UK Man Panic-Buys Truly Incredible Quantity Of Pasta

Sir, calm down: An Aldi customer in the UK was caught panic-buying a frankly outrageous haul of carbohydrates.

According to Britain's Evening Standard, a "gobsmacked" eyewitness caught the shopper piling an excess of dry goods, including dozens of packages of pasta, onto the store conveyer belt. The incident appears to be a classic case of panic buying ahead of England's second national lockdown, which began yesterday. The witness, Stuart Darben, covertly snapped a pic of the haul and shared it on Facebook with the caption: "People getting greedy in Aldi."

The shopper's ill-advised pasta harvest took place amid earnest anti-stockpiling pleas from retailers and government officials. No official measures are in place to prevent stockpiling, although Aldi did introduce a four-item limit during Britain's first lockdown. The Evening Standard reports that Aldi is now asking shoppers to only purchase "what they need." Clearly, the gentleman in question needs cacio e pepe for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

"Essential retailers" including supermarkets can stay open during Britain's second lockdown. However, restaurants, bars, pubs and "non-essential" stores must close, although carry-out is still allowed. Despite evidence that supply chains are adapting relatively well amid the pandemic, panic-buying is still an issue for retailers and consumers alike. It's not just the Brits: There's plenty of evidence pointing to a second round of pandemic panic-buying in the U.S. as well. And while we may weather a few food shortages this year (miss you, canned corn), we at the Takeout urge you to exercise restraint. If we all keep calm, there should be plenty of yeast, toilet paper—and yes, pasta—to go around.