Barratt and Camurri Expand Pantries as UK Launches Be Ready Push

The UK government launched a campaign on Thursday urging residents to store three days of emergency supplies.

Lawrence Barratt in Hythe, Hampshire, began adding tinned and dried goods to his weekly shopping routine about two weeks ago. He is accumulating beans, soups, chilli con carne, noodles, and rice that can be cooked with bottled water. His goal is to feed two people for 72 hours. He has also acquired a first aid kit, a battery-powered FM radio, and a torch. Barratt uses a portable power bank intended for camping, which he believes can charge phones, power a television, and run a small fan heater. He stated that the government’s Be Ready website made him realize he would be "completely unprepared for anything." His decision was also influenced by memories of empty shelves during the first lockdown in 2020.

Marco Camurri in Greenwich, London, has been preparing for several months. His family is collecting pasta, passata, stock cubes, tinned food, bottled water, medicines, and toilet paper. Camurri noted that the household keeps power banks charged, USB rechargeable flashlights, matches, and lighters. They also store wood in their garden to light a barbecue and boil water if necessary. The family maintains its fuel tank above 50 percent, which equals about 300 miles of driving. Camurri explained that they began preparing when reports of supply chain disruptions linked to El Niño emerged. He described the process as similar to doing one extra week of shopping for staples because they eat what they stock. The family is now creating a spreadsheet of expiry dates for their "Doomsday Stash" to ensure items are rotated before they spoil.

Jack Davenport in North Shields, Northumberland, also cited El Niño as a reason to start stockpiling. He described it as "hard to judge the size" of threats facing the country, pointing to climate disasters, Russian shadow threats, artificial intelligence, and interest rate rises. Davenport characterized the country’s physical and technological infrastructure as "creaking and outdated." He suggested the government aims to "reduce long-term panic" by framing such events as possible, noting that several generations have not faced the hardship common before World War II.

Deirdre O’Sullivan in Leicester called the guidance "daft." She compared it to 1970s advice to hide under a table during a nuclear attack. O’Sullivan argued that the advice is inadequate for a genuine emergency because dangers to drinking water should be anticipated more precisely. She stated that an extreme food shortage would become apparent over a much longer period. She likened the policy to something from the sitcom Yes Minister, designed to demonstrate a policy exists even if it is "clearly totally useless."

The government’s Be Ready campaign targets a wide range of potential emergencies, including those related to climate change and state-sponsored terrorism. Ministers have issued similar warnings for several months prior to the formal launch. The campaign encourages households to plan for disruptions to food, water, power, and communication services.