Had the last delivery of asparagus this week. It didn’t stay on the shelves very long. Rhubarb is still in high demand and readily available. Think we’ll be getting our first delivery of baby carrots soon.
Homegrown rhubarb is now in stock although the deliveries from another supplier were much appreciated to bridge the gap.
A few Bijou mangetout on the shelves but most of them are being withheld from sale to guarantee supplies for next year.
Salads looked a bit past their best but the shopkeeper assured me its just a temporary blip and there will be more deliveries soon. Don't rely on him though, as he said the same about strawberries and tomatoes - he'll say anything to keep his customers coming through the door.
Shopkeeper was very proud of the one chilli he had but refused to sell it, he said it was for display purposes only. The chard on the shelves is very good but he says make the most of it, as suppliers say the spring stock is outliving it's allotted space and therefore stocks will be low until later in the season. There is the odd tomato and strawberry on the counter with a meagre supply of mangetout, all very tasty but not in huge quantities.
Plenty of Rhubarb, lettuce, and radishes, limited stocks of kale and chard.
So really not much in the store just promises of eventual new stock arriving.
Has anyone else noticed how expensive everything is in the Little Shop at the moment?
It doesn't matter what I ask for, the Shopkeeper has some excuse for not supplying it - "First of the season - saving it for my "special" customers (not me!!)" or "It'll be in stock next week, come back then".
There are window displays, beautifully arranged to tempt you, but he won't sell them to anyone. Probably eats them himself when nobody's looking.
My shopkeeper is very sympathetic but he blames the management. He says they haven't got a clue about continuity of supply. He says take heart because he knows full well after the supply problems now, in a few weeks there will be glut of beans and courgettes.
I’m finding my shopkeeper is preoccupied by something. Normally have to shout for assistants, because he’s out the back doing things with metal work or restoring tables. That’s if the shop is open at all. The supply is really quite pitiful. Although there is a very good supply of chive flowers. Rhubarb is still in stock. Strawberries and carrots are starting to trickle onto the shelves. That’s about it for a good few weeks from what I can tell.
Our little shop has a special counter in the poly tunnel, lots of carrots, just got a big supply of white and pink garlic, kale, cabbage, even some nice small caulis, just took delivery of some new season potatoes, lots of strawberries. Red and white spring onions, occasional supply of small rhubarb and a great supply of herbs parsley, thyme, lemon thyme, rosemary and in a few weeks there will be some sage.
Finally, the Shopkeeper has opened the fruit counter up to the public and there were some expensive raspberries in stock this morning.
When you've waited all year for that first juicy raspberry, its worth paying that little bit extra.
Managed to get hold of a handful of DFBs too so very satisfied with my shopping excursion.
Shopkeeper only had samples of raspberries and strawberries on show (not for sale) but plenty of garlic and onions. New potatoes may be available from tomorrow.