It appears that McDonald’s is the latest fast-food chain to be hit by HGV driver supply chain issues, as the country wakes up to the news that there is not a single McDonald’s milkshake to be found in the whole of the UK today.
McDonald’s has said it cannot serve milkshakes in any of its UK restaurants due to a supply chain issue, meaning there’s no strawberry marshmallow, no vanilla special, no nothing coming out of the machines today.
The group has blamed a shortfall in its supply chain and said this has affected a small number of menu items, causing a shortage not just on milkshakes but also on some bottled drinks at its UK stores.
A spokesperson for McDonald’s has said that its staff is “working hard to return these items to the menu as soon as possible”.
Reports suggest that the shortage is being caused by a lack of f HGV drivers – a knock-on effect of new EU immigration rules that have come into effect because of Brexit, as well as issues caused by Covid regulations and the ‘pingedemic’.
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A shortfall of 100,000 drivers has been predicted by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), leading to lobby groups writing to the government’s Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng asking for MP’s to grant new temporary work visas to EU drivers to help resolve the problem.
Elsewhere, it is being suggested that if these supply issues are not fixed the country may end up with a shortage of turkeys this Christmas if things do not improve.
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McDonald’s is not the only restaurant to have been affected, either. A shortage of chicken at popular peri-peri chain Nando’s caused the group to shut fifty of its restaurants last week, whilst KFC and Co-op have also issued statements regarding shortfalls in their supply chains.
Nando’s even went so far as to send some of its restaurant staff to try and help plug the gap and get things moving again.
Business groups are now piling pressure on the government to reverse its decision not to grant temporary work visas to EU drivers, in the hopes that this will get things moving again.
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can now have a private sleepover amongst all the history inside Manchester Museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum is now offering one lucky family the chance to have a sleepover with Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex.
For the first time in Manchester Museum’s history, one lucky family will be given the chance to experience an incredible night at the museum.
This unique opportunity is being offered as part of a prize draw, allowing visitors to find out what happens once the sun goes down inside the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery – in the company of Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, of course.
The Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is one of the most iconic spaces within Manchester Museum.
Having opened to the public all the way back in 1888, it’s part of the museum’s original building designed by celebrated Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
Not only will the lucky winning family enjoy an overnight stay in the gallery, but they’ll also be treated to a guided torchlight tour of the galleries after the Museum has closed, as well as other fun activities and a film screening too before bed.
You can now have a private sleepover inside Manchester Museum / Credit: The Manc Group
“We can’t be completely sure what happens when the sun goes down in our Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery, because nobody has ever spent the night in there before, but we can only imagine the kind of fun that can be had with Stan the T. rex and his friends,” said Dean Whiteside, Head of Commercial and Operations at Manchester Museum.
“This is a chance to be a part of museum history and enjoy the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t usually buy.
“At the same time, Manchester Museum is a charity so, by getting behind this initiative, you’ll be helping to support vital work that impacts the lives of people across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Fancy it then? You can enter the prize draw by buying a ticket for £5 from the Manchester Museum Shop, with each ticket counting as one entry and the winner set to be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The prize draw is now open and closes on Monday 28 September 2026.
Georgina Pellant -
24th August 2021 
