Brits have looked on with increasing dread as their politicians struggle to negotiate a pathway toward Brexit.
But the looming possibility of a no-deal Brexit has turned some into “Brexit preppers” — Brits who are preparing for the possibility of losing access to their favorite products, food and even medicine.
On Wednesday, European leaders granted the U.K. a six-month Brexit extension until Oct. 31, but ”Brexit preppers” aren’t taking any chances. They’re preparing for the worst.
Peter — who asked not to reveal his last name — is one of these preppers. He’s packed supplies to survive a full-scale descent into chaos, in his suburban home. He’s not even an outlier. So many people are freaking out about Brexit that helping them prep has become a cottage industry.
For James Blake, founder of “Emergency Food Storage.co.UK,” Brexit should be big business. The price of his infamous "Brexit breakfast box" is roughly $400, and he says he’s sold upwards of 600 of them to Brits already.
But Brexit also poses some problems for his business model: Almost 40 percent of his business is reliant on clients in the EU, a market he could soon lose out on.
"Brexit is a terrible idea for our business because we operate within the U.K. and Europe. We sell our products from all over Europe,” Blake told VICE News. “That being said, I did vote for Brexit, and I would do it again."
This segment originally aired April 10, 2019, on VICE News Tonight on HBO.