Just when you thought life couldn’t get any worse, along comes the cookie-cutter dilemma: where have all the Garibaldis gone?
Fans of the currant snack, which has been called “squashed fly cookies” for generations, are increasingly frustrated by the fact that they are not on store shelves nationwide.
They have taken to social media to raise the alarm that they are going out of fashion, with many claiming local stores no longer stock them.
In one message FacebookTitled ‘The Great Garibaldi Disappearance of 2026’, a man in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire wrote: ‘I swear I haven’t seen a parcel in months. Is this a national cookie crisis?’
Another wrote: ‘I just want to warn you all about the drama involved Tesco and Garibaldi cookies.
‘Our local store no longer has them in stock (they’re my husband’s favorite and he’s desperate!).’
Fan Jane Breame called it “the thin end of the wedge – first Garibaldis and before you know it it’s fig rolls.”
A search by The Mail on Sunday confirmed the patchy supply of the biscuit, which was created in 1861 by Peek Freans in south-east London and named in honor of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s reunification of Italy.
Garibaldis fans are becoming increasingly frustrated by their absence from national store shelves
Tesco’s own-brand £1.50 pack of Garibaldis is showing as ‘out of stock’, and its last review was written in December 2025.
A 79p pack of the Jack’s budget range, also sold by Tesco, is also out of stock. Grocery comparison site Trolley shows that packs of Waitrose Essential Garibaldis are not available anywhere.
According to Trolley, M&S Garibaldis are also not available anywhere and no longer appear on the chain’s website.
Intriguingly, the latest reviews complain that the formula for Garibaldis may have changed, with one saying: ‘These must have changed or my tastes have changed – not the best.’ The only stores still stocking Garibaldis are Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, with packs priced at £1.55 and £1.50 respectively.
The reason for the shortage remains unclear. The British Retail Consortium says it is not aware of any problems. Morrisons said there were no supply issues. Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, M&S and the Co-op all failed to respond to our queries.
Pladis, the parent company of McVitie’s and Crawfords, which makes its own Garibaldis, said: ‘The choice of stock is generally determined by each supermarket.’
