[jwin742]

> Over the pandemic I never had an issue finding basics like flour

flour was almost impossible to buy early in the pandemic in the US at least. Seemed like more of a demand side issue as everyone (including me) started baking bread at home. It took months for them to start having full stocks of flour again.

[sdenton4]

One pound bags of flour coming to grocery stores through the grocery supply chains were in high demand, because previously almost no one bought flour on that channel. Meanwhile, bakeries kept on trucking along, AFAICT, with an uninterrupted supply of 50lb bags from the non-retail supply chain.

[Super_Jambo]

Yup, in the UK the local butcher started selling flour in clear plastic bags with a hand written sticker on it.

I guess they had an existing relationship with flour wholesale to make their pie pastry and just re-bagged it in house.

[83]

At least in the midwest that was just the retail small bags of flour. I noticed the same as other comments - none of the restaurant supply stores around me were ever out of 50lb bags of flour, which is what I ended up buying. Yeast was a little more scarce however, even the bulk bags.