Pepper crisis in England’s supermarkets

Morrison Supermarkets told Sky News it was restricting customers to two packs of peppers each, while the Waitrose website was almost out of stock.

The shortage is blamed on Spain’s unusually cold weather, which means the peppers grow more slowly.

British farmers have warned in recent months that they will run out of pepper stocks because they say they are not being paid enough to grow their produce.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, told Sky News: “Difficult weather conditions in southern Europe have disrupted the harvest for some fruit and vegetables, including peppers. Some stores have implemented temporary limits on the amount customers can can buy it to ensure availability for everyone. However, availability should improve for those affected over the coming weeks as we move into the UK growing season.”

Morrisons stores say they expect to lift the restriction in the next week as supplies improve.

In February, supermarkets were forced to limit the amount of tomatoes and other popular vegetables customers could buy due to shortages.

Unfavorable weather in Europe and Africa led to the interruption of harvests, and suppliers were also affected by the cancellation of ferries, which affected truck transport.

Britain relies on warmer countries such as Spain and Morocco for its supply of out-of-season vegetables.

National Farmers Union vice-president Tom Bradshaw warned earlier this year that reliance on imports made Britain vulnerable to “shocking weather events”.

Rising energy bills, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, have also discouraged some UK vegetable growers.