UK - Resources for help getting food during quarantine and other supermarket related problems

Looking into flour providers.
We are lucky to have had a thriving food and drink economy locally and wholesale suppliers are delivering to domestic market.
However specialist flour etc can be difficult to source .
Splitting orders with others may be only way to make it manageable though

Some links that may be useful.

https://www.shipton-mill.com/flour-direct-shop

https://www.eastcoastorganics.co.uk/boxmaster_ecobox_shop/ecobox_shop/Flour

https://scotlandthebread.org/product-category/scottish-flour-and-grain/

https://www.mungoswells.co.uk/ ( large sacks or multiple small bags to share as hefty delivery charges )
 
Many mills appear to be operating 'normally' or close to now.

The only exception I am aware of is shipton mill, who still have a wait and click (if lucky) system to be able to submit an email, for an 'invitation to shop' to be sent, in order to get a slot to use their online shop.

None, apart from doves farm, seem to either update their order status pages from 'processing' or bother to notify courier companies of your email so you can even know it's been dispatched let alone track an order.

So most of my flour orders are just turning up unannounced, and even a week or 2 after delivery, the order status still shows 'processing'.

Most turn up in under a week, but with one it seems to be 3 weeks, with no notice, or indication it's been shipped.
 
Just thought I’d share - this is a vegan supermarket, it’s still got lots of food available. It’s vegan but there are lots of nice veg, beans and tofu related ready meals available, also lots of kitchen cupboard staples, pestos and pasta and sauces, bakery, everything really.. They also have a good selection of organic foods too. Used to buy from them a few years back but they’ve grown a lot since then.

https://www.thevegankindsupermarket.com/
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-52761291

It would seem, following legal action by a group of disabled people, that Tesco are opening up their priority list to people 'experiencing similar problems'.

I tried phoning the number on their website, about three hours after the BBC reported on this, to be told their guidelines haven't been updated, and the only way to get on the list would be to use the gov.uk website to register on the shielding list, although clearly I cannot do this, as I don't have one of the listed conditions.

I don't know how quickly they'll update their call handlers to reflect the statement they released. Hopefully not too long, but it's not happened yet.

I also thought, why not go the whole hog, and emailed the CEO to point out the discrepancy between the statement and the guidance quoted when phoning, asking how the people covered by the statement were supposed to get the help. We'll see if he answers, but if he does I'll get back here and let you know.
 
In my area you still have to stay up to book a Tesco priority delivery slot 4 weeks in advance as this is normally the only time they are still available. The priority slots get booked within 24 hours, whereas the non priority ones get booked between 12 midnight and 6 am.
 
I just got refused priority from Waitrose after getting in touch with them, as I can't prove I'm over 70. I might get back to them and argue this with them in view of your post @Tao Fogger - surely the government can prove I'm over 70, and also that I have top rate of Care and Moving Around (or whatever the hell they call it now for PIP). They have my NI Number for heavens sake! (Gov, not Waitrose, just to be clear)

OH is still having to go out to top up shopping a bit, as we can't get slots. There's a Co-op in Lark Lane (L17) where he feels safe to shop. And a small local shop closer to us as well. So I guess we're lucky compared to the vast majority. Both these places have strict one out, one in, policies and watch for social distancing. He went to our local off licence once, but never again - he said it was chaotic.

We're trying out a farm box place, will write about it after first delivery (Sunday) when we see its quality. Don't want to raise people's hopes if it's not up to scratch.
 
Just to update: I just received a call from a lady in the office of Tesco's CEO. She confirmed I was sufficiently vulnerable (from the little I'd put in the email), so would be on their priority list from tomorrow. She also asked which phone number I'd called the helpline earlier from, so she could trace who I spoke to and correct the guidance they are giving.

So, if you shop with Tesco, you should soon be able to get on the priority list if you're not already.
 
More on the Tesco story here and the inquiry by the Environment, Food and Rural affairs Committee: https://www.disabilitynewsservice.c...-government-must-act-on-food-crisis-mps-hear/

[/
This week, Tesco became the first supermarket to be threatened with an urgent legal injunction as part of a class action being taken against the UK’s biggest supermarkets by 320 disabled people – many of them taking action against two or three supermarket chains – who say they have been discriminated against during the coronavirus crisis.

Joanne, the disabled single mother taking the case against Tesco, with the support of solicitors Fry Law, is on the government’s list of extremely clinically vulnerable people, and hers is seen as one of the most urgent among the 320 cases.

She has multiple health conditions which currently leave her unable to leave her bed while she recovers from surgery she underwent in late March.

Although Joanne has regular delivery slots through Tesco, the supermarket is refusing to deliver her shopping at a time when her care workers are there to accept and clean it.

Fry Law yesterday (Wednesday) sent a letter to Tesco asking it to act urgently to make a reasonable adjustment for her under the Equality Act by promising to deliver her shopping at a time when her care workers are with her.

If it fails to do so within five days, Fry Law will make an application to the county court to order temporary “relief” through a court order until the case can be heard in full.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We are aware of this claim, and have offered to engage with this customer’s representatives about her needs.

“We are continuing to do everything we can to support our most vulnerable customers, and are confident that we are fully compliant with all relevant laws and government guidance.

“We have more than doubled the number of online slots available since the start of the crisis, to 1.3 million slots this week, and are currently supporting more than 530,000 vulnerable customers with priority access.

“We would encourage any customers facing similar issues to contact us directly.”
]
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Simbindi said:
In my area you still have to stay up to book a Tesco priority delivery slot 4 weeks in advance as this is normally the only time they are still available. The priority slots get booked within 24 hours, whereas the non priority ones get booked between 12 midnight and 6 am.
Click to expand...

In my area things have improved with Tesco and there are plenty of priority slots to book - I've just looked and there are some form Monday onwards for several weeks and even the occasional fixed hour slot. I haven't actually used Tesco though as it would be a struggle for me to have to potentially wait for several hours for a delivery so at the moment I'm using Asda and Ocado.

I did have to send a complaint though to CEO of Ocado, Tim Steiner, to get priority access. At the start of lockdown I emailed customer services with a copy of my PIP award and they said I'd be given priority access but I still couldn't get access to the site. I emailed again and this time was told I wasn't even an Ocado customer and to contact my usual supermarket despite having had my shopping delivered by them for the last couple of years - I think they were trying to put people off from what I've heard. Which is when I emailed Tim Steiner. I didn't get a reply but a few days later I could mysteriously access the Ocado site and have placed a couple of orders so I assume my email worked. It's perhaps worth persevering and make a complaint maybe even citing the Equality Act @ladycatlover ?
 
There's no click and collect in the Somerset Tescos so that might be why the home deliveries are in such demand. The Sainsbury's home delivery service only offer a very restricted range of items, so Tesco is probably the best affordable supermarket if you can't shop in store here.
 
I didn't feel the time was right when I emailed to complain about Tesco - they had by then released a statement. It was just the message hadn't got through to their call handlers.

As a final update on my initial post: I checked my Tesco account online, and do now have access to priority slots. I also managed to book a slot for Wednesday this week, so it clearly makes a difference to be on the list in my area.

Hopefully the call handlers have all had their guidance updated now, so others can just call the freephone number to get on the list.
 
I received my first Tesco delivery on Saturday night.

They managed to deliver more of what I ordered than any of the others - only missing baking powder and hand sanitizer (which they subbed for hand wash for some bizarre reason).

The driver even brought it up the stairs to my front door (in the current climate a fairly major thing, getting shopping delivered to the same altitude, and not left in the street).

However;

Their 8 hour delivery window doesn't work for me - I was notified of a possible one hour window by an automated phone call rather than text, despite having changed my account details to give them a text number and remove the landline number, several days before, they still rang the landline.

This is not good/ideal for me.

Delivery was within this window.

The process was not properly 'contact free' and my delivery instructions were not followed. The driver insisted on my opening the door (despite the evidence that I was home, as I buzzed him in, and that I removed the first load of shopping when he went downstairs for the next).

Instead he wanted to talk.

Might just be that driver, might be policy - dunno.

Apart from an inability to supply things like eggs, and the weird way they do things, ASDA is looking like my prefered option ATM - simply down to their ability to follow my delivery instructions when told I am 'shielding'.

ETA - however - thanks to Tescos delivering eggs I was able to have a fried egg roll for breakfast this morning. Prior to them delivering I was down to one 'emergency' egg.

Unlike Sainsburys and ASDA, Tesco does not send an email to notify of any subs or omissions - this information is only available when the order arrives (which is helpfully in a format/layout that I couldn't understand in a high stress situation when I can't read/comprehend), so no plans can be made if anything in the order was being counted on for tea that evening, and 'eat same day' bread will always be past it's best.

ETAA - disappointing. I ordered 2 tins of baked beans with sausages in, to try them, as they have very good reviews. I had one last night, and it was fine, not good, but given it starts off with the severe disadvantage of being sausages in baked beans from a tin - fine.

Today I went to get the other one, as I couldn't cope with the idea of cooking, and found - a straight tin of tescos baked beans. I did not order any tescos baked beans, and according to the receipt I have definitely been charged for 2 tins of sausages in beans, so it's been mis picked, meaning I have not just not got my 'snack' but that I have been charged double, for the privilege of not having it.
 
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As promised, here's a rather belated review of the food box we had delivered on Sunday. It's a box of mixed meat, veg and fruit, from a place called Farm to Fork. Delivers in Manchester, Stockport, Liverpool and Wirral, haven't managed to find out if it delivers elsewhere. A box for 2 people is £38 plus £4 delivery charge. They also do boxes for vegetarians.

https://www.farmtoforkmanchester.com/
https://www.farmtoforkliverpool.com/

It arrived a bit after 1pm, so we didn't cook the chicken on Sunday. Just in case anyone decides to give them a try, they had some problems with the 24 hour clock! We were told that food would arrive between 11.50pm and 1.50am! Such a relief when it arrived in daylight! :rofl:

Good selection, including 2 litre milk and 6 free range egg, butter and cheese s as well as fruit and veg and bacon, sausages and gammon. We had gammon and pineapple for lunch on Sunday (way hey! Back to the seventies! ;)), along with some new potatoes that OH got in our nearby Co-op on Saturday.

OH cooked the chicken on Monday, and it was fabulous. Really tender, flavoursome and generally delicious! We had the topped and tailed French beans from the box with the chicken. Plus the usual frozen peas and roasties and gravy of course.

We had Italian meatballs made from the mince on Wed. Bit disappointing, but it was the recipe not the beef mince. They were tasty, but far too dry, should have been in more sauce, and served on pasta. Only managed half the meal. We finished them off for breakfast yesterday morning but with potatoes not pasta. OH added some sort of tomato sauce, but it was very acidic and was giving me heartburn too, so couldn't eat much of it. Recipe Fail. But the mince was fine, it really was just a case of recipe fail (and it was a Delia Smith one too :wtf:).

Did much better for lunch yesterday as made a peach and lollo rosso lettuce salad (with olives from store cupboard and toms from the Sunday food box) with honey/mustard/garlic dressing which we ate with some of the leftover roast chicken. The peach was fabulous! I haven't had a peach or a nectarine for years - you get them under ripe and they just go off rather than ripen. It was such a pleasure to have a proper ripe peach - I'd forgotten how lovely peaches can be.

We had the sausages for breakfast today - very tasty and nice fat ones too - our butcher only does thin sausages, and they just aren't the same!

OH tells me the bread is really good - I can't eat it cos it's seedy and teeth can't cope. :cry:

Deadline for order for delivery this Sunday is 3pm today just in case anyone wants to give them a try. Sorry this is short notice, but not had a good week in some ways.

Here's some photos of the produce that I put in an album on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/liverpool-leftovers/albums/72157714436253412

ETA this week's box:

2 x Minute Steaks (7oz)
2 x 6oz Minty Lamb Burgers
2 x Chicken Quarters
4 Bacon
4 Old English Sausages

Feta Cheese
Multiseed Loaf
2 Brioche Burger Buns
6 Free Range Eggs
2l Semi Skimmed Milk
1 Block Butter

2kg Potato
500g Carrots
500g Sweet Potato
1 XL White Onion
1 Red Onion
Garlic
Cauliflower
Red Pepper
Avocado
Chestnut Mushrooms

Cos Lettuce (picked on the day of delivery)
Tomatoes
Cucumber

Grapes
Apricots
Apples
Oranges
 
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I've been pleased with my Riverfood fruit and veg boxes. They're not a cheap option because all their veg, fruit and meat is organically produced to the highest Soil Association and animal husbandry standards. But the quality, freshness and appropriate packaging of the produce is really showing. The mushrooms were still in good condition a full 7 days later (I am still getting organised in how to use the items efficiently) - even the organic mushrooms I've bought in supermarkets never last more than 3 days in the fridge. The same with the Cos lettuce, which I haven't yet had chance to use.

I'm able to get organic milk and artisan made bread with the weekly order, but they must be at maximum capacity with their eggs for long term customers because they've not yet been available to add to my weekly order. They currently have a restricted range of choice due to changing their options to deliver to as many people as possible in these new circumstances, but I think they are doing a good job.

This week I ordered one of their 'recipe boxes', the simple vegetarian meal option. As it's for 2 people I plan to split it into 2 or even 3 meals. It does contain some organic halloumi, so I'm looking forward to that.
 
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