Forum Topic

Sainsbury's

Went to Fulham Sainsbury's, no loose onions, no whole chickens, stood thinking what now, then an assistant came and put 4 on the shelf, so I grabbed one quick. When we got home I said that chicken was expensive. It looked like and ordinary chicken which would have cost £5 instead it cost £12.85 said Sainsbury's Taste the Difference, well it better. Managed to get a pack of 4 toilet rolls, that will last 5 mins. Low on bottled water, biscuits, pizza's, no loose banana's, breakfast cereal. So perhaps if you queue outside at 7 in the morning you might have more luck.

Barbara Stevens ● 2432d59 Comments

4 toilet rolls in 5 minutes that a hell of a rate of production!!!!

Andy Pike ● 2432d

Andy, meant 4 toilet rolls will not last long, good job still have more indoors.

Barbara Stevens ● 2432d

I have been wondering, rather seriously at that, if supermarkets should not start rationing products.  I say this because: a few days ago in Sainsburys in Kew, a lady had a shop worth over £450 — I was horrified to see the amount of things she was buying, in multiples of 6 or 12;  we went to Costco's the day before yesterday, and they were rationing tissues.  You could buy two sets of two packets of a Kleenex big tissues, but not 5 or 6; the news of the Tesco's in North London today depressed me more than anything — what vandalism! apparently, at that Tesco's, a chap was taking quite a few pasta packets.  An old lady kindly asked if she could please have one and the answer was no. While I am not against people buying whatever they can afford, I am really against greed.  It seems to me that people have become extremely selfish.  I do not mind if you buy 4 tins of this plus 4 tins of the other one day.  But do you find it acceptable that people buy the total availability of those products in one go?  I do not.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2432d

Ivonne, perhaps the lady in Kew was shopping on behalf of others that are unable to do so themselves.  Heartwarming to hear of a group formed in West Putney today who are planning to shop and support the vulnerable.

Sandra Edwards ● 2432d

Ivonne, perhaps the lady in Kew was shopping on behalf of others that are unable to do so themselves.  Heartwarming to hear of a group formed in West Putney today who are planning to shop and support the vulnerable.

Sandra Edwards ● 2432d

Sandra, I would love to wholeheartedly agree with you. One question if you do not mind, if she was shopping for others, would she not have divided the shop in order to provide proof of purchase?  I admire your positive approach.  But, hand in heart, if you saw the shopping on the belt it would be difficult (regrettably) to prove your premise, sadly!!

Ivonne Holliday ● 2432d

Blimey.😼 Are you a secret shopper? 👀

Sue Hammond ● 2432d

I shop online Tesco. Had to wait a few days longer to order. Got everything I asked for apart from Nescafe Gold Blend,  but then I am an old fashioned shopper,  don't like trendy foods or processed foods.  I still cook and everything I wanted was there. Don't stockpile either, just get the extra tin here or there for emergencies but do that normally. I really can't understand the obsession with loo rolls. totally baffled.

Barbara Shillabeer ● 2432d

There are videos online on how to use one piece of loo paper at a time.  Not a practice I'd recommend but worth a thought on how much we all use and how much we take it for granted. If you lived on a desert island you'd soon learn how to be more flexible with options like washable cloths and using less and wasting less!  My 95+ FIL used to wash using flannels and they were always missing the wash.  You can microwave wet flannels.  (You can't use leaves onna desert island because the valuable plants need those to grow.)I hope you will be taking advantage of that lovely chicken to make stock with the carcase.  I used to use a big pan for that but have moved to a slow cooker so I don't have to run  downstairs when I smell it catching on the pan.  Some people now use microwaves to make stock.  I don't have one so that option is out.  There's nothing quite like home made stock - it doesn't have all that salt that the cubes have (even the low salt ones) and it still is very comforting for soup when you have a cold.  It is a shame that more youngsters don't learn to cook at home.Enjoy your meal!  Roast is a favourite when we have a family get-together.

Philippa Bond ● 2432d

Philippa, Iv'e been making soup for years and with the turkey. But I do not use the bones like my mother used to when she was alive as dangerous for children. I pull the meat off after cooked. Philippa if you lived on a desert island you would have the sea nearby to go and wash yourself. But we are more civilized these days most of us, if we can afford it we buy toilet rolls, otherwise we might as well poo in the garden like our cat and dogs. Also the shelves are empty of rubbish bags.

Barbara Stevens ● 2432d

I think the loo roll thing started in Australia where there main supplier is in Japan. The wonders of the internet picked it up here and the panic began. Even though we make ours in Manchester and due to the no deal stockpiling re brexit the factory have plenty of raw materials.

Andy Pike ● 2432d

Morrison's have announced some entirely sensible changes to their delivery service, including the introduction of "a maximum order number on selected products so we can make sure our customers still have access to essential products."

Richard Carter ● 2432d

Sadly, the may also be some individuals buying stock with a view to making a "quick buck" by selling them on at an inflated price. Apparently there are bottles of hand sanitiser are for sale on eBay at extortionate prices ... let's hope eBay will look at blocking these sellers ... I'm not sure what the usual price is so can't judge, frequent soap and water seems the better solution?

Michael Ixer ● 2432d

Driving west along the A3 this morning I passed Asda and there were cars queueing to get into the carpark...so much for heeding pleas not to panic buy.I Despair!

Simon Knight ● 2432d

Apparently the projected plan is to station troops outside the supermarket, to prevent panic buying.  Let's see how that goes!  Unfortunately society is greedy now and doesn't like being told not to do.  I hope there's not further disruption, lovely that communities are helping each other.

Bunny Payne ● 2432d

Barbara. We do use all of the carcase for making bone broth because that is where a lot of the goodness is together with all the little bits pf meat that don't get picked off the carcase for further meals - fried rice being a favourite. We pour the stock through a metal sieve so there are no little bones.  Chicken bones are bad for cats and dogs because they break them up into sharp splinters.  We decided against a turkey this year because we like brown meat and turkeys have now been bred to have so much breast meat that they can hardly stand up and their legs are now too sinewy to make good eating.Using loo roll has nothing to do with being civilised.  The Japanese all singing all dancing loos are surely that - they greet you with the seat raising itself as soon as you walk into the room and will wash and dry your bum for you at the touch of a button or few.  You just have to hit the right ones.  Clean seawater although having antiseptic properties dries in crystals on your body and can irritate.

Philippa Bond ● 2431d

We were in a Sainsbury's in Oxfordshire at Friday lunchtime with the same thoughtful and polite message about sharing what is there.  No loo rolls, a couple of packs of paper roll, no liquid soap but we found the bars of coal tar soap we wanted, no pasta - in the past we've only found brown which suits us, no dried or UHT milk, no Oatibix, no eggs.  The girl on the till said it was crazier than Christmas.  It's a pain having to keep on going out for stuff when it is better to stay in and not mix so much.

Philippa Bond ● 2431d

Costco Sunbury, they ran out of loo roll 2hrs after opening today. I think I would be more worried about food as yesterday trying to buy meat. What I want to know is they must have loads of fridge freezers to store all this food their taking from the shelves.

Barbara Stevens ● 2431d

Barbara - Robert Dyas have  black rubbish bags  just near their till point if you need some (Sainsburys and Waitrose had none)

Lucille Grant ● 2431d

Thanks Lucille.

Barbara Stevens ● 2431d

"What I want to know is they must have loads of fridge freezers to store all this food their taking from the shelves."Once we all reach the peak fridge-freezer state, then this mad buying should all calm down. Unless the Chinese have secretly launched a crash fridge-freezer production programme and turn up here with shiploads of low-price fridge-freezers, but eventually it will calm down again, unless ...

David Ainsworth ● 2431d

Can you use those charity bags for clothes which are always being pushed through letter boxes used turned inside out as rubbish bags if you are short?  Make sure you're recycling all you can particularly cardboard because that is so bulky.  Nappies are the bulkiest waste most people have.

Philippa Bond ● 2431d

My wife has just received an email from Sainsburys offering 100 bonus nectar points on toilet roll purchases........You couldn't make it up.

Andy Pike ● 2431d

Andy, I assume that is for online purchases?

Ivonne Holliday ● 2431d

Someone forgot to tell the computer there's a pandemic - or perhaps it's all part of a plot for AI and the robots to take over ... 

Michael Ixer ● 2431d

Andy, I assume that is for online purchases?

Ivonne Holliday ● 2431d

Apologies for 2nd posting!

Ivonne Holliday ● 2431d

No instore ...even more ridiculous

Andy Pike ● 2431d

Have a few weeks wait for even ordering on line food so I've been told.

Barbara Stevens ● 2431d

Having to wait for food to be delivered is going to be  dreadful for elderly people who are self-isolating (which imo those of us over  age 70 should be doing to protect ourselves, unlike the  British expat idiots in Spain who are refusing to). Perhaps online stores could work out  who to prioritise as the situation gets worse, as it inevitably will, judging by other countries experiences.PHS was  so busy this morning with shoppers t felt like a weekend  rather  than the normal quiet Monday morning. Cashier in Sainsburys told  us a huge queue of customers were waiting outside for the store to open today.

Lucille Grant ● 2431d

Yes, we went to Sainsburys in Putney this afternoon and there really was very little left.  Very depressing. Apparently, the store is fully stocked when they open and everything is gone by 9am....  Horrific!

Ivonne Holliday ● 2431d

Also, just checked online shopping and there are no delivery slots available for home delivery or click and collect for 3 weeks.  It is preposterous!

Ivonne Holliday ● 2431d

I doubt whether the huge queue consisted of many elderly or those with underlying medical issues. Our local Sainsburys wasn't too bad.

Jane Carter ● 2431d

No, most of the elderly were there when I was, around mid morning, alongside plenty of mums with young children. A lot of fresh produce but still no baked beans (how can I self isolate without this staple???)

Lucille Grant ● 2430d

I heard that in Australia that a store or stores had opened for first couple of hours just to the elderly. This sort of reminds me of waiting in the queue at the bank when this chap decided he or his time was more important than me or mine.  Amazing arrogance.

Philippa Bond ● 2430d

If there any locally I'll get some and let you know.

Jane Carter ● 2430d

"A lot of fresh produce but still no baked beans (how can I self isolate without this staple???)"And once you find some baked beans, then you will need to self-isolate!

David Ainsworth ● 2430d

I popped in 20 mins ago.  No meat at all, broccoli and cabbage about the only veg left and no fruit - and obviously no pasta, eggs, loo roll etc.  Wine and crisps for dinner, then!!!! **I’m not devastated by this

Craig Fordham ● 2430d

Broccoli is very good for you. Go for it but don’t tell anyone!

Jonathan Callaway ● 2430d

Craig. That reminds me of a very provincial town my wife and I were visited with some US friends. If you hadn't eaten dinner by 8pm or booked one of the handful of "posh" restaurants then four pints and a several packets of crisps each in a pub was dinner ... no Pizza Express, Wagamama, Carluccio's, etc - or late night supermarkets. Can't beat London and Putney 🙂

Michael Ixer ● 2430d

Jonathan. Shssh, that's reserved for veggies and vegans. Anyway, it can't be stockpiled; imaging two month old broccoli!

Michael Ixer ● 2430d

With supermarkets being locusted out of everything, I'll bet that a whole lot of people are finding themselves trying Vegan meals for the first time.

David Ainsworth ● 2430d

It's a good excuse to try something new.  We do tend to be creatures of habit.  No new recipes would ever be invented without experimentation.Learn something new.  Just try not to waste anything!

Philippa Bond ● 2430d

Cauliflower cheese is delicious, especially with some fried onions and lardons cooked before making the rest of the cheese sauce.  Serve, if you want, with peas and grilled tomatoes.

Bunny Payne ● 2430d

https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-freeze-fruits-and-vegetables/

Ruth Pates ● 2429d

Interesting to see what remains in a devastated supermarket.Blue cheese and Marmite still survive. And plenty of alcohol.

David Ainsworth ● 2429d

In one supermarket the stocks of falafel and tofu looked unscathed - sometimes it's great being veggie 🙂

Michael Ixer ● 2429d

The beer shelves yesterday were looking totally empty in two big Sainsbury’s I visited and even the wine shelves were about half empty.one hopes that maybe things are calming down. We have to hope that the morons will be fully stocked in due course and have no room for more loo rolls and pasta unless they are making a killing on eBay of course. I could easily survive on marmite, as did my children as it was almost all they ever wanted in their school lunch sandwiches. Carr’s Water Biscuits missing on the shelves is a big concern however.

Freddie Francis ● 2429d

Blue cheese and Marmite? That's my partner sorted then. No alcohol though - we gave up last year.

Lucille Grant ● 2429d

"No alcohol though - we gave up last year."Surely emergency use is permissible? Only for the duration*, of course.* However long that may be!

David Ainsworth ● 2429d

Sadly other half is serious about not drinking alcohol and it's no fun at all drinking on your own!  In any case  wine here is a ridiculous price when we are used to paying 3 euros for a decent bottle in France. So please have  a drink for me! Keep well.

Lucille Grant ● 2429d

Love marmite on Ryvita.  It was breakfast on way to school for years - all we could persuade was eaten.

Philippa Bond ● 2429d

You can get used to drinking alone if you persist.

Alexander MacLeod ● 2429d

"Carr’s Water Biscuits missing on the shelves is a big concern however."I hardly dare say it, but I did pick up a packet of Waitrose High Bake Water Biscuits at the Little Waitrose opposite Wimbledon Station two days ago. I assume that they are not the same.

David Ainsworth ● 2429d

The blue cheese has now gone. I'm keeping a close eye on the Marmite. It is a kind of canary for me.

David Ainsworth ● 2427d

We bought an extra jar of Marmite to take back to France with us - I'd offer it to you David but my other half might  'divorce' me!We've finished eating all the blue cheese we bought last Saturday but have a lot of Cheddar which my daughter had already stocked up with. Sensible English girl.

Lucille Grant ● 2427d

Thanks for the thought. I have one jar in reserve and I am a thin spreader, but  - the duration of this - who knows?!Cheddar. We get through that at a rate of knots.

David Ainsworth ● 2427d

Was driving past colliers wood savacenter at 1030 and saw someone carrying a pack of lesser spotted  toilet rolls. Thought I'd give it a try and picked up a 16 pack.  Mind you not many left but it seems they spread ths times of distribution so it's not only the ones queuing at opening time that get them . Also picked up milk and bread

Andy Pike ● 2427d

Thanks Bunny, if I find a cauli I'll try that.  I've just done broccoli in cheese sauce.  I always add dried mustard powder to my cheese sauce.  It is a very useful dish to make with broccoli which has begun to go yellow.  Sometimes I have part cauli part broccoli when there isn't enough cauli.  I slways slice tomatoes and cover the top with them and then grill.  I use all the csuli snd sll the broccoli.  If thr stem is too tough I just peel it.

Philippa Bond ● 2427d