UK - Resources for help getting food during quarantine and other supermarket related problems

I had been away visiting my Mum and had been planning to come back yesterday, but came back early as the situation across the UK worsened.

The journey(3-4 buses and 7 hours to cover 135 miles) usually knocks me out for 3-5 days, so fortunately I had supplies in to cover that and brought some stuff back with me.

I live in a small town in a rural area, we have 2 small supermarkets, and a few independent food shops.
Although I would rather support the independent shops my energy levels aren't up to it, even though I am in the centre of the town. I don't drive any more.

I had mastered buying food for each week in one shop at the larger supermarket and was grateful I was managing that. Now because of the limited stocks that isn't going to be possible. I have been out 4 times in the last 2 days to try and find what I would normally manage to get in one shop. I've also been far more exposed to other people than I am normally.

Yesterday the local Co-op only had a punnet of grapes, a small bag of carrot sticks(bought by the lady ahead of me) and 3 vacuum bags of beetroot in the fruit and veg section and they are only allowing you to buy one of any item, which I understand, but is tough when it is so hard to go out anyway.

There are people staying in the holiday lets behind me and across the road and about 14 caravans in the small park. The hotels and cafes are closed so they will have to buy and cook their own food.

I have put in a bulk online wholefood order (although they are fewer items available and a longer processing time)and I'm lucky in that I have friends and neighbours who have offered to help (some of them in the over 70 age group) but difficult for them if the shops have been stripped.

I've made a list of all the food I have in and making menu plans for the next week.
I hope the food situation improves for us all.

 

Mr Pye and I hit an unexpected snag today when venturing out to try and find food. The car wouldn't start.

So, the walk we planned to do never happened because we were forced to walk to our local big Tesco to get what we could and carry it home. It isn't a long way away if all I am going to buy is a box of tea or a loaf of bread. But when you want to actually get something to live off the weight of the shopping is difficult to deal with.

We had discussed some of the substitutions we might make if certain things weren't available. For example, we thought we might be able to use washing up liquid instead of soap for hand washing. We're getting through about 4 or 5 times as much soap as usual with all the hand washing. Unfortunately neither was available. We've ended up with a bottle of shower gel instead.

 

That's about what I've been having to do. It's wearing, and I'm not ill Would local churches, voluntary groups etc. be any use? I've found the smaller convenience shops have tended to be better bets, but it sounds as though you've tried them unsuccessfully already.

 

I think the supermarkets are behind the game in the UK. Sainsburys is opening its store to NHS personal for the first hour before normal opening, but for 3 days of the week they will be giving the next hour to the elderly and vulnerable. I thought the idea of giving the first hour of store opening to thus group was so they could shop in a clean environment, so it seems Sainsburys haven't thought this through. I am all for them ensuring front line NHS staff can get their shopping, but many will be coming in to the store straight from their night shift at the hospital. Wouldn't it have been better to be reserving the high demand items for this particular group through the click and collect method, picking off and reserving the items from stock as soon as it arrives in their instore warehouse.

https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/news/latest-news/2020/21-03-20-feed-the-nation

 

Amazon said a week ago they were going to clear their warehouses to make room for more stock of the essential, popular items. Hopefully increased availability of food, toiletry and cleaning items for home delivery from Amazon will start appearing over the coming weeks.

 

Just received this, this morning lol:

‘if you want us to leave the package unattended’

Are you having a laugh??!! I’ll probably have to fend off my young selfish neighbours in my building just to receive it in person!

 

Here's a link to help find your local voluntary aid group in the UK

https://covidmutualaid.org/local-groups/

 

Today went better than yesterday. The AA fixed our car (needed a new battery - with modern batteries you get no warning of failure), so no heavy lifting of shopping bags today.

And the good news is we managed to find soap! Yippee! It was a kind I would normally never buy, but beggars can't be choosers. Still no pasta, eggs, or toilet roll though.

Edit : We are probably in good shape for the next week which is a relief. Although we will need to go out for milk.

 

Just saw this and might keep it bookmarked in case of emergency, I suspect you'll get a load of random stuff that is not particularly nice though else it would have gone already.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/coronavirus-morrisons-delivering-boxes-weeks-21747759

 

I’ve been trying since this morning to get on their website for these boxes but the website was crashed. gonna keep trying

 

If you manage to get one will you report back on the quality of the goods.

 

yep no problem

 

The website is working for me, however they say there are no slots available - for an item delivered by DPD - and to try again tomorrow.

(I already had a morrisons account - I've never used it it because at the time i set it up the local store didn't deliver)

 

Yes I just got access to the website for the first time today also, just registered with them but no slots. Will have to just keep checking

 

Half of the adverts for these food boxes say ‘we’re providing food boxes to enable people to receive food who can’t get delivery slots.’



Another advert. ‘Download our app!’

I downloaded the app.

Morrisons: ‘sorry we’ve closed our app’

 

Aww I was getting all excited there.
Finally allowed to order a box, delivery date April 2nd (not quite next day delivery lol) went all the way through checkout and get stopped at the payment page due to page crash

ETA: just went back to try again and it’s vanished from my basket and now got the dreaded ‘sold out, come back tomorrow banner’

 

My local store, or Morrisons local distribution center, has been saying 'no slots come back tomorrow' since I woke up and checked at around 6.30am - the same as last night.

So, not a viable way of obtaining food it seems.

ETA - 5 days on and I've still not seen any available slots, just a little green banner saying come back tomorrow. Given that DPD is still able to deliver things to me (I had 2 DPD deliveries yesterday) I would suspect it's a shortage of stuff to put in the boxes and not a lack of ability to get stuff delivered.

 

IM went out to the shops this morning. He had no problems getting fresh food, including fruit, veg & dairy.

Very low or no supply of tinned goods.

 

I'm still not yet on the vulnerable list for Sainsburys, but decided to log on and check slot availability when I couldn't sleep last night. At 3 am in the morning there were slots available for the coming days in my area (I didn't book one because had already arranged for my daughter to do a shop for me whilst collecting my medication). Checking again about 9 am, there was none. So those of you who suffer from 'sleep reversal', the middle of the night may be a good time to check if Sainsburys have listed any additional slots!

 

https://www.meresearch.org.uk/lette...-and-the-all-party-parliamentary-group-on-me/