There may be shortages of fresh goods until the backlog of lorries waiting to cross the Channel is cleared, the British Retail Consortium said today.
Andrew Opie, the group’s director of food and sustainability, said: “It is good news for consumers as the French borders have now reopened, however it is essential that lorries get moving across the border as quickly as possible.
“Until the backlog is cleared and supply chains return to normal, we anticipate issues with the availability of some fresh goods.”
There are an estimated 4,000 lorries waiting to cross the border in Kent - and France has said anyone entering the country must have a negative coronavirus test taken in the previous 72 hours.
The Government has warned it will take days to clear the backlog in Kent and Dover and get all the lorries across to the Continent after the border reopened at midnight.
France was one of around 50 countries across the world which banned anyone from the UK from entering after the emergence of the new variant Covid virus - which is 70 per cent more infectious.
Tesco and Sainsbury's both said their stock levels are currently good but warned there could be shortages of some items by the end of the week - including some fruit and vegetables.
