MCDONALD’S STORES in the UK have run out of milkshakes due to supply chain issues caused by the ongoing shortage of heavy good vehicles drivers.

The fast-food chain has reported that disruption has led to a number of menu items being temporarily unavailable in its 1250 outlets in Scotland, England and Wales.

A spokesman for McDonald's said: "Like most retailers, we are currently experiencing some supply chain issues, impacting the availability of a small number of products. Bottled drinks and milkshakes are temporarily unavailable in restaurants across England, Scotland and Wales.

"We apologise for any inconvenience and thank our customers for their continued patience. We are working hard to return these items to the menu as soon as possible."

Read more - Driver shortages disrupt milk supply

This is the latest in a string of stories from other well-known brands who have faced challenges getting hold of stock. Last week, Nandos was forced to close around 50 of its restaurants after it ran out of chicken and KFC had to tighten its offering, as it couldn’t get hold of some menu items.

Earlier in the month, milk processor Arla hit the headlines after it failed to deliver milk to around 600 of its 2400 stores as they simply couldn’t find enough drivers to meet demand.

The Road Haulage Association has estimated that there is currently a shortage of around 100,000 HGV drivers across the UK, and due to the pandemic disrupting drivers tests, there is a backlog of around 30,000 waiting to obtain their license.

The UK Government launched a consultation in the last few weeks to seek views on how they can clear the backlog.

One of their proposals would scrap the current staging requirements for licence acquisition which would allow drivers to skip their rigid lorry test and move straight on to their artic lorry test.

Read more - HGV training proposals condemned as dangerous

For more information on the consultation and to respond before the deadline of September 7 via https://bit.ly/3B5RQft