National biscuit shortage development - and it's good news!

We were gutted to hear recently of the biscuit shortage in the UK, but some great news has been heard along the biscuit grape vine...

We were gutted to hear recently of the biscuit shortage in the UK, but some great news has been heard along the biscuit grape vine. Two Boeing 777 aircrafts packed full of biscuits have landed at Doncaster airport. And they're packed with our favourite treats!

The mass biscuit loads are intended to ease a biscuit shortage - bringing our favourites back to the supermarket shelves including Custard Creams and Bourbons.

Dayle Hauxwell, cargo manager for Doncaster Sheffield Airport, told Doncaster Free Press: 'There has been a lot of press coverage about Britain's biscuit shortage following the floods in December and we are pleased to hear that the factories hope to be up and running again this month. In the mean time we've been delighted to welcome two flights from Emirates full of the nation's favourite biscuits.'

The biscuit shortage was first brought to our attention in early February when we were informed that the UK could be facing a mass shortage over the next few months, including classics like Bourbon biscuits and Custard Creams, and it was all down to Storm Desmond.

One of the biggest biscuit producers, The United Biscuits factory, was hit so badly by Storm Desmond that it affected its biscuit output!

Flooded since December, the factory is still in a clean-up process and it was confirmed in February that this would have a knock-on effect on the supply of McVitie's and Jacob's biscuits in the UK.

In a statement, a United Biscuits spokesman said: 'We apologise if consumers are finding it difficult to get hold of some of these products and we are working hard at our Carlisle site to resume normal service as soon as possible.

'We currently have 400 United Biscuits employees, contractors and suppliers working back at our factory site and supporting with the clean-up process, and resuming factory production is an absolute priority for us.'

We'll be making homemade versions to keep ourselves (and our cup of teas) occupied while we wait patiently Homemade Bourbons or Custard Creams bars anyone?

They haven't set a return date for production yet but it should be as soon as possible.

Some of the major supermarkets commented on the, quite frankly, devastating news. Sainsbury's said they won't be fully stocked on biscuits until mid-April, while Tesco were a little more promising - saying stock would be back to normal from the end of February – phew!

Have you noticed a biscuit shortage in your local supermarket? Comments below to tell us where, when and what brand!

Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies