Peri-peri problem for Nando's as chicken shortage shuts UK stores

The SA flame-grilled chicken franchise Nando's has had to temporarily shut down a number of its restaurants in Britain.

This is a result of chicken shortages caused by Brexit, a dearth of truck drivers and the Covid-19 pandemic, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

“Nando’s announced on Tuesday that it had to temporarily close around 50 of its stores across England, Scotland, and Wales because of a shortage of chicken,” said the article.

“The chicken shortage might not be just a temporary problem. Britain is struggling with a national shortage of truck drivers, and a shortage of workers in its meat industry.

“The coronavirus is part of the problem, but so are new immigration and paperwork rules that came into effect with Brexit.”

Nick Allen, CEO of the British Meat Processors Association, told the publication Brexit had left the UK meat industry vulnerable because it reduced immigration.

“When Brexit happened on January 1, 2021, access to most EU workers was switched off, abruptly,” he said.

“Since then, many of the EU workers who were in the UK could not travel during Covid-19. A lot of them are now going back to their home country, but they’re not returning.”

The restaurant chain told the New York Times: “The UK food industry has been experiencing disruption across its supply chain in recent weeks, due to staff shortages and Covid-19 isolations, and a number of our restaurants have been impacted,”

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