Mum, 49, slams Lidl for 'barring' her from buying 100 cucumbers for juice business as supermarkets ration fruit and veg
22 February 2023, 16:49
A 49-year-old mum has hit out at Lidl for "barring" her from buying 100 cucumbers for her juice business amid fruit and veg supply shortages.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Lisa Fearns buys around 100 cucumbers at Lidl every week to create detox juices for her business - and has done so for the past three years.
But last weekend, the 49-year-old mum was stopped at the checkout, with the manager rushing over to "bar" her from emptying the shelves of cucumbers.
She joked that she would have to become "a cucumber dealer" to deal with limits in place.
Ms Fearns said in a Facebook post: "Wtf???? What the actual f***ity f***!!!
"So there is going to be a tomatoe and cucumber shortage...not a**ed about the tomatoes.
"I need about 80 to 100 cucumbers every Sunday for juicing... I've already been barred from Lidl (for purchasing to much fruit and veg).
"So I've moved on now from that, didn't like there cucumbers anyway.
"So I'm going to have to just become a cucumber dealer.
"I'll keep you cucumber people updated on all deals."
It comes as some of the UK's biggest supermarkets have announced rationing for their fruit and veg in recent days to deal with sudden supply shortages.
Tesco, Aldi, Asda and Morrisons have limited fruit and veg, including tomatoes and cucumbers, to just three packs.
Meanwhile, other supermarket giants Sainsbury's, M&S and Waitrose are yet to impose any restrictions.
Lidl has not introduced any strict rules around fruit and veg yet either, despite a worker stepping in to stop Ms Fearns.
The need for rationing comes because of shortages caused by poor harvests in Spain and north Africa but compounded by the effects of Brexit.
A Lidl spokesperson said: "As a supermarket we want to ensure that all of our customers have access to the products they need, and we are therefore unfortunately not able to facilitate wholesale purchases.
"We thank shoppers for their understanding and consideration of other customers."
