It'll get worse before it gets better

[Uptheclarets]

So, I overheard a couple of workers in Tesco yesterday saying that they would be turning the freezers off for a while because of no stock (this was around the frozen veg section). Worse case scenario, food stored in warehouse has already gone to shops and been bought, bad weather so no fresh veg, shortages in regards to aluminium to make cans of veg...no veg. With winter coming, looks like we could be in for a long haul of sparse shelves. Anyone changing their stock and recipes to compensate these shortages?

I think I might do now reading this in that I might get a bit of extra veg to chop up and freeze, I think I have good supplies of everything else and try to pick a couple of things each shop that are for storage each week (extra bag of pasta,rice or Passata type things) but fresh fruit and veg shortage might be concerning. My husband used to think I was mad as I started before Brexit but he was very impressed by the time the first lock down hit 😂.

I had changed to online delivery for food pre pandemic. But went into go differant supermarket this week one had no ceral well slight exaggeration but honestly only a few boxes left. Then yesterday I went to get a few bits you can only get from a certain shop near me. There was ques from the self services winding along the normal tills and the ques for the tills went along each Isle behind them.

I got some Christmas chocolate as it was on offer something I normally start doing from September. My husband says oh that's a good idea with supply chains getting worse it might be a good idea to plan ahead. He still hasn't realised that I am normally one step ahead with these things. But Christmas aside I am going to start increasing my stock a bit.

honestly I think it depends on how flexible you and your family are. If all of you will eat anything, then just get a decent cupboardful of staples (pasta, tea, coffee, tuna, tinned fruit, tinned tomatoes, beans etc). If you have an autistic child or one who is a picky eater you’ll behave differently than a family where you can just say “sorry kids, no sweetcorn but we’ve got brocolli instead”.
In the first lockdown we switched to small local shops for most fresh things and that actually worked well for us, but noticed what we really used was a bit different to what I’d got in the cupboard. The tuna and sardines all got eaten, the tinned rhubarb didn’t!

Think I’m going to do a bit of a stock take at the weekend. Sort out cupboards, freezer etc. Check expiration dates and make a list of low/missing items for a big shop at end of month. I usually do what I call my toilet roll shop just before Xmas to stock up on cleaning, toilets and basic items but may do it a bit earlier this year. Get some port last week bas DH likes a couple of bottles in for the festive season and it’s not something we normally store (he will drink it all now if he can find it). Went foraging this weekend, blackberries and damsons, some for now and some in the freezer.

Also doing a catch-up on what needs replenishing. I've let stocks run down a little.

Have a freezer half full of frozen berries from our bumper redcurrant harvest, so have been getting ready to make various jams/jellies using those and foraged blackberries, plus our raspberries (bad crop this year but I could make mixed raspberry/redcurrant jam).

Might also think about Christmas and what I want to get in.

We're lucky, the local farm has a shop always stocked with their own veg. No lorries needed. Maybe not the widest variety but we won't run short.

Ian Wright (sorry guessing at spelling) head of food and drink federation has just been reported to say that these random shortages are going to be normal as so many staff positions are unfilled (was it 1 in 8) customers are no longer able to expect to buy what they want when they want.

I think that means that if you personally want a constant supply you need to keep a buffer supply at home. Bit of a pain in the arse for those of us with allergies or specific food requirements due to disability and long term conditions.

Unless more people want to shop at the farm shop because the supermarket is short on vegetables @Mintjulia Don't get complacent and get caught out.

I carry on growing in the greenhouse and cold frame for as long as possible. I normally have some lettuce, spring onions, chillis, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, sorrel etc into November.

I bottle blackberries and slice/freeze apples so we have fruit for the winter, if a bit monotonous. I slice, blanch & freeze runner beans and I jar hazel nuts in honey . They go on yoghurt of porridge. It all helps. a bit.

Spring onions grow well on a sunny windowsill too.

GF food seems to be there one minute, gone the next, particularly in the freezer section. It's strange, I can go weeks without a particular item, then it appears. Im assuming it is down to difficulties with deliveries.

www.thejournal.ie/supply-chain-christmas-shopping-5544022-Sep2021/

Just been on ocado to add some bits to my order and it's back to the virtual queue to get in again!