The UK is currently facing a nationwide butter shortage, with many supermarket shelves empty – and there’s a warning that the situation could get worse for British households
The UK is currently grappling with a nationwide butter shortage, leaving many supermarket shelves bare.
This unexpected scarcity is due to this year’s unusually wet spring, which typically brings a ‘flush’ in milk production as cows graze on fresh grass.
However, the relentless rain has meant less grazing time for cows and drowned grass, leading to no ‘spring flush’ in milk production. As a result, butter producers are scrambling to secure cream amid soaring prices.
Thomas Straker and Toby Hopkinson, founders of British butter brand All Things Butter, have warned that customers will face a butter shortage in the coming months due to the dreadful weather, reports the Express.
The UK’s soggy 2024 spring has wreaked havoc on the dairy industry, putting both cows and farmers in a tight spot.
Milk production from UK cows has dropped by an estimated 1.1 percent this year due to the unfavourable spring conditions.
With the cream supply dwindling, bakers and restaurants are scrambling to buy the last of the cream before prices skyrocket even further.
With cream scarce, butter producers found their churns empty, a shortage that has now rippled down the supply chain, leaving supermarket shelves bare just as demand for butter peaks with the festive season.
