It's 8.20am on a Thursday morning. Students are walking, cars are queueing and parents are panicking as the lights turn green at the junction from 'hell'.
22.02.2023 - 00:25 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Finding a fresh tomato in a supermarket in Manchester right now is a bit like taking part in a task on the Crystal Maze - you’re either extremely lucky and get through, or you get locked out until one of your friend’s can save the day with a tin of chopped tomatoes from the back of their cupboard.
A number of supermarkets have already issued warnings to shoppers that supply chain issues are affecting stock of tomatoes, but experts are now warning that several other staple vegetables could soon face rations in a bid to tackle limited supplies.
And it can already be seen in the aisles of some of Manchester’s leading supermarkets. Visiting Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Iceland, and Marks & Spencer today, we were greeted by a number of empty shelves where tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, celery and broccoli should have been.
READ MORE: Ed Sheeran fans rushing to buy singers brand new Heinz hot sauce ‘Tingly Teds’
On a Tuesday afternoon in Old Trafford, only two of the five supermarkets we visited - Tesco and Iceland - had a ‘handful’ of salad tomatoes left, with stock seemingly wiped out elsewhere. Meanwhile, tins of tomato sauces and chopped tomatoes remained fully available in the aisles of all the shops we visited.
We could only find a small number of fresh peppers in Tesco, with the four other stores having sold out. Fresh iceberg lettuce was also low everywhere, but the less-favoured rocket was slightly more available.
Amongst the sea of empty boxes of produce lay signs informing shoppers that a number of salad ingredients were out of stock ‘due to adverse weather conditions in Spain and Morocco’, but stock was expected back on the shelves soon.
Weather and environmental factors are one of the primary reasons for the shortages, and
It's 8.20am on a Thursday morning. Students are walking, cars are queueing and parents are panicking as the lights turn green at the junction from 'hell'.
Councils have been setting their annual budgets over the last few weeks. This includes the difficult decision of whether to raise council tax and by how much.
Many of us will have woken up to see our gardens submerged in snow, and found ourselves battling blizzards on the journey to work or school in recent days.
Every Saturday morning, thousands of people lace up their running shoes and set out on parkrun routes across the country.
Forecasters have issued another warning for icy weather in Greater Manchester this weekend. But with a bit of luck we might have seen the back of the snow... for now.
It's finally Friday, which means it's nearly time for another EuroMillions draw - and you could be winning big.
Hotel rooms for Ed Sheeran's visit to Manchester later this month have leaped in price since tickets went on sale for the concert.
Schools across Greater Manchester will close today after heavy snowfall across the region.
A 21-hour weather warning for snow is now in place across parts of Greater Manchester.
The weather will turn wintry in Greater Manchester tomorrow (Thursday, March 9), with snow forecast to fall across some boroughs.
Snow is expected to fall across Greater Manchester tomorrow as temperatures dip below freezing.
An update from the Met Office has shown how much snow is expected to fall in Greater Manchester this week.
Comedian and West End star Jason Manford wore his heart on his sleeve last week when he donned a special suit on the ITV singing contest Starstruck. Jason, from Salford, looked dapper in suit designed by a Kent fashion student.
Met Office forecasts predict snow to drop across Greater Manchester next week as freezing winds sweep across the country.
Officers have issued an urgent appeal for help tracking down a wanted man in Greater Manchester. Police in Tameside are trying to trace Stuart Mitchell.
Robots will soon be delivering bags of shopping in Greater Manchester to help customers with their 'busy lives'. Small white robots, that travel solo along the pavement, were designed by Starship, offering 'meals on six wheels'.
Hundreds of young people across Greater Manchester are to get free cycle hire, in a new promotion announced by Mayor Andy Burnham. The first 1,000 Our Pass members to sign up for the offer will get 50 minutes free 'bee bike' hire in March, April and May.
Ed Sheeran has surprised fans by announcing details of a UK and European arena tour that kicks off later this month. Check out full dates and ticket details below.The news comes after the singer-songwriter today (March 1) announced details of new album ‘-‘ (‘Subtract’), his fifth LP to date and the final in his “mathematical album era” of records named after symbols.To launch and celebrate the new material, Sheeran will be playing dates in Manchester, London, Glasgow and Dublin this month, with a once-off show in Paris in April.
Many of Greater Manchester's levelling up fund bids were 'guaranteed to fail' as the Government changed the selection criteria after applications had been received, councillors have heard. In January, Greater Manchester missed out on more than £276m of Levelling Up money in the latest round of funding announced by the government.
Greater Manchester was hit with intense pressures this winter as strains on the NHS rose to unprecedented heights. But health bosses have admitted those same challenges will continue even as the spring approaches.