Britain 2018: Where You Can Seriously Ask The Question Whether You Should Stock Up On Food And Whether The Jack Monroe Doctrine Is To Be Followed

Hello there.. Hope you're feeling well today.

Well it's Britain 2018. Come March 2019 it leaves the EU and slowly, in drip by drip form the Dark Brexit scenario comes into play as it's predictors have explained.

Now as I've said before I don't belive a Dark Hard Brexit will come. If only because the consequences for the governing Conservative party would be disasterous (doesn't mean life will be better than when were in the EU mind. That I don't believe.).Still when reports come in of a shortage of fuel, factory closures and Amazon suggesting that in a worst case scenario there could be civil unrest then you need to sit up and take notice.

But of all the consequences of a hard Brexit that has made the news recently it's the idea of food shortages that has really made the headlines. The idea that shop shelves will be bare come April next year. Indeed the UK government are building up a stockpile of food in preparedness for a hard Brexit.

This action by the government begs the question. If they can stockpile food. Then why can't I?

I've even worked on the plan. From this month I'd buy five items a week to hoard. For the moment it would be just canned items but as March moves closer other things will be included. That way if Dark Hard Brexit does come then at least for a few weeks myself and the family would be covered.

Also if there is a Dark Hard Brexit then I'd give one fifth of the hoarded stockpile to a foodbank. Because the consequences to the poorest in our society will be disastrous. And if we're talking about civil unrest that's where it will start. Because a hungry people will be an angry people.

(And if the Brexit is soft by the way I'd give all the stockpile to the foodbank)

Now I haven't done this yet. But the fact that I can seriously consider it to the point of planning without being considered a madman tells you all you need to know about Britain today under the Conservatives.

Which leads us to talk about cookery writer Jack Monroe. Whose struggles looking after a young son lead her make imaginative recipes with basic ingredients on the most smallest of budgets. Her first cookery book was called A Girl Called Jack, which I bought and like most of the cookery books I have was promptly put to one side as I succumbed to the seductive charms of ready meals and the microwave.

But the thing is this. Initially Ms Monroe's books appealed to those on low incomes. If however there is a Dark Hard Brexit then she will find a whole new audience in people who might be just about managing but are struggling to find ingredients even if the prices were reasonable.

So there is a good chance that post Brexit Ms Monroe will find herself the go to cookery writer of the moment (after all in a Dark Hard Brexit world few of us could go Nigella). Which then led me to think that perhaps the best thing to do would be to practice.

What I'm going to do is to go through all her recipes and see whether I can get the ingredients in either Penarth or Barry Town (I live between both) and what happens when I cook them. If you expect an ingredient list or a blow by blow account of the recipe then you'll be disappointed as that's her copyrighted work. But what I want to see is in a Dark Hard Brexit world whether the family can adapt to this most different kind of cookbook. Because in that scenario it has to until goodness knows when.

In a Dark Hard Brexit Ms Monroe has the potential of being, not just the most important cookery writer but the most important writer of the moment.

That's why the Jack Monroe doctrine is important.

Until the next time.