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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Nisha Mal & Kieran Isgin

Quality Street bosses say they're doing everything they can to make sure staff and delivery issues don't cause Christmas shortage

The makers of Christmas-favourite chocolate Quality Street say they're facing problems in the run-up to the festive season.

But parent company Nestle insists it's doing everything it can to iron out issues - and avoid a shortage come December 25.

The firm, like many others, is working hard to avoid disruption from staff shortages and delivery issues.

A lack of HGV delivery drivers has affected business across the country.

There are fears other Christmas favourites - such as turkeys and pigs in blankets - could be in short supply.

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Quality Street's chief executive Mark Schneider told the BBC: "Like other businesses, we are seeing some labour shortages and some transportation issues but it’s our UK team’s top priority to work constructively with retailers to supply them."

A Nestle spokesman said: "Like all businesses we are managing a number of challenges at the moment but we are working hard to mitigate those issues and are not seeing, or expecting, a material impact on supply.

"Our factory in Halifax manufactures up to 12 million Quality Street sweets every day and there will be plenty to go around this Christmas."

The threat of chocolate shortages follows a warning that British turkeys, gammon and pigs in blankets may also be in short supply this Christmas.

Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, has said Christmas turkeys will likely be from abroad this year to due British labour shortages.

He noted that other holiday foods such as pigs in blankets may not be available at all.

He told Sky News: "We’re not saying that there’s not going to be food on the table at Christmas, but we’re struggling to put the party food together – the pigs in blankets, the netting of gammons.

"But I suspect that food can be imported and probably the turkeys might not be British turkeys but they may end up being French, or even turkeys from further afield.

"We’re not saying there’s going to be desperate shortages, but there certainly won’t be the choices available for British food, that’s for certain."

Quality Street was first manufactured by Mackintosh's in Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1936.

In 1969, they merged with the Rowntree Confectionary Company which was later purchased by Nestle in 1988.

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