|
|
Post by gigi on Jul 24, 2021 18:17:53 GMT 1
Waitrose sends an email the morning of a delivery explaining which items on the order had to be substituted or are missing. Tomatoes are one of the items I allow substitutions for, which meant that I received some, just a different size.
There were no packs of ‘ripen at home’ nectarines and no salmon steaks.
i understand that it’s because so many people are being ‘pinged’ for being in contact with someone with Covid and have to self-isolate.
My tomatoes are ripening fast, but I only have 4 plants, which aren’t very laden - I couldn't find the cherry ones I normally prefer and these are more plum types. I think that the wet weather we had so much of held them back.
|
|
|
|
Post by ajm on Jul 24, 2021 18:49:40 GMT 1
I just received an email from a friend that lives in Oxford. She has a Sainsbury's order delivered weekly. She's horrified as there were no tomatoes available and she says hers are still green! It's not the end of the world - is it? |
|
ibis
Banned Member
Posts: 1,376
|
Post by ibis on Jul 24, 2021 19:00:14 GMT 1
How can she make her BLTs???  |
|
|
|
Post by manonthemoon2 on Jul 24, 2021 20:34:53 GMT 1
I picked one almost ripe tomato today. Hopefully they will start going red.
For those in UK are the supermarket shelves suffering?
Haven't noticed any problems here
|
|
exile
Member
Massif Central
Posts: 2,778
|
Post by exile on Jul 24, 2021 21:05:12 GMT 1
We (French residents) are far less likely to have a problem. The UK imports 80% of its tomatoes, so first you have to find a company that is ready to commit trucks to enter the UK. Then once they have arrived, they have to be distributed around the UK and the shortage of UK truck drivers plus the impact of being Covid pinged means that this is going a lot more slowly than desired.
|
|
|
|
Post by gigi on Jul 24, 2021 21:05:38 GMT 1
I think I’ll pick my first two tomorrow.
I’m told that some shortages are showing on supermarket shelves, but the only one I’ve been in, the nearby little M&S Food, there weren’t any gaps on the shelves I needed, everything looked as normal.
|
|
|
|
Post by gigi on Jul 24, 2021 21:20:53 GMT 1
We (French residents) are far less likely to have a problem. The UK imports 80% of its tomatoes, so first you have to find a company that is ready to commit trucks to enter the UK. Then once they have arrived, they have to be distributed around the UK and the shortage of UK truck drivers plus the impact of being Covid pinged means that this is going a lot more slowly than desired. 80% of tomatoes imported sounds very high, I would have thought that a much higher proportion would be grown here at this time of year. I don’t buy foreign produce in the summer if I can possibly avoid it, and the more local the better, actually I try to buy local or at least British all year round, and I’m happy to choose other veg or whatever - it’s rare that I’m fixated on a particular food and must have it. Bananas are the exception, of course. I hate seeing produce from far-flung countries such as the asparagus from Peru at M&S a couple of days ago. |
|
exile
Member
Massif Central
Posts: 2,778
|
Post by exile on Jul 24, 2021 22:08:05 GMT 1
Funnily enough I was watching a recording of Food Unwrapped just 30 minutes before I posted. They were talking about tomato ketchup and that fact came out then with a producer trying to get commercial and economic year round tomatoes with the same sugar content as South European ones.
Maybe this time of year the number is lower, but overall I can believe it. Think about all of the tomatoes you have bought this year - and only now are they coming into season commercially in the UK so most of them are likely to have been imported. Then think of the "industrial" use - ketchup, sauces, puree, pizza, tinned toms, baked beans etc.
|
|
ibis
Banned Member
Posts: 1,376
|
Post by ibis on Jul 24, 2021 22:25:59 GMT 1
I can easily recreate the conditions the tomatoes that come from southern Europe anywhere in the UK but this GM ban makes it hard. Non GM can also be used but yields would be reduced. I know Europe has a GM ban, but has GB changed it's stance? KEY
GM - genetically modified conditions - indoor grow area (unused old warehouse) LED lights heating (if needed) produced using bitcoin rigs to provide the heat which could provide a profit or break even use for electricity No insecticides Lower carbon footprint in travel distance Can be grown using organic fertilizers employment opportunities created
|
|
exile
Member
Massif Central
Posts: 2,778
|
Post by exile on Jul 24, 2021 23:10:34 GMT 1
I can easily recreate the conditions the tomatoes that come from southern Europe anywhere in the UK but this GM ban makes it hard. Non GM can also be used but yields would be reduced. I know Europe has a GM ban, but has GB changed it's stance? KEY
GM - genetically modified conditions - indoor grow area (unused old warehouse) LED lights heating (if needed) produced using bitcoin rigs to provide the heat which could provide a profit or break even use for electricity No insecticides Lower carbon footprint in travel distance Can be grown using organic fertilizers employment opportunities created
The key is however commercial and economical. And yes the guy being interviewed was using LED lighting at specific wavelengths. |
|
