Wetherspoons founder Tim Martin plays Brexit role in beer shortages in pubs | UK news

[ad_1]

Wetherspoons founder Tim Martin has denounced the “strenuous effort” being made to link beer shortages to Britain’s exit from the European Union.

The chain has apologized to customers after Heineken, Carling and Coors ran out of supplies at some of its pubs.

Martin, who has been a vocal supporter of the UK leaving the EU, said the pumps had essentially dried up due to the industrial strike in recent weeks by drivers and warehouse staff working on behalf of Heineken.

Photo: Some Wetherspoons pubs are short on Carling and Coors

He said Britain was not the only country experiencing “supply chain problems” in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“A shortage of 400,000 heavy truck drivers has been widely reported in Germany, France and Spain, for example,” he added.

“Efforts are being made to link supply issues to Brexit.

“In this case, the main link is with industrial action. Brexit has given the UK government the power to allow more heavy-duty truck drivers in, should it choose to do so.”

A Wetherspoons spokesperson said customers bought more pints from Carling and Coors when industrial measures affected deliveries from Heineken.

Heineken, the group’s largest supplier, stands behind six of the 23 tow lines that Wetherspoons typically offer.

Image: The group apologized to customers

A spokesperson for Molson Coors, which produces Carling and Coors, said the company “has been hit by a heavy truck driver shortage”.

“While our availability is generally good, there are intermittent pockets of pressure in our supply network which unfortunately affect a number of Wetherspoons pubs,” he added.

“We are working around the clock with our customers and third-party logistics partners to ensure that any impact on our customers is minimized.”

“It remains an incredibly challenging time,” said a spokeswoman for fellow brewer Carlsberg Marston.

She added: “Like many other UK breweries, we remain affected by the ongoing shortage of qualified heavy-duty truck drivers and urgent government intervention is required to address this in the near term.”

The Road Transport Association said, last week, there is a shortage of about 100,000 truck drivers.

She noted that thousands of European drivers left during the pandemic and did not return.

She called on ministers to add drivers to the list of professions that suffer from shortages so that it is easier for workers abroad to help fill the gaps.

[ad_2]