A North West food manufacturer has launched a desperate hunt for staff after shortages caused by the coronavirus, the 'pingdemic' and a lack of UK-based workers due to Brexit.
Tasneem Alonzo, joint managing director of Stockport-based herb and spice business EHL Ingredients, said the issues have come to head in recent months and left the firm, along with "many other" food suppliers in a "recruitment crisis".
She said the shortages are having a knock-on effect on the whole food industry, which in turn is causing food items missing from supermarket shelves and shortages of supplies for restaurants.
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She said: "Working in a spice warehouse is not an easy role to fill due to the health and safety, allergen awareness, and product knowledge required.
"It’s really hard to find suitable staff who can perform the job well and who will stay in the position.
"We’re very lucky to have some very loyal employees who have been with us for years."
However the Reddish-headquartered firm is around 20% - or 15 vacancies - short at the moment, which is adding pressure to the team - and "putting a strain on employees at all levels, and affecting our customers too".
Ms Alonzo said like many other similar firms, the ‘pingdemic’ has seen staff isolating after being contacted by the Test and Trace app, with others having contracted Covid meaning they must take time off work.
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She also pointed to the widely reported lack of UK-based workers to fill roles due to Brexit and foreign workers returning to their home countries.
She added: "On top of this, we’re still in the middle of a haulier crisis due to the shortage in HGV and LGV drivers in the UK.
"While the UK Government has attempted to make it easier for food industry workers to resume working, we’re keen to be cautious to avoid any further members of our team having to self isolate."
Ms Alonzo said she and her colleagues feel "frustrated" that there hasn’t been a "clear plan" for how it will maintain supplies and the flow of products through the distribution channel since Britain’s exit from the EU.
She said there "don’t seem to be any solutions coming in the near future", adding: "These issues began with Brexit and have been exacerbated during the pandemic. No other European countries are experiencing shortages like this, supermarket shelves in France and Germany are well stocked, the hospitality sector has supplies and staff in Europe.
"We can only hope the Government comes up with a solution before the Christmas rush to avoid unhappy shoppers and excessive price hikes."
