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it seems Rationing is back...

(105 Posts)
Cherrytree59 Fri 03-Feb-17 09:39:57

Yesterday at the supermarket checkout I stood behind a lady who had a display cardboard box full of iceberg lettuce on the conveyor belt.

Today I have read that iceberg lettuce is to be rationed.

hulahoop Sat 04-Feb-17 10:43:26

Made me smile gilly I don't like gourgetts so anyone can have mine . I don't dislike iceberg but to be honest I am finding all salad stuff eg cucumber tomatoes very watery and tasteless at the moment .

Greyduster Sat 04-Feb-17 11:30:58

I have just been down to our local supermarket to buy some veg for tommorrow when DD et al come to lunch. GS likes baby sweetcorns and a pack is usually between 80p and a £1.00. Today they were £1.60! If it had just been for me (DH doesn't eat any 'funny vegetables') I wouldn't have bought them. They were grown in India.

flaxwoven Sat 04-Feb-17 11:35:13

Restaurants nearly always serve salads with their meals and when their usual wholesale supplier can't get any, they send someone down to the local supermarket to buy up everything. The supermarkets are trying to stop this and good on Tesco for taking action.

Galen Sat 04-Feb-17 11:44:21

As I cruise a lot, I am definitely not keen on icebergs! (Think of Titanic)

Diddy1 Sat 04-Feb-17 11:49:06

Do me a favour, this is ridiculous, just because there has been bad weather in Spain, people are panic buying for Iceberg lettuce, there are loads of alternatives, probably a lot more nutritional too.
But you never know, President Trump may forbid panic buying!

Kim19 Sat 04-Feb-17 11:52:54

Yep, that's the way to create a purchasing frenzy. Well done Tesco for homing in on our human weakness. Insanity reigns indeed. Until the shelves are devoid of ALL fresh vegetables and then the freezers are empty of next alternatives and lastly TINS, I will NOT pay these silly greedy prices. We really are quite crazy sometimes but....hey.... long may we be free to make our own choices.

inishowen Sat 04-Feb-17 12:58:27

I paid £1.30 for an iceberg at Sainsburys this morning, then went to Lidl and they were 75p. Grrr....

elleks Sat 04-Feb-17 13:19:49

Every morning I go into Morrison's, there is a young couple spending about £100 on assorted fresh salad veg. I think they must run a café/sandwich shop.

Bijou Sat 04-Feb-17 13:26:54

When I was a child in the 1930s we did not have salad in the winter and courgettes and peppers were unheard of. When I grew my own veg I grew Winter Density lettuce, purple spouting broccoli, perpetual spinach, Brussels sprouts In the winter. Why can these not be grown commercially in England to avoid importing from Spain?

Yorkshiregel Sat 04-Feb-17 13:28:08

Look, it is February, plant some of your own! They will grow within weeks.

Aepgirl Sat 04-Feb-17 13:34:33

It wouldn't bother me if I never saw another Iceberg lettuce. I think they are absolutely tasteless.

I have done my weekly shop this morning and there were no empty spaces so I think this is another way of getting people panicking.

annodomini Sat 04-Feb-17 13:50:35

I was disgusted with 5 Live's Breakfast show on Thursday when the presenter, Nicky Campbell was doing his best to stir up panic buying of lettuce and broccoli. With the help of the red tops, he evidently succeeded.

grandMattie Sat 04-Feb-17 14:29:30

Dos anyone remember seasonal eating? It is late spring which is hard - when the winter veges have finished and the spring/summer ones haven't come in yet. but... plenty of stuff in supermarket freezers!
Does anyone remember the rationing of sugar in the 1970s? [about the time of the 3-day week] Having come from an island producing the stuff, it was very funny to see people bulk buying, being rationed, sneaking packets of sugar to families with children, etc. I'm not that sold on sugar myself...

goose1964 Sat 04-Feb-17 14:31:10

Broccoli is one the few veg DD will eat - so she'll be living of frozen peas until it goes back to a sensible price

AlieOxon Sat 04-Feb-17 14:31:31

I don't think the heading of this thread helps. Rationing isn't back.There's just a shortage of a few kinds of vegetables.

Legs55 Sat 04-Feb-17 14:54:13

As I only buy from my local shop where almost everything is grown locally, within a few miles of the shop, I can't say I've noticed any shortages. I also have veg boxes delivered from Riverford, about 10 miles from where I live, only Seasonal veg grown on their own farms or neighbouring ones. I do like peppers, use them for stir-fry along with courgettes . I won't eat Iceberg lettuce (tasteless) & tomatoes are a disappointment, watery so I just ignore. Lots of lovely seasonal veg. All a bit of a storm in a teacup as far as I'm concerned, if I can't get something I find a substituteconfused

ginny Sat 04-Feb-17 16:08:39

Not much in nationwide supermarkets locally but plenty of peppers, courgettes, lettuce in local independent grocers.

marionk Sat 04-Feb-17 18:49:11

I would not be devastated if they never stocked iceberg again, all a bit 70's prawn cocktail for my tastes, much prefer cos type lettuces, nice bit of Caesar salad good at any time of the year for me

Ana Sat 04-Feb-17 19:34:24

Plenty of iceberg lettuces in local Tesco today - didn't look for courgettes as can't abide 'em.

whitewave Sat 04-Feb-17 19:41:34

Can't understand the attraction of iceberg lettuce - totally tasteless. I do eat salad leaves in the winter, but really I largely try to eat in season. The flavours are always better. Including fruit.

Deedaa Sat 04-Feb-17 20:41:15

I was just reading about an African mother digging up ant's nests to find seeds to feed her children. Climate change has meant continuous drought and failed crops. Don't think there are many lettuces coming her way.

hollie57 Sat 04-Feb-17 22:17:37

Love the end comment made me laugh

hollie57 Sat 04-Feb-17 22:23:39

With reference to gillybob's earlier comment sorry don't know how to get the comment on the right thread when you want to answer only a beginner on answering,

Nelliemoser Sat 04-Feb-17 23:01:43

It's not just me then that does not particularly like Iceberg lettuce, that and little gem is all I can buy in our local ASDA "convenience" store.
So I am prepared to go 6miles round trip to Tesco. (rarely just for a lettuce) for Romaine instead, or persuade OH to go into ASDA on his way to band.

Lupin Sun 05-Feb-17 08:51:44

Plenty of broccoli and spiralised courgettes around yesterday, also aubergine. I suppose spiralising makes veg go further? The papers do whip it up don't they. However, like a lot of others I'll turn to seasonal British veg and rediscover the cabbage. Finely shredded Brussels Sprouts in a raspberry vinegar dressing make an interesting salad. ( I can hear the "yuks" already ).
I can remember other shortages from over the years - the sugar one, the toilet roll one.