Chocoholics will be gutted to discover that some of their sweet treats are missing from supermarket shelves.
Mars Bars are currently like gold dust due to 'production issues'. The popular product is also appearing as out of stock on retailers' websites.
Some shops in the UK are reportedly not expecting deliveries for at least a fortnight. Mars Wrigley, which produces Mars, Galaxy, Snickers and Milky War bars, admitted that it was experiencing high levels of demand, reports The Mirror.
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The manufacturer added: "[We want to] reassure the British public that our much-loved brands are still available nationwide”. One major retailer told The Guardian : "It looks like a production issue on Mars' end may be causing gaps across retailers."
Britain is facing widespread food shortages for a number of reasons, including spiking wholesale prices, weather conditions and international import issues, particularly because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Last month, the US chocolate company Hershey warned it would fall short of meeting demand for the all-important Halloween and Christmas holiday seasons this year.
The firm blamed a scarcity of raw ingredients and difficulties in securing suppliers. Pandemic-induced global supply chain disruptions and the Russia-Ukraine war have crunched supplies of cocoa, edible oil and other food ingredients, pinching production lines of packaged food companies around the world.
Hershey chief executive officer Michele Buck said those issues, along with the company's focus on meeting demand during non-holiday periods, would lead to a likely shortage during Halloween. However, she added that sales will still top last year.
The period around the Halloween holiday in October is Hershey's busiest time of the year, making up about 10% of the company’s annual sales. Meanwhile in the UK, potato prices have dramatically increased following the recent heatwave, with high temperatures having punished crops across the country.
The British Potato Trade Association said July's record-breaking temperatures had occurred just after a drought, damaging spuds. A spokesman said: "If it stays dry much longer we are looking at seriously reduced yields. Now is the critical time for moisture and growth. There are growers that have stopped irrigating because of a lack of water.’’
Brussel sprouts are also among the vegetables ravaged by the heatwave, meaning many could be in for either a great escape or hearty disappointment when it comes to adding the greens to this year's Christmas supper. Fish and chip shops are facing the largest dilemma, as the price of both fish and cooking oil have also recently rocketed - partially due to a shortage of whitefish normally caught in Russian waters.
The National Federation of Fish Friers’ had said between 20 and 40 chip shops were shutting in Britain every month. But it's not just chips that have been affected. In total, the invasion of Ukraine has cost the UK curry industry a total of £4.2billion. The nation under siege is also a leading exporter of sunflower oil - a main ingredient for many Indian breads and dishes.
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