Prepping for brexit

[Numberonecook]

Ive just started getting some bits together ready for brexit. As a food scientist I am very aware of how much produce comes into the country and the resources needed to get things around the country. Im also aware of the chain and how everything is ‘just in time’ And a delay in the chain could lead to serious shortages and price rises.

This really worries me as there is 5 of us to feed. So, what non food essentials do you think I should also consider? We are not prepping for huge disaster just 6 months or so. I’ve got things like toiletries, loo roll etc. Anything else?

Our water was cut off with no warning for 48hrs (major city) at new year. Was very thankful for my stored tap water (in food grade containers) for washing, washing up, drinking and the toilet.

Has anyone tried to talk about bexit prepping with other halves? I’ve tried with dh who isn’t that concerned. Consequently, am trying to,work,out how I can prep discreetly (cupboards full,of food etc, always have plenty of toilet roll etc).

My dh struggles to talk about it without getting upset. He thought my prepping was just my thing until he started acknowledging and even doing a bit himself for it. I try and explain it's our way of having a bit of control in a mad situation.

@Petalflowers I don’t really talk about it in terms of Brexit as such, I just get “bargains” (3 for 2s, sale items etc) and the other stuff that maybe is a little “excessive” by non-prepper standards (like 10 bottles of calpol) just put in places he would never think to look! Besides unless anything jumps out at him he doesn’t notice anyway

If I was to prep for no deal brexit how long should I prep for? I live in the middle of nowhere so I do have a stash of stuff incase of not being able to get to the shops or I run out and don’t want to travel the hour round trip to the shop.

But his maybe different. So looking at a rough time frame if anyone has an opinion.

I am dairy free, wheat free and have ibs. So making sure I have enough food is a big priority for me as I can’t just open some pasta and a jar.

I had my "oh shit, we might not get a deal" moment in the summer, and had a bit of a revelation about how unprepared I was for other common risks, too. I think I'm now in a place where I have enough stuff stored for several weeks (much more in some cases, like hygiene and household things and some meds). I'm waiting until closer to March to get some things (like longlife milk), but at the moment I'm just keeping what I have in circulation (using the stuff with shortest date first and replacing what I use), and picking up the odd thing I come across.

I'm struggling a bit with the "how much is enough" thing. There's always more you can do, more you can prep, but I don't want to end up in a hoarder situation, or worried about things that are actually really unlikely in my own situation.

My opinion @Dontgiveamonkeys1350 is unhelpfully what works for you and what you have room for.
Hoarding is not particularly good for anyone's mental health but having a decent pantry is not, in my view, hoarding.
Look at meal components . I bet you already have more stuff than you think.
Inevitably you will not have the stuff you want when you need it. That is pretty much a law of nature.
I think it highly likely that if stuff gets proper tricky, there will be food made available for people to get. Just not easily, not that cheaply and not with the choice you are used to.
To be honest, it is a good idea to avail yourself of that to keep your own supplies private and to supplement what you have with stuff you don't have.
Look at making your own bread. Having the skill is handy even if you never use it.

My DH thinks it's a bit odd, but isn't against me doing a bit of basic prepping. TBH we don't really discuss it in much detail - I've cleared a bit of storage space and I generally add a few things to it every time I do a shop. I'm still hoping Brexit won't happen, so I'm stocking up on things we'll definitely use first (pasta, coffee, peanut butter) and leaving the things we're less likely to use under normal circumstances (UHT milk, canned veg) until it's unavoidable.

Where we probably do need to have a discussion is around financial priorities - i.e. cutting discretionary spending so we've got more savings.

I am ok now for necessities I think apart from fuel ( and lighters and matches ) for the wood burner.. Turning to other stuff that bellini calls morale boosting. I am not one for chocs or sweet stuff in that I could live without it.

But I would really miss a good deep flavoured casserole or stew. I have found the umami paste you can buy adds depth of flavour like nothing else.

Had a friend turn up at the weekend and cooked her a quick chicken dish from store cupboard stuff but the absolute change maker was the umami paste. Yum oh. Laying in supply. Also, pepper corns.

Petal just tell him something like - okay, you aren’t concerned but I am so I’ll stock up on a few things.

@Mightybanhammer Never heard of umami paste before but it sounds very interesting. Why do you get it?

You can buy umami paste in supermarkets. Tends to be with the ingredients/spices/herbs etc.

I have lots of jars of tagine paste in my store. It lasts for ages and means that even if the other ingredients are not the best, the flavour will still be there.

Thanks user Meant 'where' and not 'why', not least since Mighty described that very eloquently

I'll definitely be on the lookout for umami paste.

18 months ago I moved in to an all electric house in the middle of a large town. Even the gas central heating needs electricity to work. A couple of months ago we had a power cut out of the blue that lasted from 7am until 4 pm.

I had no hot water or any means of heating any (I need coffee) , no landline, no TV, no internet, no way of charging my phone. It was a thoroughly miserable day, fortunately the weather was good but it would have been worse in the winter.

As a result I now have a camping stove, a camping heater, a supply of gas canisters, candles, wind up torch and batteries for my radio. I may never have a power cut again but, although I wouldn't necessarily call myself a prepper, I will be a darn sight more comfortable than the last time if we do.

(I am also making sure I have a month's supply of food etc before prices go through the roof).

We may have been better off calling this board “self-reliance” or “the pantry” or similar, as prepper seems to have negative weirdo vibes a la zombie apocalypse.

All this really is is self sufficiency, which we should all be doing to some degree anyway.

I seem to recall we had a big debate about what to call ourselves but MNHQ then took the decision out of our hands.. It was difficult enough trying to get the board changed from being Ebola specific (which was clearly always a little niche!)

I agree. Prepper is just a buzz word like upcycle or life hack. And it puts people off. Ordinarily, I'm rather "meh" about whether or not people are put off but there is a real hunger for sensible prepping info at the moment.
The more people build up their pantry and other personal stores as suits them, the less people there will be creating avoidable drama if things get tricky around Brexit/winter/whatever.

I agree. Prepper is just a buzz word like upcycle or life hack. And it puts people off. Ordinarily, I'm rather "meh" about whether or not people are put off but there is a real hunger for sensible prepping info at the moment.
The more people build up their pantry and other personal stores as suits them, the less people there will be creating avoidable drama if things get tricky around Brexit/winter/whatever.

So good I said it twice

@bellinisurge Absolutely spot on. For me, as I think I've said before, prepping is just about being sensible and organised. As fun as it can be to watch episodes of Doomsday Preppers and the like, they have very little bearing on most people's realities. No one really expects an EMP. Bad weather, on the other hand, is very likely. So is the occasional power cut. And illness, whether a simple cold or something worse. And, of course, Brexit.

So that's what I focus on and prepare for. I don't hoard stupid things. In fact I'm in the process of decluttering the entire house to get rid of stuff that we no longer use or need. Outgrown children's clothes have been passed on or taken to the charity shop, etc. (Although a few have been kept back to be transformed into washable pads ) That way I have the space for sensible preps such as a stock of rotatable food that we actually eat, personal hygiene products that we use on a daily basis, and the like. It's all about being organised in case something unexpected happens, and it's an ongoing process.

Jack Monroe has written a useful article on how she's prepping for the event of a no-deal Brexit here cookingonabootstrap.com/2018/11/15/what-and-why-im-stockpiling-for-brexit/

In particular she highlights that making sure you've got a good storecupboard now gives supermarkets a time to replenish their supplies, and reduces the risk of empty shelves from panic-buying later. She makes the point that in the event that the worst doesn't happen, prepping isn't a waste because you can either use up what you've bought or donate it to a food bank. She's also got tonnes of recipes for cooking with tinned and staple food, so it's worth bookmarking.

DH, Leave voter has just said we should stock up on canned food because there might be some shortages if there’s no deal.

Anyone see the preppier family stockpiling for brexit in the metro article today. She is definitely an MNer but a bit bonkers to broadcast it to the world

Prepper not preppier.

No sensible prepper tells the media or even their neighbours that they prep.