Not sure if there is a thread on this..but have you all heard?

The factory in the town near me (Bury st Edmunds) burnt down and it is the only place that makes it! They are not thinking they will be able to go back into full production until January next year at the earliest!

I sent TOH to the shops to buy some as I have to have branston at christmas...and I now have two jars.

But apparently they are starting to sell on E-bay at a terrific price as there is a world shortage!

No more Branston

Brie, I have just got back from my local Sainsbury's and the checkout lady was amazed that I had got lard! (there has been/is a shortage of this as discussed on another thread I believe) She too was saying that Branson was going to be in short supply because of the fire and also mentioned that you could get it on eBay for humungous prices!

PS - I am quite close to you - between Norwich and Thetford!

Jackie

Ahem, excuse me, but I have been told by many of our customers that our Spicy Onion Chutney tastes much like BP!!! And it's easily available !!!!

Unbelievable. I read about the lard shortage but do wonder about the validity of the scare as our local stores do not seem to have a problem and there are literally thousands of boxes of mince pies for sale (when they said these would be short supply too) and now this!

I have checked on ebay and have to marvel at some people's sanity. The prices are not too bad (a few are saying £10 or over but most are a little more reasonable) and some do state that the money is going to charity but, well, sheer madness.

Mind you, having watched Top Gear on Sunday where one of the presenters sold a half smoked packet of cigarettes on ebay for £6 I believe there are people out there that will buy anything on ebay....

We'e got loads of Branston down here on the Costa del Sol but no lard, but then we've never had lard, maybe I could send food parcels if things get really tough ????? Sue

Ooops..sorry Nick..I didn't know that but if I run out again will be straight onto you!

*Brie rushes off to auction two jars of Branston and a tub of lard on E-bay*

Hey Nick, go for it!!! LOL

[link]

if they can........

Blimey..I thought it was a myth..then looked up Branston on E-bay...it is huge!!!

Check this link...[link]

I may really have to put mine on there after all as there are half eaten jars on there!!!

Oh my goodness...there is even a 'genuine' branston pickle and cheese sandwich going for 55p!!!

My favs are the quarter jar, with left over bit of cheese in it, and the offer to sniff a jar, paying for your own transport of course!!

i'm going to my local co-op to see if they've got any, but I'll check tesco online first

well tescos have it at the moment. Is this a wind up???

it's probably a myth put out by the pickle manufacturers so that everybody will talk about it and rush out and buy lots of it - great advertising!

i bet it works

They have fooled the BEEB too

[link]

It is totally true about the fire as it was on our local 'Look east' programme..but whether all the Branston has really gone, I have no idea!!

I mean, look how we all rushed out to buy salad cream when they said it was being discontinued!

Well the company announced on the 2nd Nov (in the article TerryDox refers to above) that there was no crisis, that they had enough stock to cover Christmas and that they would start production again within 3 weeks, so not long to go now then!

They actually said at that time people would not need to rush out and buy it, and I haven't noticed the same fuss abut Hayward's pickles, Loyd Grossman sauces and the Waistline range.

Ebay is a great place to buy and sell, but I think a lot of people have kind of missed the joke here.

Yeah Rustie, what did that film producer or circus owner (!!) say? "There's one born every minute"

lol but really, it is the same all over for xmas, if you leave buying pickles etc too late then the shelves really are empty I found this out last year, so i am going to stock up a bit. It's crazy really when you think about what you spend on groceries at christmas, it's like the shops are going to close for weeks, or maybe that's just me