UK Twitter Proves Again That Being Short On Salad Doesn't Mean Being Short On Jokes

"Who needs tomatoes. We have sovereignty."
Empty tomato section is seen on shelves at Tesco supermarket in London, Britain, February 21, 2023.
Empty tomato section is seen on shelves at Tesco supermarket in London, Britain, February 21, 2023.
Toby Melville via Reuters

We might not have many tomatoes, cucumber or peppers right now, but we do have an abundance of dry British humour to spare.

Tesco, Aldi, Asda and Morrisons have all announced they are rationing salad ingredients for a few weeks, supposedly due to poor weather in southern Europe.

“Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges on some products that are grown in southern Spain and north Africa,” an Asda spokesman explained.

“We have introduced a temporary limit of three of each product on a very small number of fruit and vegetable lines, so customers can pick up the products they are looking for.”

Sainsbury’s, Lidl and Waitrose are yet to introduce restrictions on how many vegetables consumers can buy at a time, but experts have warned that these delays could last for weeks.

Still – Twitter is managing to see the funny side of this pretty bleak period.

For instance, the jokes about Liz Truss and the lettuce which outlasted her have returned.

Lettuce and tomato shortage leads to debate over whether Brexit is to blame, sparking angry exchanges on Facebook between leaf and romaine supporters.

— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) February 22, 2023

Worried that with everywhere rationing salad, Liz Truss won't have any real political opposition if she tries to rise to power again.

— Tiernan Douieb (@TiernanDouieb) February 21, 2023

Others are going back to basics, and bargaining off their fresh produce.

Yesterday I purchased some tomatoes and for a modest fee I will let you see them.#TomatoShortages #brexitrationing

— Julian Rowlands @jrbando@c.im 🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@jrbando) February 23, 2023

Bought fresh this afternoon. Bidding starts at £10...#TomatoShortages pic.twitter.com/8gpbzkKDN5

— AlfieVille (@AlfieVille) February 22, 2023

There’s always one joker. Seen on Facebook Marketplace. #Tomato #TomatoShortages pic.twitter.com/4LlJFHlILJ

— BQMagEditor (@BqEditor) February 23, 2023

Okay, so I have two tomatoes - willing to swap them for a two bed house or one bed flat in London #foodshortages pic.twitter.com/nZBkZFITvt

— Dr Kelly 🏳️🌈🇪🇺 (@KellyQuilt) February 21, 2023

Of course, there are the subtle (and not so subtle) digs at the consequences of Brexit.

2016: sunlit uplands

2023: 'Security to checkout - someone's trying to buy two cucumbers' https://t.co/kPAntwGkjp

— Toby Earle 🇺🇦 (@TobyonTV) February 21, 2023

It may be a supply chain problem, who knows. #r4today #TomatoShortages #Brexit pic.twitter.com/52DNnEqFNI

— J-Lux352 (@LuxJude352) February 23, 2023

Next Brexit benefit: Rickets https://t.co/e9d0BAcEjt

— Lady Scarborough 💙 (@Scarborough_GB) February 21, 2023

Well France is getting plenty of local, Spanish and Moroccan tomatoes.

Beautiful choice too… Free marketeers love choice. pic.twitter.com/SyqC95Kb4V

— Dr Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) February 22, 2023

one of the great advantages of Brexit is less queuing in shops because there is no food to buy pic.twitter.com/CprBGBcU9P

— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@mrdavemacleod) February 22, 2023

How Brexit is analysed in Britain. A tomato timeline.

There is no tomato shortage
There are shortages in some areas.
The shortages are nothing to do with Brexit.
Brexit may have had some small impact but remember the vaccines.
We didn't have tomatoes during the war.#r4today

— Gerry McK (@GMcK2012) February 22, 2023

BREAKING: Due to empty store shelves, the prime minister has announced the introduction of blue ration books! This would not have been possible if we were still in the EU 😍

— Laura Kuenssberg beyond parody (@LKTranslator) February 22, 2023

oh for the salad days of youth

— Carl Robichaud (@CarlRobichaud) February 22, 2023

Why wasn't salad rationed when I was young? Kids these days have all the luck.

— Sam Freedman (@Samfr) February 22, 2023

You didn't like Polish nurses, so now you can't have cucumbers.

— Danny Wallace (@dannywallace) February 22, 2023

"Who needs tomatoes. We have sovereignty."

— Edwin Hayward 🦄 🗡 (@edwinhayward) February 23, 2023

Former Brexit secretary and current deputy PM Dominic Raab got an unflattering mention.

Terms and conditions apply. Offer excludes salad items. See your nearest supermarket for details. pic.twitter.com/p1KPnohvPq

— Henry Mance (@henrymance) February 22, 2023

Even ITV’s This Morning with Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby got dragged (they offered to pay people’s energy bills as part of a game at the height of the energy crisis in September).

Wait until ITV hears there's a fruit and veg shortage in the UK pic.twitter.com/AN9u56Z06e

— SHANE REACTION (@imshanereaction) February 22, 2023

And then, there were the forward-planners.

We used to go on a booze cruise to stock up with cheap alcohol from French hyper-markets. I’m planning a trip to buy tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. #TomatoShortages

— Alcamilla Mollis (@AlcamillaMollis) February 23, 2023

Just ordered my tomato and cucumber seeds for the summer. #TomatoShortages pic.twitter.com/mZZ4ZuUiqi

— Chitterin’licht! (@Chitterinlicht) February 22, 2023

I've had to put extra security in at home..

I've got two peppers and a punnet of tomatoes in the fridge 🤫#BrexitFoodShortages

— Stormzy💙 (@Nurseborisbash) February 22, 2023
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