WITH images of empty supermarket shelves and panic buying dominating TV and computer screens, a visit to Bradford’s Oastler Market seems like a welcome step back to how shopping used to be.

Greengrocer stalls still have plenty of fruit and veg, butchers are well stocked and serving customers who are shopping in the market for the first time, and one stall even has bags of pasta and spaghetti available.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Gunther Giangregorio runs a deli and still has most of the items you’d expect - including pastaGunther Giangregorio runs a deli and still has most of the items you’d expect - including pasta

Traders said that although the effects of the Coronavirus was still putting strain on stalls - with wholesale prices rising for some goods and increased demand effecting deliveries for others, the traditional market style of shopping seems to so far be coping with the crisis much better than the larger stores.

And many stall holders are considering making deliveries if customers end up being stuck at home in self isolation.

A lot of people think the markets are going to be closing down - we’ll be open as long as we can - the food industry can’t shut down. People need to eat. People might have to go back to basics" - Greengrocer Ash Mahmood

A trip on Friday afternoon proved to be the perfect tonic from recent visits to some of the bigger supermarkets, with a much more relaxed feel and no sense of panic in the air.

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Greengrocer Ash Mahmood from Solly’s Fruit and Veg said his store had been able to maintain much of its stock, including items that were fast vanishing from supermarket shelves.

“He said: “We’re getting a lot more customers who don’t normally come here. We’ve been managing to maintain most of the stock. There has been an increase in sales, but we don’t know when that is going to end.”

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Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Shoppers at Oastler MarketShoppers at Oastler Market

However, some stock was now more expensive to get hold of.

He said: “A lot of things at this time of year are coming from Spain or Europe, things like carrots and swedes are in very high demand. We can’t get enough potatoes - they are costing double the amount. We’re struggling a bit to get some things in.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Butcher Jay Smith says there are some delays to deliveries but nothing too bad..Butcher Jay Smith says there are some delays to deliveries but nothing too bad..

“Some items that come from Asia like Okra have seen a 100 per cent increase in price. Some items are now double or triple the price to order.

“A lot of people think the markets are going to be closing down - we’ll be open as long as we can - the food industry can’t shut down. People need to eat. People might have to go back to basics.

“The Council have told us they won’t be closing stalls down.”

Roswitha Delicatessen still has a wide variety of Italian foods, including a variety of pasta - something that has seemed more like gold dust than a basic food in the past week. Gunther Giangregorio from the deli said: “Markets work well, they are a really good place to shop - you can social distance and there isn’t a lot of cross contamination. We can get products from a variety of different suppliers. It works a lot differently than a supermarket.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Helping out his father is Rowan SmillieHelping out his father is Rowan Smillie

“If we go into lockdown, we’re planning on doing deliveries.”

Rowan Smillie, on the Exotic Food stall, said people have become used to getting a “quick fix” with pre prepared meals. He said the current situation may lead to more people cooking from scratch using fresh ingredients.

Fishmonger Neil Priestly said he, like many people, had seen the depleted shelves in supermarkets in the past week. He said: “We’ve had our regulars buying a little bit more, but we haven’t had anyone panic buying.

“The Council have told us to stay open if there is a lock down. If people continue to get their fish from here then it puts less strain on other outlets like supermarkets.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Fishmonger Neil Priestly has plenty of stockFishmonger Neil Priestly has plenty of stock

“We’ll be doing more deliveries to help people out.”

Jay Smith of Hutchinson Butchers said the high demand was leading to deliveries to the stall arriving much later than usual - but items were still arriving. He said: “All butchers are ordering more and more food, so suppliers hare having to deliver more and more.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Greengrocer Ash Mahmood from Sullys at Oastler MarketGreengrocer Ash Mahmood from Sullys at Oastler Market

“We’ve got our regular customers, and customers who are now coming to us because they can’t buy certain meats in the supermarket. We can still supply them.

“Chicken seems to be really popular. It is a good standby food that kids like too.”