Lettuce shortage?

PigMummyEm

PigMummyEm

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So we’re having real issues getting hold of Romaine/Littlegem/round lettuces where I am at the moment! The shops just don’t have them.
I sent my dad out on a lettuce hunt and he found 2 romaine lettuces left in Lidl but I’ve never not been able to get hold of any before!

Is anyone else in the UK having this issue?! My girls are not happy without their romaine lettuce.
 
There does seem to be issues. I’ve struggled getting cucumbers mostly (although that seems to be a little better now)
 
Yeah some places are struggling to get these items cuz a lot of our lettuce and salads come from abroad. I’ve been in Asda before now and no lettuce of any kind to be found.
 
I get my Butterhead lettuce from Tesco and it’s grown in Yorkshire or Wiltshire so generally available - it’s 55p
Good luck -
 
Yes, with my last order every single type of lettuce I had asked for was replaced with something I had never heard of called chinese lettuce, which seems more like cabbage to be honest. (That will teach me to tick the no substitute boxes in future, but before they had always just sent another type of lettuce)

Now my lot are accustomed to the 'eat what you are given' attitude, and happily share their grass with multiple dogs, cats and rats, but despite me not thinking they were fussy, every single one of them has refused to touch this chinese lettuce!

That is the first time they have ever all been unanimous about food!
 
My mum texted me earlier very excitedly to say she had found me some romaine in Sainsburys! So the pigs are very pleased that I am heading round later to collect it in time for the evening lettuce routine. Phew!
 
I always get two packs plus gems and various herbs, cucumber, red peppers, celery, tomato, kale etc so I’ve always got something my kids would squeak the house down if I didn’t give them anything bless ❤️
 
I’ve found buying lettuce a bit hit and miss. I used to shop early in the morning when the shops are quiet to minimise catching covid. I’m more successful now I shop mid morning as overnight deliveries are more likely to be put on display. Why there’s a lettuce shortage I’ve no idea as a lot of it is grown in the UK Apart from piggies, rabbits, tortoises etc who on earth eats it. I can honestly say I’ve never heard anyone say ‘ooh I really fancy some lettuce’ 🤪. If there’s none on the shop floor do ask . I find most of my local Tesco staff helpful and 7 out of 10 times they find some in the store depot . Lettuce hope the situation improves 😂
 
Struggling to get any sort of lettuce here too. We're getting warmer weather now and I will say chard and lettuce are so easy to grow even on a window sill so if you have room give it a go! ☺️
 
I've some romaine and some butterhead due to arrive tomorrow, I still have a bit of romaine left in the fridge. But Asda has no other lettuce options available and they could well be out of stock when someone goes to pick the order. It's a pity though, gem lettuce is far easier to store in my tiny fridge.
 
Lorcan said:
I've some romaine and some butterhead due to arrive tomorrow, I still have a bit of romaine left in the fridge. But Asda has no other lettuce options available and they could well be out of stock when someone goes to pick the order. It's a pity though, gem lettuce is far easier to store in my tiny fridge.
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We shop in Rochdale Asda and they had plenty of lettuce yesterday including little gem so fingers crossed they have some when they do your pick tomorrow
 
Claire W said:
We shop in Rochdale Asda and they had plenty of lettuce yesterday including little gem so fingers crossed they have some when they do your pick tomorrow
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I did check again earlier but it's was only showing romaine and round lettuce. Looked again now and romaine's out of stock but little gem isn't lol.

edit: I'll keep the romaine on the order because I'm guessing what with stock updates not happening in real time, there's no point trying to follow it. If romaine's not there tomorrow they'll likely substitute with the gem anyway.
 
I’ve had problems getting lettuce. There seems to be plenty of iceberg but not much of anything else.
 
Winniepeg said:
I’ve found buying lettuce a bit hit and miss. I used to shop early in the morning when the shops are quiet to minimise catching covid. I’m more successful now I shop mid morning as overnight deliveries are more likely to be put on display. Why there’s a lettuce shortage I’ve no idea as a lot of it is grown in the UK Apart from piggies, rabbits, tortoises etc who on earth eats it. I can honestly say I’ve never heard anyone say ‘ooh I really fancy some lettuce’ 🤪. If there’s none on the shop floor do ask . I find most of my local Tesco staff helpful and 7 out of 10 times they find some in the store depot . Lettuce hope the situation improves 😂
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Uk growers ditched their crops because of the price of gas, they can't afford to heat the greenhouses. I've had problems getting lettuce, cucumbers and peppers. What I have found is terrible quality. I'm hoping not to have to buy any more. I have two large pots of cut and come again lettuce ready to cut, the next two pots are planted, hopefully I can keep lettuce growing this summer.
 
Try aldi they have large cucumbers in and large spring onions in and lettuces you can't be aldi then I was scanning myself out when one of the staff said to me We don't have dogs in here but my dog was in my dog bag anyway I said I have a letter and she didn't know how to answer me ( emotional support animal letter to help me with my anxiety no one in the shops know how hard it 8s for someone 3ith anxiety ! )
 
Aldi and Lidl are a bit more awkward for me because, while they're not far off, I don't drive so I'd be paying for two taxis (or 4 buses, it'd be cheaper with the taxi honestly). Asda and Tesco I can get delivered, probably Morrisons too if I bothered to look. It's not the Rochdale Tesco the deliveries come from but it is the Rochdale Asda so that's something at least.

Also getting taxis to pick up my address is awkward, because my address is awkward.
 
I have been shopping in Aldi a lot until recently (more convenient as a short walk). They've not had any cucumbers, lettuce (other than bag salad) or green beans for a while. The final straw was celery, when I got it home and opened it it was rotten right the way through to the middle.
 
Oh this sounds awful! Hopefully the vegetable situation will improve or all of the piggies will have a riot! Our lettuce has been very poor quality here. Very floppy or brown colored lettuce is not very tasty. Looking forward to growing lettuce outside in the garden. Thankfully lettuce is really easy to grow.
 
I wanted to buy coriander (Lidl) today but all the bags I looked at (at least 3) had some already brown leaves in there. So I left it. Luckily they still had plenty of lettuce and so did the Tesco last time I looked. What Tesco didn’t have was green beans for a good while! They came back but I don’t want the big pack as they go off. I don’t enjoy them so don’t cook them…🙄

I’m disappointed with Lidl’s fruits recently as well. My husband has bought apples where some in the pack are rotting (sort of) - a bruise but worse and goes deep inside. They have had rotten oranges on the shelf. Husband had to swap out a pack when he got to checkout. Today I bought nectarines. Although still firm, the one I ate was a bit brown inside.

Luckily cucumber and peppers are still there aplenty. I need to start my planting. Last time I had lettuce which the piggies ate. The peppers didn’t grow very big but were there. And they also had some home grown green beans.
 
Honestly I'd a bag of sugarsnaps and some bell peppers from Asda the other week and they were in the bin before I'd a chance to use them. They weren't like that when they arrived so I don't blame whoever did the picking for the order but I've never seen sugarsnaps or pepper turn that quickly. I chucked almost a full bag of spinach this morning too. Picked out a couple of leaves I'd let the goblins eat but for the most part they looked too iffy.

If I'm still here next year growing may be an option, but what with the garden birds, squirrels and cats it's probably a no. I remember a couple months back both sweet and little gem were iffy, the leaves wouldn't separate and I'd switched to romaine, but even sweet gem is easier for me to store. I've don't remember the last time I've seen there be no gem lettuce at all. The butterhead/round lettuce isn't so quickly guzzled down and the shape makes it awkward to store but they will eat it, and I'd rather take that than none at all.
 
I chucked the remaining romaine out this morning actually. It was floppy, no rigidity or strength to those leaves at all. The boys got extra broccoli for breakfast, which they didn't appreciate much lol.

Asda had to substitute a couple of things but the romaine wasn't one of them, thankfully.
 
Lorcan said:
Honestly I'd a bag of sugarsnaps and some bell peppers from Asda the other week and they were in the bin before I'd a chance to use them. They weren't like that when they arrived so I don't blame whoever did the picking for the order but I've never seen sugarsnaps or pepper turn that quickly. I chucked almost a full bag of spinach this morning too. Picked out a couple of leaves I'd let the goblins eat but for the most part they looked too iffy.

If I'm still here next year growing may be an option, but what with the garden birds, squirrels and cats it's probably a no. I remember a couple months back both sweet and little gem were iffy, the leaves wouldn't separate and I'd switched to romaine, but even sweet gem is easier for me to store. I've don't remember the last time I've seen there be no gem lettuce at all. The butterhead/round lettuce isn't so quickly guzzled down and the shape makes it awkward to store but they will eat it, and I'd rather take that than none at all.
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Sounds like lovely wildlife in your garden Lorcan ! I’m going to grow some ‘cut and come again’ lettuce as it’s very easy to grow and can be grown on a windowsill
 
Roselina said:
Sounds like lovely wildlife in your garden Lorcan ! I’m going to grow some ‘cut and come again’ lettuce as it’s very easy to grow and can be grown on a windowsill
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Well the squirrels wouldn't eat it but they like to dig. Same for the cats when they're burying their poop. As for the birds, it wouldn't be terrible nutrition for them, so I don't blame them. It's food after all.
 
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