In the summer of 2022, England was struck with the worst drought it has seen in over 500 years, and as a result, harvests of essential crops like potatoes, carrots, and onions were dangerously low. Retailers told The Guardian that customers could expect rationing of some vegetables and fruit to continue for "some weeks" as food shortages persist.

U.K. stores Tesco and Aldi have joined fellow retailers Morrisons and Asda in issuing a three-per-person limit on peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. At Morrisons, each customer is allotted up to two packs of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and lettuce bunches, while Asda shoppers are limited to three items of broccoli, cauliflower, raspberries, and lettuce.

The rationing plans are one way of keeping products on the shelves a little longer, as droughts in other countries have also limited the availability of the U.K.'s imported produce. English farmers also have to cut back on the number of crops they're planting this winter, which could exacerbate shortages further into the year.