for gravy. Either I don't make the gravy at all and just do Bisto if I fancy it with chips or sausages or make it properly by deglazing the pan after taking the meat out, whisking in plain flour then stock.

I accidentally bought it twice a few months ago in Tesco. Think we chucked one out thinking it wasn't the kind of food banks would bother with. Should have kept it and put it on eBay!

Buy a box every three/four weeks probably. Use lots for making that delicious crust on fried tofu.
Obs will have to lay in supplies!

Use lots for making that delicious crust on fried tofu

Oh yes! I'm going to have a go at that too. At least Tesco do sell nice tofu.

I use cornflour mainly to make up hot chocolate mix. It's from Jamie Oliver, cornflour, icing sugar, Horlicks, cocoa powder, chopped dark chocolate (or chips), pinch of salt and cinnamon. Shake it all together in a giant kilner jar. Makes lovely hot chocolate. D1 has often made jars of it up for friends for Xmas with a bag of marshmallows and a couple of flakes.

But apart from that, surely it's just a cupboard staple along with baking powder etc. Things you don't have to buy that often because you only use small amounts, but always have in.

I also make a cornflour/butter roux for white sauces.

I use it for thickening sauces (especially fruit ones that you want to be glossy), and sometimes in baking — I know my meringue recipe has a little bit.

Well that explains why I haven't been able to find it there for ages. I managed to get a big box of it from Aldi (after not finding any there for ages either). I sometimes get it from places like Home Bargains too.

I probably use a box every 3-4 months I suppose- it's good to coat meat or tofu in before frying for a Chinese type meal or before air frying (makes delicious crispy beef!), as well as for thickening.

I use wheat flour though for making a roux- just tastes better to me and I prefer the texture. I have only ever used packet cheese sauce for camping and it was horrible compared to a nice homemade one.

They look nice!