Middle-class shoppers across Britain are facing a dilemma of the likes not seen since the great Waitrose artichoke shortage of 2023.
A nationwide scarcity of taramasalata has left fans of the tangy dip in dismay and dinner party plans in tatters.
Employees at Bakkavor, a large manufacturer of the Mediterranean dip made from cod roe, launched strike action over pay around six weeks ago.
Tubs of own-brand taramasalata were out of stock online at Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
In a statement, the Bakkover said: “There has been a short disruption to our supply of taramasalata, but drawing on the skills based across 21 UK sites, production steps up again next week.”
The London-listed company is among the biggest manufacturers of fresh foods in the UK, including salads, soups, dips, and prepared meals.
Customers have taken to social media to voice their anger at the shortage, with one bemoaning that it had “ruined” their lunch plans.
Bakkavor stated the strike would have no long-term impact on food supply and that the company's Christmas products were manufactured at other locations.
The British Retail Consortium, which represents the industry, admitted that taramasalata was in short supply, but said merchants were working hard to avoid consumer disturbance, according to the Financial Times.
According to the Unite union, workers at the company’s Spalding site are demanding a pay rise of 81p an hour and most workers at the site are paid £11.54 an hour.
The union added 700 of the Spalding factory’s 1,400 workers were on strike, but Bakkavor said only 450 employees were not attending work.
Donna-Maria Lee, Chief People Officer at Bakkavor said: “It is now six weeks since Unite the Union commenced strike action with a minority of our Spalding colleagues.
“It is now clear to us that it is becoming increasingly difficult to resolve this dispute with Unite and get people back to work anytime soon. We have engaged the Union in discussions since the start, and our CEO met with them recently out of a genuine desire to resolve the issue.”
She added a discretionary bonus of £350 per person and an above-inflation pay rise has been tabled for employees, but the union has put the offer to a vote with a recommendation to reject the deal.
Mike Edwards, Bakkavor CEO, said: “The Union has a right to campaign, but our responsibility as a business – to our colleagues, customers, shareholders and to the communities in which we are a major employer – is to be sustainable, and fair, for the long term.
“We have been through a global pandemic and a seismic cost-of-living crisis and managing our business well ensures we will continue to create growth – growth for the economy, job creation and training opportunities for young people across the UK.”
