The Economist reports:
When the food riots start, says Linda, a university administrator from Brighton, “I plan to watch them on TV enjoying a nice puttanesca whipped up from the Brexit cupboard.” Often included on no-deal-Brexit recipe lists, the fiery pasta dish from Naples requires nothing fresh. From her stash of tins and frozen veg, Linda is self-sufficient for up to three weeks. Stockpilers are seen as a bit crackers, but the chance of a disorderly exit from the European Union is prompting more people to take precautions.
One survey in August by HIM, a shopper-research firm, found that 61% of consumers expect Brexit-related food shortages. Nearly a third of people plan to stockpile and 14% are already doing so. Anecdotal evidence of hoarding is plentiful. A manager of a big Waitrose store in London says he has seen a rise in purchases of tins and frozen veg. Does he, a supermarket insider, plan to stockpile? “Absolutely,” comes the answer. Shoppers who have done no hoarding plan to go into panic-buying mode later if no-deal stays on the cards.
The Guardian reports:
Retailers have warned that there will be shortages of fresh food coupled with potential price rises if there is a no-deal Brexit. The body representing supermarkets and other chains told MPs that they could not understand why Michael Gove had claimed otherwise in a BBC interview over the weekend.
Fresh food travelling into the UK from the EU will not be subject to checks, but delays caused by checks on the French side could mean perishables such as tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower and cheese could all be hit by delays.
“It will affect fresh food in various ways, availability, shelf life and potentially cost,” said Andrew Opie, the director of food and sustainability of the British Retail Consortium.