Supermarkets all have free from sections. None of the things I have seen are free from or even low carb. It is infuriating.The total number of sufferers is irrelevant.
It is the number of people who adopt dietary restrictions who matter.
Unfortunately the vast majority of T2Ds don't seem to be adopting a low carb lifestyle - so until they do there won't be a sustainable market for specialist products.
Whereas I think coeliacs (and other people with e.g. IBS) see gluten free as a way to eat bread without the problems, and there is a thriving market.
My personal view is that T2Ds shouldn't be eating bread at all - but I find it easier to just give something up than dole out a finely controlled ration each day.
As the very reasonable response said, it wasn't selling.
So blame the customers, not the store.
Cheers
LGC
Hello
It's some time since I logged into the forums, but I just wanted to make you all aware, especially those on reduced or low carb diets, that Waitrose, in their wisdom, have decided this week to stop all stocks of 'LivLife low carb Bread'.
Apparently, they 'do not have the shelf space' to cater for Diabetics or low carb products!
Now, as I pointed out in store this morning to their Customer Services person, they manage to find shelf space for hundreds of loaves of standard sliced bread, many of which are identical and also in fact duplicate products, just under different brand names. There are rows and rows of the same standard white bread, the same wholemeal, the same granary, the same grain breads, all standard recipes and standard high carbs, just different brands.
Yet 'LivLife' is (was) the ONLY low carb loaf of bread available in the uk. and it is the ONLY bread that many Diabetics, like myself, can eat without any negative effect on our blood sugar levels (I eat it every day, and my HbA1C was 6.2 last reading, 6.5 before that!). And it's not just eaten by Diabetics either! I know people who eat it as it doesn't bloat them like standard bread.
If like me, you low carb, or are maybe just keen to see more choices and alternatives for healthier breads on the supermarket shelves, or wish to alert the big stores to the benefits of stocking at least ONE low carb and diabetic-friendly bread to their offerings, then please, PLEASE join me and send a written, email request to the man who made the decision to delete LIVLIFE Low Carb bread from Waitrose stores to reconsider his decision, and provide at least ONE choice of bread for us Diabetics !
I mean, Waitrose are quick to jump on the "healthy" bandwagon, and stock hundreds of "Gluten Free" and "Free From" ranges, even though there are statistically far fewer genuine Coeliacs in the UK than Diabetics... and while I don't wish to knock anyone (with a health condition or not) many people just think it's 'trendy' to say they have a "Gluten intolerance", when they have NO intolerance at all, let alone any genuine or medical need to buy Gluten Free products.
Yet millions of Diabetics in the uk DO have a proven Medical condition, and one which is adversely affected by carbohydrate intake!
So, exactly how many of the millions of loaves of bread which are currently stocked on supermarket shelves are suitable for Diabetics or low carbers??? NONE! (as of this week, thanks to Waitrose's decision to stop selling LivLife Bread!).
Please, even if you aren't a low-carber, write them a short message/email and let them know that there should at least be ONE choice of bread available for Diabetics! Lord knows they give over enough space in supermarkets to sugar-filled junk foods, highly processed snacks and other unhealthy options!
If you want to join me in sending a message to the man responsible, here'e his contact details:
James.dickson@waitrose.co.uk
that's
james . dickson @ waitrose . co . uk (just in case hyperlink doesn't work!)
Please join me in dropping him a line. Without any action we are all (well.. many of us!) doomed to a life of avoiding the bread aisles... a life devoid of yummy sandwiches... or hot crunchy toast with butter and homemade Diabetic jam.... or LCHF Cheese toasties...... or low carb Bruscettas... {
Thank you everyone !
p.s. I mention Waitrose only because they are the only major supermarket who did stock LIVLIFE bread, and who this week suddenly decided to stop it. There are no other supermarkets stocking it (in spite of my email requests to the other supermarkets in my area). So please, if you do send a message or letter or email to Waitrose, please copy it also to the to other supermarkets in your area, or even better, their Head Offices or their Customer Service Heads or their Bakery Directors!!
... and now I'm off to re-think my breakfast and lunch options... all over again.. like going back to when I was first diagnosed and didn't know what to eat
I tried our nearest Morrisons yesterday with no joy. It's not a wee shop either...it's like an aircraft hangar.I bought the LivLife loaf in a Morrisons store two weeks ago and paid less for it than I did in Waitrose unsurprisingly.
Haven't been in store recently so dont know if still stocked.
Will try mine again at the weekend.I tried our nearest Morrisons yesterday with no joy. It's not a wee shop either...it's like an aircraft hangar.
Good afternoon and thank you for writing to Waitrose on the subject of Livlife sliced bread.
I am sorry that you have been disappointed by the recent decision to remove this line from our shelves - the reason was actually very simple, and you elude to it in your note..... low sales and very high wastage, something which a business cannot overlook entirely.
When we first ranged this product it was certainly seen as visionary. Bringing a healthy low carb approach to a category that has historically tended to limit itself to the conventional high fibre, blended flours or heavily seeded approach to health was very different, and we launched it with high hopes...
In the end the outcome has been less than successful, which is most disappointing, because we had hoped this product might mark the start of a new and fresh piece of thinking that we could build on in the coming months - sadly not.
However, because we are of the view that the line still has the potential to break new ground, our intention is to take stock and consider relaunching the line in the wrapped speciality breads category, chiefly to see if this might prove a more successful 'home' for this product. If this were to happen then it would be a month or two away before this would be seen in-store.
That's where we are and why, so I hope this reassures you that our decision to take this line out was not a rash one, and that we remain focused on trying to make this peoduct work.
Loving life
Some of us can eat a couple of slices of bread so should we stopWith any business, it's the bottom line that makes the final decision.
The thing I don't get is why so many people act as if bread is necessary. It isn't.
I haven't bought it for years, then got a couple of Livlife loaves out of curiosity, froze them, and still have half a loaf 4 months later. It was curiosity, not need.
Oh, I like a good croissant, fresh crusty loaf, etc. but really, they might as well be poison for what they do to my BG. Livlife is not the kind of bread I adore, it is a bit tough, a bit dry, and only really good for toast.
it is called HiLoYou may have lost a loaf, but the manufacturer of Livlife has lost its biggest customer. Gotta feel for them. Maybe they have plans to supply a different supermarket?
I believe Sainsburys do a low carb loaf now. Don't know what it's called as they don't sell it in Scotland
Some of us can eat a couple of slices of bread so should we stop
it is called HiLo
Some of us can eat a couple of slices of bread so should we stopWith any business, it's the bottom line that makes the final decision.
The thing I don't get is why so many people act as if bread is necessary. It isn't.
I haven't bought it for years, then got a couple of Livlife loaves out of curiosity, froze them, and still have half a loaf 4 months later. It was curiosity, not need.
Oh, I like a good croissant, fresh crusty loaf, etc. but really, they might as well be poison for what they do to my BG. Livlife is not the kind of bread I adore, it is a bit tough, a bit dry, and only really good for toast.
Maybe not actually necessary but some of us can eat some so why not. I always have a slice of toasted. Bergen bread with my breakfast and I enjoy itWith any business, it's the bottom line that makes the final decision.
The thing I don't get is why so many people act as if bread is necessary. It isn't.
I haven't bought it for years, then got a couple of Livlife loaves out of curiosity, froze them, and still have half a loaf 4 months later. It was curiosity, not need.
Oh, I like a good croissant, fresh crusty loaf, etc. but really, they might as well be poison for what they do to my BG. Livlife is not the kind of bread I adore, it is a bit tough, a bit dry, and only really good for toast.
Some of us can eat a couple of slices of bread so should we stop
Maybe not actually necessary but some of us can eat some so why not. I always have a slice of toasted. Bergen bread with my breakfast and I enjoy it
There is a huge difference in people that frequent your stores compared to Tesco etc. I commented on this fact to my partner whilst sat in your cafe in Rushden last week. There were less obese people in your store in Rushden compared to all other supermarkets that we have shopped at... Looking at your stores and the ranges of foods is the reason why. You do not specialise in junk, carb high foods.
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