August 24, 2021 12.09 pm This story is over 31 months old

Closures and chaos at Doughnotts, McDonald’s and Nando’s amid supply issues

Doughnotts closed until Saturday, and no milkshakes at Maccies
McDonald's, Nando's and Doughnotts have been struggling with supply issues, prompting closures and items to be taken off the menu.
By Local Democracy Reporter

The hospitality sector is in the midst of a supply fiasco, with McDonald’s out of milkshakes, Nando’s short on chicken and Doughnotts forced to close due to a lack of flour.

Fast food chain McDonald’s has been left without milkshakes and bottled drinks across its 1,250 stores in the UK, including the Lincolnshire branches.

Low stock distribution has been blamed on a shortage of HGV delivery drivers – owing to post-Brexit EU immigration rules, Covid-19 restrictions and self-isolation guidance – and it is unclear as to when they can be expected to return to the menu.

As for Doughnotts, production has been halted due to a flour shortage. The company’s shops in Lincoln, Nottingham and Leicester will close from Tuesday until Saturday, August 28.

In a statement on social media, the doughnut company said: “Due to a shortage of our specialist flour we’ve had to make the unfortunate decision to close all our stores from Tuesday, August 24 until Saturday, August 28.

“We’ll be back open as normal on Saturday from 9am with our brand new menu in stores and on Deliveroo.”

The news comes a week after Nando’s were forced into closing 50 of its restaurants when staff shortages at suppliers prompted a lack of chicken deliveries.

Lincolnshire remained unaffected in the closures, but rival chicken chain KFC also warned of future shortages unless more drivers are brought in.

The peri-peri chicken restaurant took to Twitter to explain the reason for closures, saying the UK’s supply chain was having “a bit of a mare right now”.

Most of the Nando’s stores are now open again, though some are still closed for the time being.

A number of incentives are believed to be in the works to encourage more people to work as lorry drivers, with supermarket chain Tesco offering drivers a £1,000 joining bonus.

The Road Haulage Association estimated that there is a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers in the UK, only highlighted by the change to rules following Brexit, such as not granting temporary work visas to drivers from the EU.

As well as this, the pingdemic is believed to have played a part in drivers not being able to work, as they self-isolate after being notified by the NHS COVID-19 app.