Register

Panic buying

For all refugees from the old Beeb Food Boards :-)
Chill out and chat with the foodie community or swap top tips.
NOTE: CHATTERBOX IS IN THIS FORUM

Moderators: karadekoolaid, THE MOD TEAM, Stokey Sue, Gillthepainter

User avatar
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:33 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby Pampy » Mon Jun 29, 2020 1:02 pm

The chap who does my building and maintenance work says that plaster has been very difficult to get right from the start of lockdown - and where it is available, the prices have rocketed. It's eating into his profits on jobs that he quoted for before the pandemic took hold - he says he won't pass on the increases to his customer though.

User avatar
Posts: 1137
Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2019 6:03 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby Busybee » Mon Jun 29, 2020 3:05 pm

We are waiting for a smallish area behind the summerhouse you be paved, our builder has said that there is a 12 week wait for paving slabs at the moment.

We had difficulty getting primer and undercoat paint last week, could only get a very small tin from the local shop, it may have been available at B&Q type places but that’s at 30 mile round trip. We try to buy local where we can unless going into town for something else.

BB

Posts: 3511
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:42 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby KeenCook2 » Tue Jul 14, 2020 1:35 pm

i can't remember which thread we described our lockdown online purchase mistakes, but this thread seemed a good place to post this hilarious piece from today's Grauniad!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... n-lockdown

My own mistake, so far .... was pretty modest, just ordering 2 cartons of cottage cheese for 64p each instead of one :lol:

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby herbidacious » Tue Jul 14, 2020 2:15 pm

I ordered some paving slabs on Sunday from Wickes. They are coming on Friday. But these are basic ones.

I still haven't managed to get any yeast, after all this time, and seriously running low on it now.

I have an ongoing thing of buying things that are the wrong size.

here are some size 7 plimsols I bought some time ago with other shoe (what happened to that pair?! Probably still at work... :? ) for comparison.


50110969553_7eba5099bf_c.jpg

User avatar
Posts: 1076
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:16 pm
Location: Greater Manchester

Re: Panic buying

Postby smitch » Tue Jul 14, 2020 2:19 pm

I placed an order with Belazu recently as they've had some good deals on. I think they normally only sell to trade via their website as they offer massive vacuum packs of olives etc.

I got some 1 kilo bags of nuts last time as they were on sale and were excellent quality for the price. Some of the bags I'd got last time were no longer on offer, but I spotted a bag of roasted corn that I added to my order as we'd enjoyed it in one of the nut mixes.

I failed to check the weight and what turned up was a 2kg bucket of giant roasted corn :lol: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCblOYIJhyO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Luckily it is really nice so we've been snacking in the evenings. I also got a massive 1kilo tub of smoked semi dried tomatoes as a free gift- I expected a jar like they're normally sold in. Don't think we'll get through them before they go mouldy unfortunately.

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby herbidacious » Tue Jul 14, 2020 2:31 pm

I order from Belazu every now and again. You may be glad to hear that they always sell for domestic as well as catering purposes. There have been catering quantity products that I'd really like to try...

Did Belazu start off as a market stall on Borough Market? I am sure I used to get things from there years ago.

User avatar
Posts: 2152
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 2:38 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby PatsyMFagan » Tue Jul 14, 2020 2:39 pm

herbidacious wrote:
I still haven't managed to get any yeast, after all this time, and seriously running low on it now.


where have you looked Herbi ? They had a shelf full last Friday in my local Tesco and that isn't even a particularly big store

What they didn't have though was Jam sugar to make another batch of chilli jam :( :thumbsdown

User avatar
Posts: 1812
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:21 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby aero280 » Tue Jul 14, 2020 3:45 pm

i am getting annoyed with Wickes. I found some stuff I needed in the local store, all except one item that was only available for delivery. So I put the order through, but I was offered a delivery date in a fortnight's time!! :)

So I re-ordered with click and collect, last night. All except the online item. The local store is just down the road. The reply was that they didn't have all the items in stock - well they said they did when I ordered, a minute before ???? But I could collect the lot from the next store eight miles away in Borehamwood. So I agreed.

The website says click and collect is "normally within 4 trading hours". Well they would have had the order when they opened at 7am. It's now nearly 8 hours and they haven't sent the message to say it's ready yet. :(

The last time I used the click and collect at Wickes was during the height of the lockdown and the notice arrived after a full day, and half an hour after the store closed...

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby herbidacious » Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:30 pm

Still eschewing shops, Pat. I am doing an online order about every fortnight now. I always order it. Sainsburys sent me sauce thickener instead last week... :? I am assuming this means they have none in my local supermarket. But Ocado, Tesco and Waitrose have not come up with the goods eiher. Doing a Tesco click and collect from Croydon next time. Fingers crossed.

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby herbidacious » Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:35 pm

We've had a few Wickes deliveries in lockdown, although at one point it wasn't even possible to get on the site, let alone get anything delivered. They still won't deliver compost (anymore - I had some and some manure delivered a couple of months ago), and nor will Homebase or B&Q.

I think there is a semi-shortage? Local garden centre only had one type and anything with John Innes in it is impossible to source round here. I got some very dodgy stuff from Dobbies the other week.

User avatar
Posts: 2152
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 2:38 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby PatsyMFagan » Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:53 pm

herbidacious wrote:Still eschewing shops, Pat. I am doing an online order about every fortnight now. I always order it. Sainsburys sent me sauce thickener instead last week... :? I am assuming this means they have none in my local supermarket. But Ocado, Tesco and Waitrose have not come up with the goods eiher. Doing a Tesco click and collect from Croydon next time. Fingers crossed.


I will probably be going shopping again on Friday .... I go soon after 7 am and it's very quiet then, and hopefully EVERYONE will be wearing masks. Will sachets of Instant yeast do ? I can buy and send to you ...

User avatar
Posts: 5297
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 11:58 am
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Panic buying

Postby Earthmaiden » Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:56 pm

Our M&S food shop has sometimes had compost in the plant section in the last couple of months. It always seems to be snapped up.

I think I mentioned last week that I was surprised how bare the shelves seemed in Sainsburys when I went for the first time since lockdown last week. Every so often a recorded message was played saying there was plenty for everyone but please to take only what you need (if you'd have wanted tinned soup, there wasnt plenty at all!) . It always seemed with click & collect that they were struggling. When I visited Waitrose the week before, there was no sign of supply issues at all. I still haven't seen dried yeast but only look idly out of interest as I don't need any. I heard through the grapevine that the numbers of deliveries and click and collects are quite staggering now and that pickers have little time to be inventive with substitutes so they do quite well really (although I heard recently of someone who was given Kiwi shoe polish in place of kiwi fruit!).

User avatar
Posts: 1547
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:16 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby dennispc » Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:13 pm

Fermipan, the original dried yeast is available online. It comes in 500g packs, it does freeze, though I’ve not used it.

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby herbidacious » Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:39 pm

PatsyMFagan wrote:
herbidacious wrote:Still eschewing shops, Pat. I am doing an online order about every fortnight now. I always order it. Sainsburys sent me sauce thickener instead last week... :? I am assuming this means they have none in my local supermarket. But Ocado, Tesco and Waitrose have not come up with the goods eiher. Doing a Tesco click and collect from Croydon next time. Fingers crossed.


I will probably be going shopping again on Friday .... I go soon after 7 am and it's very quiet then, and hopefully EVERYONE will be wearing masks. Will sachets of Instant yeast do ? I can buy and send to you ...



That's very kind. That is what we have been using. We have enough left to see us though the next ten days, then maybe see what Mr Tesco brings us. I could go to a shop, I suppose... Maybe smaller one, or one next time we are out of London. (Going to Wisley next Saturdya :) )

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby herbidacious » Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:44 pm

That sounds like pre lockdown, EM. How depressing. Are people still really panic buying? I suppose if there is a shortage they will buy up more than they need, but at some point they have to stop doing that, don't they? Maybe they are stockpiling for Brexit... :(

I am not sure I will ever see our local Sainsbury's in the same light. People behaved appallingly.


My neighbours in France say they have had no problems getting whatever they want throughout. Why have things been so difficult here? Has the delivery system somehow mess things up? (They do have click and collect sort of thing in some shops there, though.)

Dennis I was going to ask if anyone had had any scucess with that.

Ocado had fresh yeast, but not sure I want to do another Ocado shop.

User avatar
Posts: 3919
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby scullion » Tue Jul 14, 2020 8:54 pm

i have a jar full of dried yeast if you'd like me to post you some. i also have some excess sourdough starter that i've dried if you'd like some of that, too, herbi.

User avatar
Posts: 807
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 4:46 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby slimpersoninside » Tue Jul 14, 2020 9:21 pm

I'm using Fermipan at the moment (it was all I could get). I keep the opened packet in the freezer in a couple of plastic bags.
I mainly make a wholemeal/white flour mix (250g w/m 150g white) in a Panasonic breadmaker. I had a couple of distasters to begin with, I looked into the yeast and as far as I could make out Fermipan (at least the one I have - it's in a red and gold packet) doesn't contain vitamin C, I bought some vit.c powder and now add a quarter of a teaspoon to each loaf, it's done the trick.

User avatar
Posts: 1812
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:21 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby aero280 » Wed Jul 15, 2020 12:06 pm

Well, Wickes have just confirmed that my order is ready for collection. The “normally within 4 trading hours” has been confirmed one whole day and 4 hours 2 minutes after they received the order...

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Panic buying

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Jul 15, 2020 12:53 pm

I wrote a reply to this yesterday but the internet ate my homework

I have a 500g pack of Fermipan Red which cost £4.99 from a local grocery that often has good deals on unexpected things, I have some catering packs of coffee beans that they had on special

I haven’t been buying much online in lockdown and because I’ve had time I’ve been checking and buying carefully, so no disasters

User avatar
Posts: 1547
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:16 pm

Re: Panic buying

Postby dennispc » Wed Jul 15, 2020 1:19 pm

I recommended Fermipan to someone on the mac forum. His reply to my question as to how it went,

"It has been great. I'd be happy to buy it again. I have kept it in the 'fridge, resealed and in a box, since opening it and I did freeze some. I have no idea how that will revive - I will report back when I try it but that will be many weeks hence, unless the opened pack suddenly loses it's vitality."

PreviousNext

Return to Food Chat & Chatterbox

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests