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Beer is scarce in some UK pubs due to supply chain issues that have plagued some retailers in recent weeks.
Pub chain JD Wetherspoons apologized after curling and Coors supplies were affected by national supply issues.
The company did not provide details on the supply issue, but it is understood to be directly related to the shortage of heavyweight carrier (HGV) drivers.
“We’re having supply problems with both curling and Coors, which means that some pubs don’t have a product available,” said Eddie Garshon, a spokesman for Weatherspoon.
“We apologize for any inconvenience. We know that the brewers are trying to solve the problem.”
Wetherspoons founder and chairman Tim Martin, an avid supporter of Brexit, denied reports earlier this year that his pub was affected by a Brexit-related staff shortage.
According to the transportation industry, there is a shortage of about 90,000 truck drivers.
The government rejected the call to fill the shortfall with foreign drivers by adding HGV drivers to the list of skilled workers.
According to industry groups, training new drivers took months and there is a backlog that missed 40,000 HGV tests.
The government has promised to speed up the testing process.
According to a September 1 KMPG survey, nearly two-thirds of UK CEOs have seen supply chain tensions during a pandemic.
Meanwhile, other data suggest that supply chain pressures may be beginning to reach consumers as food price declines appear to be flat.
The UK Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that prices are imminent.
Helen Dickinson, BRC Chief Executive Officer, said:
“There are some conservative signs that rising costs are beginning to permeate product prices.”
Food retailers are fighting to keep prices down, but they are under pressure from “rising goods and shipping, and Brexit-related bureaucracy.”
“So far, the turmoil has been limited, but things can get worse for Christmas, customers can have fewer choices of their favorite products and gifts, and prices can go up.”
Retailers are beginning to offer incentives to attract drivers. Tesco has offered truck drivers a £ 1,000 ($ 1,370) participation bonus.
Both Morrisons and the Co-op have stated that they will retrain their staff to become truck drivers.
Other high street names, including McDonald’s, Nando’s, and Subway, have been hit by supply problems over the past few days caused by labor shortages in various industries.
PA contributed to this report.
Simon Veazey
Freelance reporter
Simon Veazey is a UK-based journalist who has been reporting on the Epoch Times since 2006 on a variety of beats, from detailed coverage of British and European politics to web-based writing of the latest news.
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