The owner of Hardys Wine warns of a possible Christmas shortage

Truck driver shortages might disrupt the busy holiday season, raising costs, according to Accolade, the wine firm that makes Hardys.

External workforce shortages, particularly among suppliers, are causing problems for the company, according to its CEO, Robert Foye.

There is a scarcity of lorry drivers in the UK, which is causing problems for businesses.

Weatherspoon’s and McDonald’s are among the businesses that have been impacted.

Mr. Foye stated, “If the shortages continue, Christmas will undoubtedly be impacted. We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve, but it all depends on the state of the UK’s whole transportation and trucking industry. “

Accolade, Australia’s largest wine company and the world’s fifth largest, ships 35 million cases of wine to 143 countries each year. Hardys, Echo Falls, Kumala, Banrock Station, and Stowells are among the company’s brands.

Driver shortages and supply chain pressures are having an impact on consumers, with McDonald’s suspending milkshake sales and shops running out of Diet Coke.

According to the Road Haulage Association (RHA), there is a 100,000-driver deficit.

Western Europe and the United States, according to Marc Ostwald, chief economist at ADM ISI, are suffering from similar shortages.

With the capacity to fill over a million bottles per year and distribute more than 180 million liters of wine yearly, Accolade’s £100 million Park facility in Bristol is Europe’s largest wine distribution centre.

Global lockdowns have had an impact on the hospitality business, restricting significant swaths of it.

Despite the easing of UK restrictions, Mr. Foye stated that business was taking longer to return to pre-Covid levels.

“In the UK, you’re 100 percent open, but because of the impact of Covid, because people’s habits have changed, and certain locations have closed, you’re only at 65 percent of what you were in 2019. We estimate that it will take two years to return to a 90-95 percent level in the economy of the United Kingdom.

“Jump over to the United States; they’re opening really quickly and are at 90% capacity,” he continued.