I hardly dare mention the 'B' word as it can be extremely divisive, but I did it... I began my 'B' stockpile. Maybe it won't be needed in which case it's fine, we'll get through everything anyway as all the stuff has a very long shelf life. We also buy quite a lot of bulk items already because of our lifestyle so all I needed to do was top up on certain items. If nothing much happens... pfft, who cares... but if the s*#t really does hit the fan, at least we'll find things a little more comfortable until things settle down... which they will.
French Wines, Italian Cheeses, Belgian Beer, Dutch Chocolate, Spanish and Greek Olives. You should stock up. LOL Most of these things are already rather expensive here in the states jut due to shipping costs. Hopefully your preparation is for nothing, but at least you would have some quality provisions to consume over the next several months.
If anyone's interested, my list consisted of: Flour (in sacks) as we bake our own bread anyway. Sugar Yeast Tinned goods inc. beans, tomatoes, kidney beans and other pulses Olive oil Milk powder Cheese Mashed potato Tea bags Black pepper Frozen veg Bulk seeds (for bread making and for snacking) .......... Sunflower hearts .......... Sesame .......... Pumpkin .......... Linseed .......... Chia Red lentils Smoked paprika (bulk) Garlic powder (bulk) We already have plenty of fuel, I have some logs on order plus some in the garden that need shifting under cover. I have salt in bulk anyway (rock and fine) and as because love cooking we already had a ton of herbs and spices plus two freezers full of stuff! There's nothing we won't get through and some of this was due to be purchased anyhow - we just did it early.
Colin, I don't see the French Wine, or the Belgian Beer, and what about the cheese. What a boring list. Just kidding. Hope you never have to use up your prep stock.
Well... we don't drink French wine, I prefer English Ales and we've gt a stock of cheese but it's all English/Scottish! We could do with some more olive oil so that's on the next and final list!!! I've also been tweaking all my lanterns just in case! To tell the truth, this is kinda fun!
Do you need something from the continental Europe, ColinG ? How about Google Übersetzer I should order some Tunnocks Caramel bar boxes before they claim customs/tax for shipment to Continent. :-)
Boxing day breakfast with turkey jelly dripping on toast is my favourite thing about Christmas! No-one else I've ever met likes it but me so I eat myself silly with the stuff!!!
@ColinG With the dripping on toast you appear to be a prepper with a heart attack waiting! I have never tried turkey but have always enjoyed beef dripping with just a shake or two of salt. Regards Jeremy
Very sensible IMHO. I doubt that you will need it for Brexit, but firstly I might be wrong, and secondly it is well to be prepared for unrelated emergencies such as might be caused by extreme weather, industrial disputes, civil disorder or terrorist attacks on vital infrastructure. Unless you have a generator and ample fuel for same, I would cut back a bit on frozen supplies as many emergencies could interrupt the electricity supply. Don't forget batteries !
@broadgage in all honesty we didn't have to do that much as we tend to buy in bulk anyway and we'll use everything in time!
Complete madness IMHO If anyone's interested, my list consisted of: Flour (in sacks) as we bake our own bread anyway (don't we make flour in the UK?) Sugar (don't we make sugar in the UK?) Yeast (don't we make yeast in the UK?) Tinned goods inc. beans, tomatoes, kidney beans and other pulses (almost all produced outside the EU) Olive oil (I'm certain is available outside the EU) Milk powder (don't we make milk power in the UK?) Cheese (now come on! the best cheeses are made in the UK) Mashed potato (Really? as in SMASH? because I'm sure we grow potatoes. Tea bags (definitely made outside the EU) Black pepper (definitely made outside the EU) Frozen veg (I'm sure that most of this stuff grown in Lincolnshire) Bulk seeds (for bread making and for snacking) This and this list below..non EU alternatives? .......... Sunflower hearts .......... Sesame .......... Pumpkin .......... Linseed .......... Chia Red lentils (grown outside the EU?) Smoked paprika (bulk) Defo grown outside the EU) Garlic powder (bulk) Also available outside the EU. Well there isn't a great deal here that isn't available as a UK or non EU product....doesn't make much sense stocking up on stuff that won't be affected by B......t
Well, maybe, but I think folks are concerned that there's going to be some problem with lorry transport from the EU and whatever the original area of production, stuff won't get over or under the Channel. I've no idea how it's all going to pan out, particularly in the short-term (has anybody?), but I'm fed-up to the back teeth with all the bullshit and just want to get on with it...
Without wishing to get into any sort of debate..we are leaving sooner or later, that decision has been made. Most of us on this form are old enough to remember a time 'Pre-Common Market' when we managed just fine. Its perhaps the fear of the unknown for most but for our age group who can remember??
We, the dutch, did fine in the golden age but things change. I don't believe in going back in time by thinking what was good in the old days is good tomorrow. Why would things get cheaper if you have to pay a lot of extra working hours to customs ? Did somebody already have a new trade deal ?
Its not about things being cheaper, its about freedom of choice and 'self determination' and one thing its definitely not is anti EU....I am European through and through. However, a simple declaration of trade (Common Market) evolved into something completely different as we all know.
Hmmmm.. I'm old enough to remember decimalisation and joining the EEC as it was once called. I also remember what happened to the prices as well. In both circumstances the great unwashed was told that it would be better, cheaper and the future would be rosy. Immediately decimalisation hit, prices went up because change is a great way to disguise profiteering . And entering the EEC was meant to herald a new era of cheap products... the reality turned out a little different, did it not!? Maybe in the long term we felt the benefit... maybe not... and we can never know what the cost of living would have done had we voted no. So now we have Brexit looming on the horizon and I'm being told BY POLITICIANS that it'll all be ok. Sorry for being just the teensiest but sceptical but I wouldn't trust ANY politician of any persuasion, especially when they say it's all going to be ok! And big business.... you think they sit in flower lined rooms listening to soothing new age music while finding ways to be nice to their customers? Get real! If you're in business you're job is to turn a profit. That's it. They're not in it to make my life easier or to help me in any way, so once Brixit happens they will be looking to make profits. That's why businesses exist, to make money. So yeah, most of the stuff on my list is made/grown in the UK somewhere and the rest of it either comes from outside the EU or is available in one country or another. But, all this stuff is governed by EU trade rules because we're part of it. The moment we leave without a deal (and even if we do get one apparently) , everything will cost more (look up WTO rules and what it actually means, rather than what interested parties would have you believe) and even if it doesn't actually cost more that'll be the excuse for price hikes and profiteering galore. I imagine things will calm down eventually and yes, we'll do deals with other trading partners including the EU but that will take time and whilst the bunch of cretins we have in charge dither and delay while they feather their own nests, guess who'll suffer? Hint: it won't be politicians or large corporations.
Well, for one thing, anything imported or exported will be more expensive if only to cover the cost of extra customs officers and the companies having to hire extra people to do the paperwork. Anything grown or manufactured inside the UK and meant for sale inside the UK will (hopefully) not suffer from this. Question is, will companies try to keep their exported goods cheaper by charging more for the homeland? Will the government give extra export subsidies to companies to help with export? It is quite clear these subsidies will be recuperated by higher taxes or by saving expenses elsewhere (you all know who will suffer most...) Ah well, we'll see what happens! In a few years time we'll know the results of all this.
Our recent experiment in idiocy and tariffs, has already drastically affected many businesses that deal in import or export materials and products. Manufacturers are either overstocked due to drop in exports, or out of stock due to lack of supply and/or raw materials. The service sector is slowed way down with shortages on replacement parts. One of my suppliers leases their in home equipment, and was having it refurbished overseas between customers. Now there is a tariff when it goes overseas, and another when it comes back changing the whole cost of their business model. It is so stupid that as of last week our local municipal recycling program has had to stop taking paper products since their overseas market for the pulp is gone. Lots of unintended consequences.
If ever the population of a country was sick of a subject it must be the British people and Brexit, for most of our politicians scoring political points is far more important than doing what's right for the country. That's my greet for the day over.
There's also quite a bit of blame being placed on Brexit over closures of auto plants. But whilst some of that might be true, there is a global recession in the world of car sales. It's been coming for some time, and manufacturers are reacting by cutting back. Had we a government who really knew what they were doing, we would not be in the state we are in today. Nefarious wouldn't be too harsh a word to use for our government and its politicians. Never have we been so badly served, by so few. Are many people stocking up on foodstuffs and commodities? Judging by the lack of any meaningful information from government and the press at large - no. Will many get caught out? Quite possibly. But then we have a generation or two who have had a lot of access to much that we never had prior to 1973, and that kind of change is quite frightening to them. Those born before a certain date might well be sitting back and waiting for the fun to begin. But it wouldn't surprise me to see something snap at the last minute, and we end up with some mish-mash of continued attachment to EU commitments. Leave the EU? I wouldn't trust our lot to sit the right way round on a toilet seat.
I'm with you @ColinG. Just a few days of snow last yr in Scotland led to basics/bread shortages and panic from the unwashed masses. Supermarket shelves were cleared in hrs. My thought? - most folk are lazy & can't be bothered to keep a sensible cupboard stock or to actually cook meals, relying on takeaways & neatly packaged processed food. I know plenty of people like this, old & young. Here, you're looked on as a bit strange to do these things but If I was in the USA I'd def be a full-on prepper
Clock is still ticking, still hoping for an 11th hour outbreak of common sense despite little sign of any at the moment. Got non perishable food stocked up just in case but still hoping that the Christmas voted for by the turkeys gets cancelled.
Start your home baking immediately .... steak ,cheese and onion pies, hotpots , macaroons , jam fancies and the like... get em all made and frozen up m8tey ... you will be fine ...you will not starve Alb
