Getting Food in the time of Corona, Brexit and War

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OurCreature
 
 
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Getting Food in the time of Corona, Brexit and War

Post by OurCreature »

:lol: @Eccs on previous page.
Like the late Chaircat Midge, I am not always right.
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Post by Panikos »

"working people don't get that. Which they don't of course but pensioners didn't when they worked. And it's only when you are 67 and only 9k for state pension anyway"

This shouldn't need explaining to them, but it does.

My favourite bit of course was "less for really old people like Eccles"" :lol

shrinkflation annoys me because of the suggestion that we'll be too stupid to notice. Of course they want to screw us for every penny - that's just business, but they should say so on the sign outside. Perhaps for Tesco a picture of their CEO holding an elderly customer upside down and shaking them. "Every Little Helps"

I've lost track of the excuses for the price rises and shortages now. Okay so Covid caused problems, but not now surely? and yes there's a war on, but they are not sinking our cargo ships like last time. One or two things were made in Ukraine, but a lot of quite basic things go missing for months on end and then return far more expensive.

"Twinings Everyday 100 Tea Bags" went missing for ages (why? Did people stop growing tea?) and then returned at £6 for 100. That's a lot compared to say PG tips (240 for £3.95)

Amazon have them at half that price, but ASDA for example are charging the same as Tesco. What a coincidence I think and what a profit margin too.
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Post by Panikos »

I should make a list of the basic supermarket things I get from Amazon now as I can't coax Tesco (or the others) to actually deliver them. Quite a few of the supermarket in stock items will never be delivered anyway. I can add them to the basket each week and they show as in stock, but "oh look they ran out in the night again just before they loaded the van" :bash

Most supermarkets have a minimum order (£40 for tesco) which isn't much anyway these days, but I find myself making lots of small orders in hopes of catching some rare item (like butter) when it's available. That's ok though because you can top up the amount with items you know they won't deliver anyway. A brand of candles in Tesco and hot water bottles in Asda for example.

Those quirks aren't entirely new. There was a time when I was on a strict diet and trying out all different veg. I found turnips to be better than they sound, but Tesco wouldn't sell them to me. In this case they would deliver them and they did every week, but each week the bill said "out of stock/refunded" so I was getting them for free.

The driver would read "no turnips" from his list and we'd both be looking at the bag of turnips in the crate. :lol

I kept wishing this would spread to something more expensive like beef.

Eventually I has an urge to be honest and I tried to tell them, but they didn't understand and just kept repeating "we're sorry that thing go out of stock". I have a rant saved up for "The risible fall of customer support staff"
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Post by eccles »

Eventually I has an urge to be honest and I tried to tell them
I've also discovered that you just can't. I claimed a refund for a can of something that I thought hadn't been delivered until I put away a box of shredded wheat and there it was hiding behind the box all the time. There was no mechanism to cancel the refund and calling them was a waste of time. So I lived with the guilt. :D
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Post by Wildrover »

I always assumed I wouldn't get a state pension as by the time I became eligiible it would be means tested. The Blair govenment made a really noticeable switch around 2000 and all their cabinet had clearly been told to start referring to it as a welfare benefit in preparation for means testing it. I dd wonder at the time if they were serious as generations had been told thhat their National Insurance paymments were specifically to pay for your state pension and that how much pension you got depended on how many years contributions you'd made. To then turn round and say that the people who contributed the most get the least seemed like a massive vote loser - but thinking about it the majority of people alienated would be Tory voters. I was really surprised to hear Leadsom make her comments but I don't think she will be in the cabinet again any time soon.

I have noticed shrinkflation over the last few years especially in confectionery - originally it was done in the name of tackling obesity but it has continued at an even faster pace over the last 6 months. Many popular chocolate bars are little more than half the size they were ten years ago and it is insulting the way that supermarkets think no-one has noticed. We are using Costco more and more frequently and buying in bulk which does keep the prices a bit lower.
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Post by eccles »

I had my Asda food delivery this afternoon. There was a free sharing back of hand cooked prosciutto flavour crisps. I believe this is some sort of cured Italian ham. So Merry, keep checking the freebies page as they're still popping up from time to time.
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Post by Furby »

I have all my order today except one substute. I have my emergency Xmas dinner plan ready with frozen sprouts and parsnips and chicken piece and potatoes that last for ages in the dark and dry so even if no orders turn up next week I can still make a dinner. And the date on chocolate log and cheeses is January now so even puddings are sorted.

There seems a shortage of biscuits. I suppose that's the wheat in them. Haven't been any cream crackers even the expensive ones for months. The Jacobs in fazakerley was on strike so that won't have helped. I have got a box of the biscuits for cheese which will have a few in with other kinds so maybe they concentrated on making the Xmas boxes. And ginger snaps and bourbons always seem out of stock. It's the sort of item that doesn't make the news as is luxury unlike eggs.

I moved to buying Tesco finest eggs because all others were out of stock and have kept them on. Sometimes I get another finest sent instead but at least i get the eggs. I am having them for boiled eggs so the extra cost is ok for now to guarantee getting a meal. If I was using 6 to make a cake or something would be a dear do. I can't really taste they are different but they look different either blue or very dark brown unlike light brown eggs usually. In covid we had the white eggs not seen for decades (when I was a child all eggs were white) but I suppose they are back supplying whichever restaurant uses them all now.
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Post by merry »

I bought those blue eggs this year some time. I couldn't tell any difference, either. But as you say at least it guarantees getting them.

Not seen an ASDA freebie in months, eccs :( but will keep checking.

I seem to spend hours tweaking my three Christmas food orders, Tesco, Waitrose, and ASDA, but today is the last day for the special foods part of the order, which will be a relief!

I suspect we'll have way too much food, I always do this. Better clear out the freezer a bit!

I've put a frozen turkey in this week's order to see if one comes. If not it's fine, we are having a Big Shopping Trip on Friday (weather permitting) so will be sure to get one from either Iceland, Waitrose, M&S or Tesco.

We've tried fresh turkeys and strangely the girls said they preferred the frozen so that's what I get.

We have beef for the other special meals, which I've ordered from Teddington Hands deli after last year's fiasco with a horrible piece from Tesco. And lots and lots of Party Foods, which is what everyone likes best really. Breaded prawns and tiny pies and mini Coquilles st Jacques etc.
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Post by OurCreature »

I went to Morrisons today and had a nice surprise.

The main reason for going today was to buy bottles of wine for the staff at Bella Vita plus nice bottle bags in which to put said wine; a bottle of Barolo each for Toni (front of house/waiter), Nino (chef) and Jerzy (waiter). I also bought a few groceries for myself.

When I arrived at the checkout I found that I had earned a 25% discount for buying 3 bottles of Barolo. The discount paid for the bottle bags and nearly all my groceries.

That made me a Happy OC; the wine and bottle bags have been put where They cannot get to them to play with.
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Post by Wildrover »

That's really good OC - Sainsbury's currently have the same 25% off but you have to buy at least 6 bottles to get the discount. The best thing is that the discount is cumulative with any other discounts so you can get a real bargain sometimes - they only have the 25% off for 2-3 weeks a couple of times a year so you need to be alert. MYF really likes a Sauvignon Blanc called Villa Maria which is normally £10 a bottle in supermarkets but a couple of weeks ago was on offer at £8.50. It was still on offer on the first day of the current 25% off promotion so we bought a case at £6.38 a bottle which will keep her going well into the new year. It's a hefty saving £76 vs £120..
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Post by merry »

Two of my Christmas Food Orders are coming tomorrow, Waitrose and Tesco.

I already have a turkey, bacon from the Tewkesbury butcher that cures his own and it's really fatty, oldfashioned streaky perfect for turkey breast, and have ordered the fillet of beef from the superb Teddington Hands butcher, but there's a Three Fish Roast and a poncey Heston Duck in the Waitrose order for the kids, plus lots of other extra bits and pieces. The food to order items will definitely come, and what doesn't I can add to my ASDA order which is Friday.

I don;t know why I chose 7-8 am for the Waitrose order! this means I have to get up at 6:45?! :huh
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Post by Furby »

My earliest available slot is 8am I would prefer earlier times. Less chance to run out of stock and the driver doesn't run out of time in the first hour.

I have the email now and they are sending me luxury chocolate log instead of ordinary log and two bottles of a different type of orange juice to one i ordered. The replacement is bigger so don't know why they sent two my dear overloaded fridge will struggle.

And the best is that instead of my turkey breast pieces they are sending two turkey thigh mince packs . Luckily I have my emergency chicken pieces in the freezer. Usually I make do with replscements but mince thats not a dinner. So it will have to go back. I feel sad for it because will end up in landfill for health and safety now won't it after a morning on the van. I suppose the picker wouldn't know I had emergency chicken and was trying best to make sure I was fed. But can't believe only mince was left and no small pieces at all.
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Post by merry »

Oh that's a shame, Furby :sob

Good thing you were organised and have Emergency Chicken Breasts! MINCE! that's an insult!

Mr Waitrose turned up at 6.55am... I was ready but it felt very early. He brought everything except the lovely Bread Sauce STPD and I enjoyed so much last year!

Mr Tesco did better and brought everything.
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Post by eccles »

Turkey mince makes a pretty good bolognaise. I'd keep it but ask for a refund.
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Post by Wildrover »

I have a question for those who regularly order food deliveries. I ordered my first ever food delivery from Amazon Fresh on Monday and it arrived on Tuesday as promised. All the items except one arrived in two large paper bags. The last one was supposed to contain a £1.85 bag of frozen peas but it was full to the brim of other stuff I hadn't ordered - 16 x John West On The Go tuna ready meals, 1kg of cashews, 6 little Schwarz spice bottles and 4 packs of sliced meats. What do I do? Are they going to want this stuff back? It's about £60 worth of groceries which is about the same as my entire order...
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Post by eccles »

With Asda, once the delivery has been made they aren't interested unless you have a complaint. Refund requests are dealt with immediately, in my experience without question. A friend once phoned asking what she should do when she had an unordered item and she got the impression that the Asda person just wanted her to go away. She gave up and kept the item. I had a whole chicken in my order once. I didn't even know it was there until the driver had gone because I usually ask the driver to help with bagging and it was he who'd bagged it. After asking my friend about her experience I just kept the chicken and cooked it. It was very nice.

If you are concerned, contact Amazon, but I imagine they will act in a similar manner, compensating the person whose order was short and writing off the loss.
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Post by Furby »

They can't do anything else because even if they collected the wrong food they can't then send it onto original owner or re sell it. Health and safety.
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Post by Wildrover »

Thanks Eccs and Furby - this has worked pretty well in that case as MYF likes the John West things for lunch. Quite filling, only 220-250 calories was her comment (though it looked disgusting to me).
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Post by merry »

:lol



tesco.jpeg
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Post by eccles »

:lol
Times are hard, Merry. :)

Parhaps store delivery vans demonstrate the level of affluence in a particular housing area.

The neighbour across the road uses Sainsbury's (He is in insurance and drives a Tesla), I and at least one other in the street use Asda, and I've seen Tesco in the street many times as well. Rarely, someone gets a Waitrose delivery but it's an exception - possibly taking up a one-time offer or a gift voucher.
I see Iceland vans occasionally around the vicinity but only once seen one do a drop in my street. I think they're looked down on.
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