Where To Buy Yeast In Lockdown

It seems that yeast is not readily available in supermarkets. Yeast online tends to be in tiny portions at crazy prices, or weeks away, travelling from afar. What to do? In this post, I have some options for you: reasonably priced yeast, available stocks and supplied from within the UK*. Sound good?
*Apologies to readers elsewhere, I can only comment on our local situation at this time. Feel free to comment below if you know anything about yeast supplies near you.

You should also read Baking In Lockdown When You've Got No Yeast, where I offer suggestions for baking bread without yeast.

Since writing that post, I have received several helpful emails, suggesting sources of yeast that seem reasonably priced and available. Wouldn't it be better to support these genuine, caring (and no doubt struggling at this time) enterprises, rather than the people trying to cash in with overpriced yeast on eBay?

David, from Norfolk Preserves, got in touch this morning to say that he has a good supply of dried yeast, strong bread flour, plain and self raising flour. His shop, Norfolk Preserves, is a small, family run business, selling homemade jams and preserves, amongst other things (including those all-important baking ingredients). I've got all the yeast and flour I need just now, but I've got my eye on some pickled onions and some delicious looking marmalade!

Jane recommends Ingredients for Cooks, also a family-run business, with excellent customer service. There is a minimum order charge of £40 here and a delivery charge of £7, so probably better if you're happy to buy in bulk. Their website looks lovely: plenty of tempting goodies. Jane says she bought a 16kg sack of flour, which helped to make up the value of the order. Of course you could always split an order with a neighbour, to help share the cost.

Jane also directed me to A Million Thanks. This is a social enterprise run by baker, Steve, whose bakery business sales dropped to zero, overnight, when the UK went into lockdown. He's buying surplus ingredients from struggling bakers and wholesalers and repackaging them in smaller quantities to sell to people stuck at home in lockdown. The profits are going to buy and distribute delicious treats for frontline workers. How lovely is that?

Mary tells me that King Arthur Flour now has yeast back in stock. She also reminded me that you can make your own sourdough starter, and cultivate wild yeast.

Model railway blogger, Ray, at Silver Sidelines, tells me he bought Fermipan Red from Kent Foods. He ordered in bulk: 20 packets, working out at just £3.36 per 500g packet, including the delivery charge. It does keep well. I think he's planning to freeze most of his order. Again, you could split an order with friends to make this an economical option.

So! Plenty of options for yeast, as it turns out. Thank you to everyone who has offered information on this. If I get anymore tip-offs, I'll update this post.