The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

boultdj

jk0 said:

I wonder if the reason there is no bread flour is because the company making the bags for it is locked down on the continent? I don't know what Churchill would have made of this.

I was reading about this last night, there is enough flour but the factories are more set up to do catering size flour bags, so 16 or 25 kilo bags, they have to change everything over to do the smaller bags, but the places doing mass baking are the priority at the moment to keep the shops supplied. There are a couple of factories that just do the small bags, but 'everyone' now want's to bake, so as fast as it comes in it's gone again.

jk0

boultdj said:

jk0 said:

I wonder if the reason there is no bread flour is because the company making the bags for it is locked down on the continent? I don't know what Churchill would have made of this.

I was reading about this last night, there is enough flour but the factories are more set up to do catering size flour bags, so 16 or 25 kilo bags, they have to change everything over to do the smaller bags, but the places doing mass baking are the priority at the moment to keep the shops supplied. There are a couple of factories that just do the small bags, but 'everyone' now want's to bake, so as fast as it comes in it's gone again.

Well I thought that originally. However my Waitrose has had a sign up on the flour section for 3 weeks now apologising for the lack of it. I don't think it ever arrives.

jk0

Made mum & sister chuckle today:

Mum asked me if I could set up sister's new computer which I did. She made sister wash her hands after touching it with my germs on it. I said: 'Don't worry Mum. I've just installed an anti-virus'.

GaleSF63

I think we're going to be surprised at what some of the shortages turn out to be, because we don't know the processes, and also because people's habits will change. 
Our council has stopped collecting recycling and closed all the recycling centres so it's going to build up. I use and re-use bin bags till they wear out but now they are going to build up and I'll need to buy more than usual. I won't be the only one. 

For anyone who has somewhere in their garden where they can burn rubbish, it might be worth asking their council what they are allowed to do. I was surprised when I cleared my mother's house that Nottingham Council  told  me I could have a fire as long as it didn't cause a nuisance to the neighbours. 

greenbee

We've been banned from having bonfires during the lockdown and for the foreseeable future, as reducing air quality while people have compromised lungs isn't really a good idea. 

dandy-candy

MingVase said:

Thanks markin, that's very interesting indeed. So when countries run short of food because workers are off ill , then they will shut down exports. And the UK will left out in the cold with nobody doing us anyfavours because of the way we behaved over Brexit. Magic lol.

And it might be a good time to get chickens..

Most flour comes from outside of Europe so I can’t imagine Brexit making any difference tbh

dandy-candy

I thought there would be loads of people out with the sunshine but luckily most people around here seem to be sticking to the social isolating which is good. I was relieved to find poundland is still open as i broke my reading specs. It was still fairly well stocked for everything there and had some packets of seeds which was great as all the garden centres have close and even the local homebase.
I baked a cake, second one this week. I think this lockdown is going to cause a fair bit of weight gain! 

Si_Clist

greenbee said:

We've been banned from having bonfires during the lockdown and for the foreseeable future, as reducing air quality while people have compromised lungs isn't really a good idea. 

We're hoping (but I fear in vain) that our local council bans barbeques for the same reason.  Terrible anti-social things, barbeques.  AFAIC if a bloke wants to pollute the neighbourhood by burning sausages on a barbeque in the back garden, he should first emigrate to Australia.

euronorris

jk0 said:

I wonder if the reason there is no bread flour is because the company making the bags for it is locked down on the continent? I don't know what Churchill would have made of this.

No, it's slightly different. Read an article about it the other day. We are entirely self sufficient for flour, but only about 5% of what we produce is packaged into smaller bags for retail consumers. The majority is sold in 15kg or 25kg sacks to large companies (like mcdonalds for their buns and Gregg's for their pastries etc). And the factories that do this are ill equipped to swap between packaging for large and small. Indeed, it's not possible for most. Those that do package the smaller quantities have already doubled their production, working literally 24hours 7 days a week, but still aren't able to keep up with demand. Its reassuring that there is no shortage as such, but frustrating all around that they just cant get it packaged and out quickly enough.

greenbee

euronorris said:

jk0 said:

I wonder if the reason there is no bread flour is because the company making the bags for it is locked down on the continent? I don't know what Churchill would have made of this.

No, it's slightly different. Read an article about it the other day. We are entirely self sufficient for flour, but only about 5% of what we produce is packaged into smaller bags for retail consumers. The majority is sold in 15kg or 25kg sacks to large companies (like mcdonalds for their buns and Gregg's for their pastries etc). And the factories that do this are ill equipped to swap between packaging for large and small. Indeed, it's not possible for most. Those that do package the smaller quantities have already doubled their production, working literally 24hours 7 days a week, but still aren't able to keep up with demand. Its reassuring that there is no shortage as such, but frustrating all around that they just cant get it packaged and out quickly enough.

That could explain why we can get flour from the cafes/pubs that have turned into shops - they're repackaging it themselves.