# Brexit rolls on in a City divided by eating habits



## mathepac (23 Jan 2021)

There is a serious emerging food crisis on de Nort side of Dublin  according to the Irish Independent this morning  ”The M&S food hall in the Omni Park Shopping Centre, Santry, seemed to have run out of a variety of foods including Scottish smoked peppered mackerel, air-dried mini chorizo bites, medium cured pork pies and Viennese all-butter swirl biscuits.”

Asked to comment  a local resident said “Wot? Are youse fillimin'  me? Be careful I don’t stick de loaf on yiz, right?” were the only publishable and intelligible comments from Joxer and his "fam".

Meanwhile on the other side of the city in in Rottformingham, aromatic shredded duck pancakes were not due for delivery until February 15, according to a label on the shelf and some of the dairy and frozen food section looked relatively bare.  A Tesco spokesperson said: “Owing to our extensive Brexit preparation, stock-building and collaboration with suppliers, our supply chain is robust and is responding well, with plenty of stock to go around."


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## joe sod (23 Jan 2021)

Just shows you how dependent we are on UK for groceries. we don't process much food here ourselves and any food we do process depends on quick access to the UK market like the meat and dairy processors. Even quintessential irish brands like Lyons tea, Jacobs biscuits or batchelors beans are manufactured in UK. Food is a low margin business therefore costs associated with transport , bureacracy etc will immediately be reflected in prices.


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## odyssey06 (23 Jan 2021)

Whats in a brexit roll?
Is it like a breakfast roll with tinned haggis init?


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## mathepac (23 Jan 2021)

More likely to contain shredded aromatic duck-breast. Most of the foods listed by the Indo as "missing or in short suppy" have never appeared on my shopping lists or till receipts and now never will. Unless that is, M&S have cornered world markets in them and now want to create demand by brain-washing us into needing them!  More non-reporting by the Indo journobots.


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## odyssey06 (23 Jan 2021)

mathepac said:


> More likely to contain shredded aromatic duck-breast. Most of the foods listed by the Indo as "missing or in short suppy" have never appeared on my shopping lists or till receipts and now never will. Unless that is, M&S have cornered world markets in them and now want to create demand by brain-washing us into needing them!  More non-reporting by the Indo journobots.



In fairness when it comes to prepared foods... lasagne, cottage pie, steak kidney pie, seafood pie, desserts, prepared vegetables, sides - the meal deal elements - the M&S offerings are on another level to any other retailer here. Not essential\basic items, but they were much enjoyed here especially when just in the door from work (when we stll went into the office...)


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## Purple (25 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> In fairness when it comes to prepared foods... lasagne, cottage pie, steak kidney pie, seafood pie, desserts, prepared vegetables, sides - the meal deal elements - the M&S offerings are on another level to any other retailer here. Not essential\basic items, but they were much enjoyed here especially when just in the door from work (when we stll went into the office...)


This will hit pensioners hardest as they are the only ones with enough money to shop in M&S. I was in the one in Dundrum a while back and the shoppers were almost all coffin dodgers. 


mathepac said:


> More likely to contain shredded aromatic duck-breast. Most of the foods listed by the Indo as "missing or in short suppy" have never appeared on my shopping lists or till receipts and now never will. Unless that is, M&S have cornered world markets in them and now want to create demand by brain-washing us into needing them!  More non-reporting by the Indo journobots.


I bet you buy bread though. We don't produce any bread flour in this country. 
The good news is the Lidl do quite a nice shredded duck. Their smoked mackerel is also excellent.


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## odyssey06 (25 Jan 2021)

Purple said:


> This will hit pensioners hardest as they are the only ones with enough money to shop in M&S. I was in the one in Dundrum a while back and the shoppers were almost all coffin dodgers.



The Dublin city centre locations (Grafton st, Henry st, IFSC) pre-pandemic would be very busy with time short professionals* at lunchtime and after work.
* I may have been one of them


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## Purple (25 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> The Dublin city centre locations (Grafton st, Henry st, IFSC) pre-pandemic would be very busy with time short professionals* at lunchtime and after work.
> * I may have been one of them


Shame on you


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## Ceist Beag (25 Jan 2021)

Purple said:


> We don't produce any bread flour in this country.


Sorry what Purple? What do you mean by "bread flour"? We produce plenty of flour suitable for bread making in this country.


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## odyssey06 (25 Jan 2021)

Ceist Beag said:


> Sorry what Purple? What do you mean by "bread flour"? We produce plenty of flour suitable for bread making in this country.



The bread flour milling mainly happens in N Ireland or England for Irish bread you buy on the shelves, think there is only one mill in the Republic for Odlums for bake at home bread.


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## Purple (25 Jan 2021)

Ceist Beag said:


> Sorry what Purple? What do you mean by "bread flour"? We produce plenty of flour suitable for bread making in this country.


You should tell the farmers that.


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## Purple (25 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> The bread flour milling mainly happens in N Ireland or England for Irish bread you buy on the shelves, think there is only one mill in the Republic for Odlums for bake at home bread.


And they Mill imported wheat.


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## Ceist Beag (25 Jan 2021)

Purple said:


> You should tell the farmers that.


Quote taken from that article"Ireland now produces just a small amount of flour from Irish wheat "
Ok so when you said "We don't produce *any *bread flour in this country. " what you meant was "We don't produce *much* bread flour in this country. "


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## Purple (25 Jan 2021)

Ceist Beag said:


> Quote taken from that article"Ireland now produces just a small amount of flour from Irish wheat "
> Ok so when you said "We don't produce *any *bread flour in this country. " what you meant was "We don't produce *much* bread flour in this country. "


We don't produce anywhere near enough wheat suitable for flour. About 50% of our flour is imported and most of the wheat used by the 3 Mills here is also imported. It would be more correct to say "almost none".


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## meepman (25 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> The bread flour milling mainly happens in N Ireland or England for Irish bread you buy on the shelves, think there is only one mill in the Republic for Odlums for bake at home bread.



A question was raised about this elsewhere and it was why not import the flour from France for instance? 
Apparently the flour grade there is different and would not work for the bread we are used to.


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## Purple (25 Jan 2021)

meepman said:


> A question was raised about this elsewhere and it was why not import the flour from France for instance?
> Apparently the flour grade there is different and would not work for the bread we are used to.


What, We'd end up eating much nicer French style bread? (not that dreadful muck that's passed off  as French bread in supermarkets here)


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## mathepac (25 Jan 2021)

meepman said:


> Apparently the flour grade there is different


It's generally recognised as their national symbol, the flour-de-lys (I'm so sorry).


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## Cricketer (25 Jan 2021)

mathepac said:


> flour-de-lys


Is there not a pun-ishment for that kind of thing around here?


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## Peanuts20 (27 Jan 2021)

Far from mini chorizo bites we were rared on.........  Have they got notions on DNS now?


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## Purple (27 Jan 2021)

Cricketer said:


> Is there not a pun-ishment for that kind of thing around here?


I love a pun, a current pun is my favorite.


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## odyssey06 (27 Jan 2021)

Peanuts20 said:


> Far from mini chorizo bites we were rared on.........  Have they got notions on DNS now?



Still waiting for gourmet coddle with rare breed free range pork...


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## mathepac (27 Jan 2021)

Peanuts20 said:


> Have they got notions on DNS now?


I blame Ryan and his Green party with their plans to extend the light-rail system onto DNS by cutting down trees, ripping up two parks, building otherwise unnecessary bridges and car-parks.  It's the thin end of the prawn sand-wedge, as Keano might say.


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## Purple (27 Jan 2021)

mathepac said:


> I blame Ryan and his Green party with their plans to extend the light-rail system onto DNS by cutting down trees, ripping up two parks, building otherwise unnecessary bridges and car-parks.  It's the thin end of the prawn sand-wedge, as Keano might say.


How else is the help meant to get over to the South Side to clean and houses and do the gardens and whatnot.


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## mathepac (27 Jan 2021)

It's the "whatnot" worries one.


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## joe sod (27 Jan 2021)

Purple said:


> We don't produce anywhere near enough wheat suitable for flour. About 50% of our flour is imported and most of the wheat used by the 3 Mills here is also imported. It would be more correct to say "almost none".


We only have one proper flower mill in Portarlington for Odlums owned by Valeo, its been there a very long time. We dont have the weather to produce proper milling flower need lots of sunshine for that. most of the wheat for milling comes from Canada


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## Purple (28 Jan 2021)

mathepac said:


> It's the "whatnot" worries one.


Would you prefer "such and such"?


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## odyssey06 (28 Jan 2021)

mathepac said:


> I blame Ryan and his Green party with their plans to extend the light-rail system onto DNS by cutting down trees, ripping up two parks, building otherwise unnecessary bridges and car-parks.  It's the thin end of the prawn sand-wedge, as Keano might say.



There should be a tunnel, like in Monaco, so the plebs are kept hidden from view and not allowed to look at the palaces.


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## Purple (28 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> There should be a tunnel, like in Monaco, so the plebs are kept hidden from view and not allowed to look at the palaces.


Great idea! Isn't there one under the Phoenix Park for just such a need?


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## odyssey06 (28 Jan 2021)

Purple said:


> Great idea! Isn't there one under the Phoenix Park for just such a need?



Yes, the president didn't want his thoughts disturbed by sightseers and loud trains.


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## Purple (28 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> Yes, the president didn't want his thoughts disturbed by sightseers and loud trains.


And rightly so, for a man regarded as the greatest living Irishman by the greatest living Irish poet and intellectual.*

*ref M.D. Higgins


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## odyssey06 (28 Jan 2021)

Purple said:


> And rightly so, for a man regarded as the greatest living Irishman by the greatest living Irish poet and intellectual.*
> *ref M.D. Higgins



And a man of the people too.


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## Purple (28 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> And a man of the people too.


Yes, He manages to get by on his Salary, Ministerial pension, NUIG pension and rental income from his investment property in Galway (I don't know if he's renting out his house there). If the Presidential Pension of €180,000 and the Ministerial Pension of €169,952 and his NUIG pensions don't cover the bills when he retires he could always rent out his apartment in Mount St. in Dublin where his daughter currently lives. 
A man of the people indeed.


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## odyssey06 (28 Jan 2021)

Purple said:


> Yes, He manages to get by on his Salary, Ministerial pension, NUIG pension and rental income from his investment property in Galway (I don't know if he's renting out his house there). If the Presidential Pension of €180,000 and the Ministerial Pension of €169,952 and his NUIG pensions don't cover the bills when he retires he could always rent out his apartment in Mount St. in Dublin where his daughter currently lives.
> A man of the people indeed.



A man 'of' the people not among them. We are not worthy.


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## Purple (28 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> A man 'of' the people not among them. We are not worthy.


I am wrong; while in office he has gifted his Ministerial Pension to the people of Ireland. While in office he'll get by on his salary of just under €250,000 plus free room and board. I presume he's taking his €19,000 NUIG Pension though. I suppose he need a little extra in case the €317,000 in allowances doesn't cover everything.

Having said that we are lucky to have him. As he has pointed out himself he's been on the right side of every social issue in this country for the last 40 years. He's an intellectual and moral giant so he is.


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## Peanuts20 (29 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> There should be a tunnel, like in Monaco, so the plebs are kept hidden from view and not allowed to look at the palaces.



Bit like London when you pass through Shepards Bush, through Shepards Bush roundabout and then go into Holland Park, it's bizarre how one side of a roundabout is like a different city to the other


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## Deiseblue (29 Jan 2021)

Peanuts20 said:


> Far from mini chorizo bites we were rared on.........  Have they got notions on DNS now?


My paternal Grandfather was a retired Flight Commander who served in the Royal Flying Corps during WW1 seeing action in Mesopatamia , France and post war in Cairo and my Grandmother was a marvellous cook and Baker who went to Cairo with her husband .
On returning to Waterford after many years my grandmother owned a confectionery shop and also cooked to order.
My Grandfather's taste in food was heavily influenced by his postings and my Grandmother's by her catering business.
As a child in the sixties I have vivid memories of eating goat curry with various chutneys,lobster au gratin,jugged hare,crab,mock turtle soup and my favourite-wilful,reckless pudding !
I still have my Grandmother's hand written cook book which spans a 50 year period up to her death.


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## odyssey06 (29 Jan 2021)

Deiseblue said:


> My paternal Grandfather was a retired Flight Commander who served in the Royal Flying Corps during WW1 seeing action in Mesopatamia , France and post war in Cairo and my Grandmother was a marvellous cook and Baker who went to Cairo with her husband .
> On returning to Waterford after many years my grandmother owned a confectionery shop and also cooked to order.
> My Grandfather's taste in food was heavily influenced by his postings and my Grandmother's by her catering business.
> As a child in the sixties I have vivid memories of eating goat curry with various chutneys,lobster au gratin,jugged hare,crab,mock turtle soup and my favourite-wilful,reckless pudding !
> I still have my Grandmother's hand written cook book which spans a 50 year period up to her death.



It sounds like you were living in an Elizabeth Bowen novel


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## Purple (30 Jan 2021)

Deiseblue said:


> My paternal Grandfather was a retired Flight Commander who served in the Royal Flying Corps during WW1 seeing action in Mesopatamia , France and post war in Cairo and my Grandmother was a marvellous cook and Baker who went to Cairo with her husband .
> On returning to Waterford after many years my grandmother owned a confectionery shop and also cooked to order.
> My Grandfather's taste in food was heavily influenced by his postings and my Grandmother's by her catering business.
> As a child in the sixties I have vivid memories of eating goat curry with various chutneys,lobster au gratin,jugged hare,crab,mock turtle soup and my favourite-wilful,reckless pudding !
> I still have my Grandmother's hand written cook book which spans a 50 year period up to her death.


With a pedigree like that you could be writing a column for the Irish Times!


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## mathepac (30 Jan 2021)

I thought @Deiseblue wrote all the columns in the Irish Times!


Deiseblue said:


> I still have my Grandmother's hand written cook book which spans a 50 year period up to her death.


Publish or be damned*  Alternative Irish cooking. 

*Recoining a phrase


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