What's happened to fruit shortcake biscuits?

I haven’t been able to find any in our local shops for a few weeks now. Waitrose don’t even list them for online shopping. Does anyone else see the same shortage? If so, does anyone know why?

Can’t you just bake some?

Erm, yes, I could, but I don’t feel confident that they would be as good as those I used to be able to buy.

Funnily enough, there’s a big McVities factory only a few miles away from where I live.

Practice makes perfect! (I’m sorry, I don’t have a recipe I can recommend.)

Can you ask them why they make their digestives non-vegan for 0.2% milk solids?

Probably not, even a Pi4 at full chat isn’t going to hot enough to bake biscuits.

@DH Own brand stuff seems to be either no longer stocked or “out of stock” McV’s still appear on some of the big super’s websites.

Over here (Germany), shelves are empty because the shops are fighting back against unreasonable wholesale price rises. Own brand is doing quite well.

Over here (Germany), shelves are empty

Over here (France) there are few eggs (avian flu) and only cheap cheapy chicken nuggets.
And, for some reason I don’t understand, a massive shortage of dog crunchies. But plenty of cat ones.
🤷

because the shops are fighting back against unreasonable wholesale price rises.

Seems our supermarkets just pass on the price gouging and let the customer decide. But, then, France tends to make laws that are not necessarily in the favour of customers…. people riot over cut price Nutella? Okay, the maximum reduction that anybody can make is now 33%. Immediately ending all the buy-one-get-one-free offers. It’s now buy two, get one free.
Pffft.

to find any in our local shops

I long for the odd British biscuit. The things available here tend to be either burnt offerings or something incredibly dry covered in poor quality “chocolate”.
Garibaldi, anyone?

Can’t you just bake some?

Easier said than done, especially if one’s baking talent is….lacking. There’s an art to patisserie, an art that I appear to lack.

a massive shortage of dog crunchies. But plenty of cat ones.

No problem, as any cat would inform you – dogs are useless, and humans are merely required as staff. You get advancement in the staff hierarchy for providing Dreamies (what is in those things?)

I long for the odd British biscuit.

There are firms that deliver. Amazon on the list of course, and the specialist “It’s British, and we ship it to expats anywhere” firms like britishcornershop#

It’s British, and we ship it to expats anywhere

ROFL

In 1983-4, when I was first in India, there was an Australian missionary doctor in one of the hospitals on my patch. She was a regular – monthly, approximately – visitor to a shop in the nearest town (50 miles distant) who imported Scott’s Porage Oats (amongst other things) for her.

She left India in 1986. Last I heard you could still buy Scott’s Porage Oats in Jabalpur. Quite cheap…and years past its sell-by date…probably a few other strange items…

A lot of our food is part wheat – reminds me of one of Marion Morison
Films – shooting his own food!

probably a few other strange items…

In a quiet corner, look and you may find fourth generation haggis, massively inbred.

dogs are useless, and humans are merely required as staff.

That’s about it.

(what is in those things?)

I think a mixture of catnip and taurine. Both things cats get high on.

There are firms that deliver.

Well, yeah…

Google “Fray Bentos Just Chicken” ¹. Up comes an advert for British Online Shop. One pie, 425g. €4,16 plus €13,30 postage.

Plus, import duty?

¹ Guilty pleasure plus a fun game of hunt the meat.

1 Guilty pleasure plus a fun game of hunt the meat.

1. You’re guilty therefore you must pay, …lots
2. There’s meat in those things? Well, knock me down with a feather.

Plus, import duty?

You’re just lucky it could be imported because they can’t quite figure out how to classify it under the schedule :)