Why is there a gasoline shortage?

The price of fuel has rocketed by an estimated 250 percent this year — in part due to global economic turmoil unleashed by the pandemic and a rise in demand last winter. The International Energy Agency has called on Russia to increase its gas exports to Europe and said Moscow was sending less supplies to other countries than it was before the pandemic. In Britain, a shortage of truck drivers to deliver goods has added to the problem. This made it more difficult to move fuel from refineries to filling stations. While oil giant BP announced it had to temporarily shut some facilities, another distributor said it was capping how much each driver could buy because of high demand.

What’s the impact of Britain’s truck driver shortage?

Even before the gas shortage, certain food and drink items were already limited due to supply-chain issues sparked by Brexit in 2016 and worsened by the more recent global health crisis. The trucking industry estimates that the U.K. has a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers. Britain’s logistics industry has said Brexit — and the pandemic — led to many European truck drivers leaving the country. Others have quit the industry citing low pay and grueling hours. Coronavirus lockdown restrictions and self-isolation rules also forced masses of truck drivers to take days off which led to delivery and production delays. Driving tests for new or would-be recruits were also canceled, which delayed relief. Retailers have warned of chaos before Christmas, with people moving to stockpile goods. In the face of worries over “ a really difficult winter ” ahead, the government now plans to give visas that expire on Christmas eve to 5,000 foreign truck drivers, along with 5,500 more poultry workers, though businesses doubt this will be a long-term fix.

Why does Britain have a carbon dioxide shortage?

The gas crunch put pressure on fertilizer factories, which need fuel to operate. A by-product of fertilizer production, carbon dioxide is used in many products to add bubbles and extend shelf life. Manufacturers have just days of carbon dioxide left in reserve to produce soda pop and other fizzy beverages, Britain’s Soft Drinks Association warned this week , adding that the U.K. gas shortage could affect 340,000 jobs in the industry. When a key U.S. supplier of wholesale gas cut back its supplies to two major British fertilizer plants, they were forced to close. The impact extends beyond drinks — carbon dioxide is also needed to package food and stun animals, raising fears that poultry and bakery goods could start disappearing from supermarket shelves.

How can Britain run low on pints of beer?

Fears of a national beer shortage emerged earlier this month as some pubs reported they were running low on pints of Carling and Coors. British tabloid The Sun dubbed the crisis “LAGER-GEDDON” while some pubs encouraged drinkers to try new tipples during the crisis. “We are experiencing some supply problems,” a spokesman for pub chain Wetherspoon said, as experts blamed the lack of Britain’s beloved pints on the truck driver shortage which resulted in delivery inconsistencies and Brexit which spurred trade barriers.

Why was McDonald’s low on milkshakes?

Britain’s problems with pints came shortly after McDonald’s declared in August that it had run out of milkshakes and some bottled drinks across 1,250 outlets. “Like most retailers, we are currently experiencing some supply chain issues, impacting the availability of a small number of products,” a statement from the food giant read , confirming that the items were “temporarily unavailable in restaurants across England, Scotland and Wales.”

What’s going on with KFC and Nando’s Chicken?

When 700 branches of KFC ran out of chicken and closed their doors in February 2018, some Brits were so upset they called the police, leading east London officers to issue a scathing statement on Twitter. “It is not a police matter if your favorite eatery is not serving the menu that you desire,” the force wrote. The chain blamed the delays at the time on delivery problems and operational issues. Those staying abreast of the chicken crisis would notice that once again this summer, meat supplies were running low at popular Portuguese restaurant Nando’s — which closed 50 of its branches due to the chicken shortage attributed to low staff numbers and delivery issues. And the problems could get worse as other shortages grow: A spokesperson for the British Meat Processors Association said Monday that the carbon dioxide shortage will particularly affect pork and chicken, which rely heavily on CO2. “The prices of meat are probably going to be going up, and there will be shortages if we can’t get supplies of CO2 really, really quickly,” the group said.

How come giant pork pies are in jeopardy?

Fears over access to savory snacks were echoed by Liverpool’s Lion Tavern pub, which warned that its traditional British pork pies may be taken off the menu after a leading family food business pulled deliveries, the BBC reported. The pub’s landlord, Dave Hardman, said that pie-loving customers would be “devastated.” Wrights Food Group, which halted the deliveries, said it was trying to stay afloat amid “unprecedented times.” Commercial Director Helen Bowyer cited Brexit’s tougher migration rules and worker shortages for the company’s decision to withdraw some products. Ellen Francis contributed to this report.

Fuel, beer and chicken: Why Britain’s shortages keep coming

By Jennifer Hassan

September 26, 2021 at 4:31 a.m. EDT

A sign says fuel has run out at a petrol station in Leicestershire, Britain on September 25, 2021. (Carl Recine/Reuters)

LONDON — Long lines of cars choked roads outside gas stations in Britain, as some waited for hours to fill up their tanks despite pleas from officials not to panic buy fuel.

“Sorry, out of use,” yellow signs told drivers looking for petrol over the weekend, as some pumps ran dry even as the British government assured that there was no shortage – but rather a delivery problem.

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Gas – or petrol – is only the latest key item that Britain is struggling to obtain. The shortages are largely due to supply chain disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic, which exacerbated problems spurred by Britain’s exit from the European Union.