Ok, we don’t mean to alarm you but, according to the latest reports, Christmas dinner plates could be at risk of scrimping on a major component as there is a threat of a roast potato shortage this holiday season.
Please, for the love of all things holy and festive, no — we’ll do anything to protect our roasties and gravy.
While there’s often talk of supermarket shortages and supply problems when it comes to the busiest time of year, it seems that the Great British potato-loving people might genuinely have to cut back on the amount of roast spuds we intend to eat over the next few months due to recent storms.
Following what has already gone down as one of the toughest harvests on record, the yield of potato crops has been hit hard by the ‘Autumn washout’, with fields being waterlogged by the likes of Storm Babet, Ciarán, Debi and more, meaning that farmers have been unable to harvest lots of their produce.
Christmas dinner roast potatoes under threat as storms lead to 'lowest crop on record' https://t.co/7XjGkEth6c
Farmer James Lacey explained how there is around £200,000 worth of potatoes that he and his team simply can’t harvest and that they are struggling to hold on to those already pulled out, as even such sturdy vegetables as potatoes just “don’t like this kind of weather and aren’t storing very well”.
This is just the story of one farmer’s plot of land too; unfortunately, current figures project that roughly 20% of this autumn’s potato crop has been flooded and will likely be unsalvageable, with the majority of rotting spuds only fit for animal feed.
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Although the figures are still unclear, it is estimated that the latest potato crop is tipped for a record low of 4.1 million tonnes — for context, on average and in their various forms, Brits eat around 250m potatoes at Christmas every year.
Sadly, it doesn’t stop there either as due to the almost unprecedented rainfall over the last few months and back-to-back storms, combined with the increasingly frosty conditions now creeping across the UK, the likes of broccoli, carrots, parsnips and more are all under threat.
As a result, retailers are already being forced to supplement their supplies from cold storage which, obviously, isn’t endless.
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With shortages of different vegetables increasing week upon week and as well as the impact it is having in restaurants already, the knock-on effect it may have on supermarkets with people raiding the freezers to get frozen roasties at the ready just in case could be massive.
The recent miserable weather isn’t getting any better either as the North West is one of many regions that has been hit by a cold snap this week, with the Met Office and UKHSA issuing an amber health alert.
Police reinvest record £18m seized from criminals back into Greater Manchester’s communities
Emily Sergeant
A record £18 million seized from criminals within the past year has now been reinvested back into Greater Manchester’s communities.
Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) confirmed that its dedicated Economic Crime Team recovered a whopping £18,150,322.56, to be precise, from criminals in the past year alone, and it’s cash that will be now be reinvested as part of the successful Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) back into communities across Greater Manchester.
This is a record figure for the police service.
Throughout the past year, GMP says it has conducted more than 850 Proceeds of Crime (POCA) hearings.
As a result of these hearings, police have recovered millions from convicted drug dealers, fraudsters, crime gangs, and money launderers, as well as recovering a ‘significant’ amount of gold.
Police have reinvested record £18m seized from criminals back into Greater Manchester’s communities / Credit: GMP
You may remember that, back in May last year, officers working at Manchester Airport stopped a man found to be carrying five gold bars weighing more than 15kg in his hand luggage as he prepared to fly abroad.
Following this seizure, GMP was then granted in February its largest-ever forfeiture order for gold bars – valued at £1.8m.
Some of the other seizures and forfeitures over the past year include just over £135,000 from a suspect after his car was stopped on the M62 in November 2025, and another £138,144 was recovered from a man after he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
GMP was granted its largest-ever forfeiture order for gold bars – valued at £1.8m / Credit: GMP
“The work of our Economic and Cyber Crime Unit in the last 12 months to recover over £18 million in criminal assets has been nothing short of outstanding,” commented Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson, who is GMP’s lead for crime.
“This record figure reflects the hard work and dedication of our officers and staff to investigate, solve crime and bring offenders to justice.
“As we move into a new financial year, we will continue to maintain an ambitious and innovative approach while adapting and developing with partners to target criminal assets and embrace technology to remain a step ahead of changing criminal activity.
“Through using the ARIS process, this criminal money can be reinvested back into local communities for the benefit of the public we serve.
“This work reflects GMP’s continued drive to deliver an outstanding service to our Greater Manchester communities while building public trust and confidence in the service we deliver.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Dispute over Manichester now ‘resolved’, say Mounfield family
Danny Jones
The family of the late, great Manchester musician, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, have said that the drama surrounding the highly-anticipated tribute festival in his name, Manichester, has now thankfully been settled.
Now the focus can once again return to remembering him as best as possible.
Following plenty of talk about the project following his passing late last year, a live music festival honouring Mani was finally confirmed in March, and the reaction following the event’s announcement has been unsurprisingly phenomenal.
Well, at least for the most part, as there was also some confusion over whether or not Manichester was still a charitable effort as advertised, with son Gene Mounfield disputing claims online. Fortunately, it all seems to have been put to bed now.
On behalf of the boys, and as their legal guardian, I want to thank everyone for the kind messages and concern for their wellbeing. There was a misunderstanding regarding the upcoming Manichester tribute concert, but we’re pleased to share that everything has now been resolved. pic.twitter.com/j8jEMrFzsD
Being organised by Madchester.com and locally-founded fashion label, GIOGOI, the debut edition was said to have the total blessing of Mani’s family, including his brother, Greg Mounfield.
It was also said that the funds raised by the show would be going to the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassists’ twins, George and Gene, but the latter recently argued that “nothing” was going to either him or his brother and that the news was “dropped” the plans just a fortnight prior.
Gene also said that “if it was a charity gig it would be at Co-op [Live] or Heaton Park, and it would be done by SJM [Concerts]”: a Manchester-based promoters and events company.
All of this was also wrapped up in ever more paper talk and sensationalism, as some were reporting that Noel and Liam Gallagher, as well as other members of Oasis, would be surprising fans as the still yet to be revealed ‘major headliner’.
These rumours have since been quashed, as has whatever miscommunication caused the misunderstanding between the parties concerned, and we are now back to simply looking forward to seeing an already stacked lineup here in the city centre this May.
Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene (a fellow bassist who also tours with Richard Ashcroft) is helping organise and will also be performing on the night itself. As for the surviving Mounfields, they went on to add in an accompanying Instagram post: “We would also like to express our gratitude to PH.
“It means a great deal to all of us that so many people loved Mani enough to give their time and energy to honour his memory in this way. We are genuinely touched by the support.
“It has been an incredibly difficult few years for the boys and for our whole family. We hope this event will bring some much‑needed joy and create new, positive memories for everyone who cared about him.
“With love and thanks – The Family”
It goes without saying that we can’t wait for this city and Greater Manchester as a whole to honour a Manc icon and are looking forward to another year celebrating the thing that never fails to bring us all together: music.
Danny Jones -
29th November 2023 
