SOUTH DUNEDIN PAK'NSAVE OUT OF BREAD BY 9.15AM OVER FROST WARNING OF MINUS ONE
The forecast said light frost. The shoppers heard apocalypse.
A minus-one frost warning for South Dunedin has stripped the King Edward Street Pak'nSave of bread and milk by 9.15am Tuesday, with a queue out the door of people clutching Vogel's like life rafts.
The forecast described conditions as "a light ground frost". That was enough to empty the bread aisle before sunrise. By the time pensioners arrived for their usual Tuesday shop, all that was left was a squashed bag of hot dog rolls and a gluten-free loaf nobody wanted.
Shopper Moana Ferguson, 64, said she'd come in for milk and left with peas and a sense of betrayal. "I've lived here forty years! A bit of frost and they're carrying on like it's the Antarctic. My Neville's still got the gas ring from '06, we'll be fine."
A duty manager confirmed they were cleaned out of full-cream, trim, and "the blue one nobody usually buys". She said the bakery was going hammer and tongs but couldn't keep up. "One bloke bought eleven loaves. Eleven! He lives alone. I asked."
Down the road at Mitchell's — shoutout to Kahu on the coffee machine, legend!! — a queue had formed of people who'd given up on bread and decided to wait the frost out indoors. Kahu said tips were up and patience was down.
The frost arrived at 4am, lasted twenty minutes, and was gone before the milk truck did its second run.
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Reader Letters
couchgremlin
Lol, South Dunedin!
Garry (Halswell)
People panic over everything these days. Minus one is nothing! Back in my day, we waded through waist-high snow to get our bread. And trust me, we didn't stockpile a year's worth of Vogel's and milk. Some common sense, aye.
tired_in_riccarton
If everyone read the weather report instead of just copying their neighbour, we'd all have more time for a proper cooked breakfast instead of rushing out for bread.
conspiracy_col
Mate, that sounds like the council is controlling the supermarkets now. THEY want us to panic buy, get us reliant on their emergency services. We're walking right into their trap every time it gets a bit chilly.
rocky
mate that's not even what they said
CoffeeLover23
Kahu at Mitchell's deserves a medal! At least someone kept calm and carried on, unlike those frantic Vogel's hoarders. The real hero of winter madness.
central_otago_barry
South Dunedin's a soft touch! We get a light frost up in Central and nobody bats an eye. Harden up!
Margaret_SouthD
@central_otago_barry It's not just about frost, mate. It's the community spirit. Who's got your back when the bread's gone?
emma.dunedin
I reckon it's more about people wanting to get the good bread before it's gone. You know how quickly Vogel's goes off the shelves! Fair play to ‘em for being organised.