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Islanders are being urged not to panic-buy when shops reopen tomorrow after Storm Ciarán cut Jersey's supply routes and shut the majority of local supermarkets today.
Despite reassurances from Government that the local supply chain "has built-in resilience” – which means that retailers have “adequate reserves of food” – the island witnessed an apparent surge in panic-buying in the 24 hours running up to the storm.
With shoppers rushing to stock up on essential food items amid ferry cancellations, supermarket shelves across the island were empty - with basics like bread and milk in particularly high demand.
Supermarkets and corner shops across the island were closed this morning, and Co-op, Waitrose and SandpiperCI (Morrisons, M&S, Iceland, Checkers Xpress, Wine Warehouse and Le Cocq’s Stores) later confirmed that they would remain shut throughout the day as 'stay at home' advice remained in place.
Following an assessment of conditions this morning all @CI_Coop stores will remain closed today. Your safety and that of our colleagues remains a priority.
— Mark Cox (@MarkCoxJsy) November 2, 2023
Please stay safe https://t.co/rQN8AB5OQE
When shops do re-open, islanders are being urged not to panic-buy and think of those who can't get to the supermarket easily.
Consumer Council Chair Carl Walker said that, as the island slowly returns to "normality" following the storm, community spirit should prevail – and that means being respectful and responsible.
"Community spirit must start there, with people being responsible and mindful of others when they're doing their shopping," he explained.
"Not everybody can easily get to the supermarket or lives in close proximity, especially now.
"The worst thing would be for someone to make the effort to get there and find the shelves bare."
The words echoed those of Chief Minister Kristina Moore, who, ahead of the storm, urged islanders to buy "responsibly".
Pictured: The Chief Minister urged islanders to "buy responsibly" in supermarkets earlier this week.
Bakers, producers and smallholders yesterday told Express that they had been stepping up to meet increased demand from concerned shoppers.
Local bakeries Dough Rye Me, Vienna Bakery and Four Bakery said they had all experienced high demand for bread. Despite significantly increasing production, all three said they had sold out over the past couple of days.
Dough Rye Me said “It is very busy and a lot of people are looking for bread”, while Vienna Bakery said that “the market shop was pretty much out of bread by lunchtime” despite “more than doubling their order” on Wednesday.
Pictured: Empty shelves in St Brelades.
Smallholder Oliver Griggs, who owns a farm at St John, which stands for 'The Land of Milk & Honey', said this was his first ever storm.
However, he explained: “Aside from protecting my produce from the wind using nets, I am pretty much carrying on as normal.”
The team behind SCOOP – a local cooperative which works with more than 120 local producers and growers – said the situation showed why the local supply chain was so important.
Co-founder Kaspar Wimberley explained that shorter local supply chains reduce dependence on external sources for essential goods.
“When ferries are disrupted, having local suppliers ensures a steady flow of products over short distances, minimising the risk of food shortages,” he said.
Fellow co-founder India Hamilton explained “As an organisation, we are trying to define food security from a systems perspective, so incorporating resilience, nutrition, food availability, and waste management into the equation."
Unlike supermarkets which have seen bare shelves, Kaspar said that “Customers will be able to get most of what they are looking for” despite the shop being “busier than usual.”
Pictured: Scoop, which emphasises the importance of local supply chains for food security year-round, hopes this experience will encourage ongoing support for local producers.
He said he hoped that the recent storm and consequent disruptions to ferries may help people realise the advantages of a shorter supply chain.
This, in turn, may encourage them to support local producers all year round, rather than just during an emergency.
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