THERE may be a few unhappy bunnies this Easter as Brit supermarkets could be hit by a huge egg and hot cross bun shortage.
Shoppers could be greeted by empty shelves amid the worsening supply chain crisis, industry experts warned.
And it could hit where it hurts this Easter, as classic treats may be scarce due to the delay in deliveries.
HGV drivers have become a rare commodity since Covid struck, meaning Brits have missed out on festive favourites over the holidays.
Food and Drink Supply Chain All-Party Parliamentary Group chair Matt Vickers MP said: "Our HGV driver crisis is far from over and could cause serious problems domestically, particularly in the run-up to Easter."
The Government has sped up driver testing, ran driver boot camps and created a visa scheme to attract foreign workers amid the shortage.
But it has done little the boost the waning numbers, seeing the Transport Secretary call on retired truckers to get back behind the wheel in September last year.
It came as the country was left in panic when BP and Esso both closed a number of forecourts due to the choke in the fuel supply chain.
The army was also on standby amid plans for soldiers to drive trucks to ease the pressure on the struggling industry.
Experts estimate the nation faces a huge shortfall of 100,000 drivers.
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This has been caused by a “perfect storm” of veteran drivers leaving the profession, lack of new drivers training during Covid, some workers returning to EU countries and a backlog in driver tests.
Cold Chain Federation boss Shane Brennan said: “Most of our drivers are going to retire in five to 10 years.
“We can be in control of our immigration system without having a closed door.”
The Sun even launched the Keep on Trucking campaign to help get Britain delivering again, teaming up with top companies across the nation to help drivers retrain.
We offered free job listings to firms with driver roles on our Sun Jobs site and we’ll also be leading the charge to diversify the industry.
UK economic growth was catastrophically stunted by the supply chain crisis, as it impacted the recovery from the pandemic.
It caused shortages at restaurants and shops across the UK and sparked panic buying over shortage fears.
But, if you're looking for an Easter treat to cheer you up – if you can get your hands on them – we've got you covered.
We previously told how Which? ranked the best hot cross buns in Britain after conducted a blind taste test of supermarket own-brands.
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Discount supermarket Aldi came out on top and was the only brand to be ranked a Which? Best Buy due to the taste.
Whereas the dearer Waitrose selection were branded "expensive and underwhelming" by the panel.
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