Bread Flour

silverwhistle

Waitrose has never had any flour in my last 3/4 visits, Lidl's bread flour isn't the best and they were out too last time, and yesterday I managed to get some wholemeal and spelt in Sainsbury's. I'm fine for yeast, another unopened half kilo tin after my current one, but that was purchased ages ago as I bake all my own bread. But even the large commercial bags of flour seem to be unavailable, although I'd get through one ok.

I appreciate the packing lines aren't coping with the demand  for the small packets but it would be nice if some of the supermarkets sold the large bags.

Bacman

Yes, what's the deal with yeast?
Tip - yes it's going to cost you a bit but you can buy a sealed bag of yeast on ebay for around £11.50 for 500g - probably enough for a year! I got a pack as I bake bread for my elderly parents as they love my bread, fortunately i'd bought several bags of flour before the virus outbreak as I wanted a less easy to get hold of flour so when found it bulk bought some - good thing I did!

Steve_L

Bacman said:

Yes, what's the deal with yeast?
Tip - yes it's going to cost you a bit but you can buy a sealed bag of yeast on ebay for around £11.50 for 500g - probably enough for a year! I got a pack as I bake bread for my elderly parents as they love my bread, fortunately i'd bought several bags of flour before the virus outbreak as I wanted a less easy to get hold of flour so when found it bulk bought some - good thing I did!

Same as flour. No baking to supply restaurants. etc. Retail demand not enough to support the market.

Clowance

local suppliers of restaurants and large catering concerns have sometimes repurposed themselves for domestic supplies, delivering. Locally, harvestfinefoods.co.uk (minimum order £50, no delivery charge) who deliver to The service covers Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Wimborne Barton-on-Sea, New Milton, New Forest, Ringwood,  Fordingbridge, Salisbury, Andover, Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth or Chichester areas. They are not as cheap as supermarkets, but do a wide range of stuff including bread flours and yeast, bread in 3kg or 16kg bags. Better for larger households or those buying for others as well. I have no connections with this company and have not used them myself, but thought the info might be useful.
Perhaps if you google commercial food suppliers in your area?

20aday

I'd heard that some Tesco stores were bagging up brown/malted bread flour because they're no longer using them for baking in store with the recent changes?

Clowance

Morrisons is selling in store bakery flour now in smaller or larger sizes. 
https://www.prima.co.uk/all-recipes/baking/a32360137/morrisons-begins-selling-flour-from-in-store-bakery/?utm_source=crm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PRA_N_20200505_TUES&utm_content=na&utm_term=na&HearstNode=7B0E3EC6416FF4E6360607F63EE7D9D8A69B7540CB31E85FB1E90CC9EE106C16

molerat

In all my shop visits only seen pre packed bread flour once since lockdown and they wanted silly money. It does seem to be available in farm shops but I'm not going to pay £2+/Kg !  Lidl must be getting some as sometimes see the empty card trays on the shelf.  Got some Asda own brand SR flour today, first time I have seen it since lockdown, quite a few different flours on the shelf.  Asda also had bakery bread flour in 1Kg weighed out bags for 60p, hopefully it should be pretty good quality - machine on now so we shall see.  Not found any yeast suitable for machines though, not seen any yeast actually.

Bacman

Buy yeast on ebay in 200g or 500g sealed bags (not in little bags).

Asda's 60p plain flour is perfectly fine, I use it and other brands for baking bread.

Clowance

Sainsburys during nhs half hour yesterday had some ordinary plain flour and some doves organic bread flour on the shelf, only a few packets though. But it may indicate that things are easing a bit.

Steve_L

molerat said:

Asda also had bakery bread flour in 1Kg weighed out bags for 60p, ...

Which doesn't help those who shouldn't go out.