HUNGRY Brits are being met with empty supermarket shelves and reduced food and drink menus as the pandemic and Brexit causes supply chain issues.
Here are the shops, takeaways and restaurants facing delivery delays.
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A lorry driver shortage across the UK is causing empty supermarket shelves and has forced many restaurants, takeaways and coffee shops to take items off the menu.
The shortage is blamed on a range of factors such as staff self-isolating due to Covid and European drivers returning home after Brexit.
We explain which brands are suffering shortages below.
Tesco
The supermarket giant’s chairman John Allan has warned that there could be a shortage of Christmas stock.
He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme last month that supermarkets would usually be getting their Christmas stock ready now but are busy keeping up with current demand.
He said: “At the moment we’re running very hard just to keep on top of the existing demand and there isn’t the capacity to build stocks that we’d like to see.
“In that sense, I think there may be some shortages at Christmas.
“But I wouldn’t want to over-dramatise the extent to which that would be the case, I think it’s very easy to make a drama out of a modest crisis.”
There are mixed views on social media about shortages at Tesco.
One social media user said: “Dover, where I currently am, is worse than south Essex where I live.
“Loads of half empty shelves in Tesco, and missing some really basic stuff like beef mince.”
Another said: “All my local supermarkets in north Lincolnshire. Bare shelves.”
Social media users from other areas such as Leeds said their stores were still well stocked.
Tesco declined to comment but it is believed to be facing sporadic issues with deliveries and is among supermarkets offering bonuses for new drivers.
Iceland
Iceland chief executive Richard Walker said there have been issues with deliveries of bread and soft drinks and also warned of a Christmas supply shortage.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We start to stock-build from September onwards for what is a hugely important time of year.
“We’ve got a lot of goods to transport between now and Christmas and a strong supply chain is vital for everyone.”
The supermarket was unable to comment on issues at specific stores.
But Walker said: “We at Iceland have already seen deliveries to our stores cancelled for the first time since the pandemic began, and this is solely due to the HGV driver shortage.
“This is not a new issue, we and everyone else in the retail, manufacturing and transport industries have been calling on the government to step in and find a solution to the problem for many weeks, such as including lorry drivers in the essential and skilled workers list.
“The real worry is that time is quickly running out as we approach the extremely busy Christmas period, during which a strong supply chain is vital for everyone.”
The Co-op
Co-op customers have been complaining about empty shelves on social media.
One Twitter user said staff were apologising at the till and on recorded messages about supply problems, while another posted an image of empty coffee containers placed on shelves to make them look full.
Steve Murrells, the Co-op’s chief executive, told The Times last month that supermarket shortages are the worst he’s ever seen.
He said supermarkets are reducing their ranges because of the issues.
Murrells said: “Rather than bare shelves, we’re seeing supermarkets rationalising their lines so they can process more. Rather than three different qualities of strawberry, there is just one grade.”
Nando’s
The popular peri-peri chicken chain was forced to close nearly 50 branches last month after running out of chicken.
Nando’s said closures were due to staffing problems at its suppliers but it managed to reopen its restaurants after sending 70 staff members to work in the factories.
KFC
KFC has warned its fried chicken fans that some menu items will be unavailable due to supplier disruption.
It posted a message on social media at the start of August that said “things may be a little different” in store and some items may be unavailable or packaged differently.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s last week warned of a nation-wide shortage of milkshakes at its more than 1,000 restaurants.
Restaurants will be without them all week after delivery problems forced bosses to prioritise food and fizzy drinks.
The chain has blamed a lack of lorry drivers and said: “We apologise for any inconvenience, and thank customers for their continued patience.
“We’re working hard to return these items to the menu as soon as possible.”
Costa
Frustrated customers have complained on social about a lack of decaffeinated coffee and salads at Costa.
A spokesperson for Costa said: “Like many other businesses, we are currently experiencing some stock shortages and as a result some items may be temporarily unavailable.
“We apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience caused to our customers.”
Greggs
Disappointed Greggs customers have been posting images on social media of empty shelves at the bakery’s chains.
This included empty sandwich shelves at a Gregg’s store in central London.
Its popular chicken bakes have reportedly been affected.
Greggs denied this but confirmed that supply chain issues had resulted in shortages of some items and ingredients.
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A spokesperson for Greggs said: “There are no current supply issues with our chicken bakes and our customers can continue to enjoy these as they usually would.
“Unfortunately, like others , we’re seeing temporary interruptions in supply for some ingredients which occasionally results in shops not being able to maintain full availability on all lines.
“However, we have a wide range of choices in our menu for customers happy to buy an alternative.”
Toby Carvery
Sunday roast fans have been left hungry after finding the ever-popular Yorkshire puddings missing from the Toby Carvery Menu.
Other customers have reported a shortage of roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and soft drinks.
Frustrated diners across the country have complained about the shortage on social media, with one roast dinner fan saying “it’s now gone too far”.
Roland Leon, 52, was gutted when staff at Toby Carvery’s eatery in Birmingham, West Mids said there were no Yorkshire puddings.
He said: “We were queuing up to be served and that’s when they broke the bad news.
“The server said they were no Yorkshires to be had anywhere because of the supply crisis.
“As anyone who goes to Toby Carvery knows, it’s all about the Yorkshire pudding.
“It was just not the same without one. People were gutted.”
Mitchells and Butlers, which owns the brand, insisted the shortages were a “sporadic” issue.
It has also seen issues with other brands it owns, such as Harvester and Nicholson’s.
A spokesperson for the chain said: “Like the rest of retail (supermarkets included) we are seeing sporadic shortages caused by driver shortages, exacerbated by absences caused by Covid pings.
“We are hopeful that the new rules that apply to fully vaccinated workers will help ease the situation in the short term.”
Subway
Social media users have been posting signs claiming to be from inside Subway sandwich shops that blame Brexit supply delays for an ingredient shortage.
A Subway spokesperson said: “We’re experiencing minor supply chain shortages relating to some fresh produce, but disruption has been minimal.
“We appreciate that supply chain pressure is something a lot of the industry is experiencing at the moment.
“As always, we are working closely with our franchisees and purchasing suppliers to help our guests across the UK and Ireland get their favourite meals.”
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut has warned stuffed crust fans that there were no kids’ desserts, with some branches running low or out of dough and fizzy drinks.
At one Pizza Hut in Norwich, a sign read: “Unfortunately due to the HGV driver shortage all kids desserts are currently unavailable including the ice cream factory and all cookie doughs.
“If you wish to order from the set kids menu, please be aware that this will not have a dessert.
“We only have pan, thin and gluten-free dough available so stuffed crust and cheesy bite bases are unavailable.”
The note signs off: “Sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment – this is beyond our control.”
A spokesperson for Pizza Hut Restaurants said: “Like other businesses in the UK, Pizza Hut Restaurants faces a complicated situation as we manage pandemic-related issues, including a supply chain affected by the shortage in HGV drivers.
“We are working with our suppliers and partners to limit disruption for our customers at this time.”
Wetherspoons
Pub chain Wetherspoons is suffering from a shortage of some types of beer.
The pub brand confirmed that Carling and Coors were unavailable in some pubs, blaming the shortage on delivery driver strikes.
Wetherspoons’ spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We are experiencing some supply problems with both Carling and Coors, which means that some pubs do not have the products available.”
Wetherspoons, which usually sells 23 different draught beers in each pub, said the shortage was caused by Heineken delivery drivers taking industrial action.
“As a result of a shortage of deliveries of Heineken, some other products ran out in some locations – for example Carling and Coors lagers,” the company said in a statement.
“We understand that the industrial action we refer to has now been called off, which, we hope, means that the supply issues will be resolved in early course.”
It said the majority of pubs are now fully stocked but some sites may be missing some brands “pending deliveries in the next few days”.
Bottled water and fresh fruit and veg are among the products that have been missing from shelves.
School dinners may also be under threat due to the shortages.
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McDonald’s branches run out of milkshakes and bottled drinks in nationwide shortage
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