Teabag shortage fears sees Brits scramble for bags after strike at Tetley’s factory sparks surge in sales

BRITS person been scrambling for beverage bags aft strikes astatine Tetley’s mill sparked fears of a shortage. 

After past week's news of a imaginable beverage drought, thousands rushed to supermarkets to unafraid their beloved cuppa. 

The alarm was triggered erstwhile astir 150 GMB members moving astatine Tata Consumer Products, which makes Tetley Tea successful Teesside, announced they would laic down tools successful choler astatine “poverty pay" connected Friday and Monday. 

The mill is Tetley's biggest successful the world, and it supplies 30 percent of the UK's tea.

As panic-buying kicked in, Iceland Foods and The Food Warehouse supermarkets reported a melodramatic surge successful sales.

On Thursday alone, Tetley's archetypal container income changeable up by 100 per cent compared to the erstwhile day.

And implicit the pursuing 4 days, income of Tetley's tea, decaf, peppermint, and greenish beverage bags spiked by 250 per cent compared to the erstwhile week.

More than a cardinal beverage bags were sold, driven by offers connected peppermint and greenish tea, according to the supermarket chain. 

An Iceland spokesperson said: "Britain loves a brew and the menace of a beverage shortage sparked immoderate tiny panic amongst shoppers implicit the past 4 days.

“As soon arsenic the quality broke that determination could beryllium a beverage shortage, our customers instantly made definite they were afloat stocked, conscionable successful lawsuit banal levels drop.”

They besides reassured shoppers they person capable banal for Britain’s brews, adding: “Fear not beverage drinkers, contempt the rush, we inactive person capable beverage bags successful banal to support Britain’s thirst quenched. Whether it’s Tetley’s, Yorkshire Tea, PG Tips oregon Typhoo, we person a due brew waiting for you!”

Members of the GMB national astatine the Eaglescliffe factory, adjacent Stockton, voted to instrumentality concern enactment aft being offered a 4.4 percent wage rise, compared to the 7 per cent they received past year.

Tata Consumer Products said: "We are disappointed with the determination to onslaught peculiarly erstwhile we person 2 offers connected the table.

"We are not immune to the hard economical circumstances facing families and businesses, but we bash judge the wage grant offers made by america to beryllium fair."

It is not the archetypal clip fears of a beverage shortage hits Britain.

Earlier this year, Sainsbury’s cautioned shoppers successful immoderate stores that determination are “nationwide” problems which could interaction the availability of black tea.

But retail bosses person said the problems are “temporary” and stressed that the interaction connected consumers is expected to beryllium “minimal”.

A motion successful 1 Sainsbury’s store read: “We are experiencing proviso issues affecting the nationwide proviso of black tea. 

"We apologise for immoderate inconvenience and anticipation to beryllium backmost successful afloat proviso soon.”