McDonald's pulled milkshakes from the menu in all 1,250 UK locations as the country's supply chains suffer from a shortage of truck drivers
- McDonald's has temporarily wiped milkshakes from its menu across all 1,250 of its UK locations.
- The company says it is "currently experiencing some supply chain issues."
- A truck driver shortage stemming from Brexit and the pandemic is believed to be partly responsible.
McDonald's has temporarily taken milkshakes off the menu throughout the UK due to supply chain issues.
"Like most retailers, we are currently experiencing some supply chain issues, impacting the availability of a small number of products," a McDonald's UK and Ireland spokesperson said in a statement to Insider. "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."
The change affects all 1,250 British McDonald's locations, according to the Associated Press.
The supply chain issues are believed to be caused in part by a truck driver shortage.
Road Haulage Association, a trade group for truck drivers, estimates that Britain currently has roughly 100,000 fewer drivers then it had before the pandemic, according to the Associated Press. The association added that COVID-19 restrictions have kept many potential truck drivers from taking their driving tests and thus stalled them in getting on the road.
Immigration rules following Brexit are also partly responsible for the truck driver shortage.
McDonald's is not the only fast food company grappling with supply chain disruptions in the UK. KFC said earlier this month that some items might be unavailable at some UK stores and packaging might look different, thanks to "some disruption over the last few weeks." Last week, Nando's shut down roughly 50 stores across the UK because of supply chain disruptions due to "staff shortages and Covid isolations."
In the US, companies like Chipotle, Subway, and Wendy's have dealt with shortages of key ingredients at some locations, Reuters found. In June, Starbucks temporarily put orders for at least 25 items on hold due to supply chain issues, Insider's Mary Meisenzahl reported.