Wetherspoon’s without pigs in blankets after meat industry’s Brexit warning

Wetherspoon's poster warning about pig in blankets, and an example of the food delivered. Photograph: Twitter. - Credit: Archant

JD Wetherspoon has reported that it has been unable to serve pigs in blankets on its Christmas menu due to a problem with its meat supplier.

Boris Johnson during a visit to Wetherspoons Metropolitan Bar in London with Tim Martin, chair of JD Wetherspoon. Picture: Henry Nicholls/PA Wire/PA Images – Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

The pub chain, ran by Brexiteer Tim Martin, “temporarily” encountered problems with its meat supplier as it unveiled its Christmas menu.

It followed warnings from the meat industry that Brexit was creating problems ensuring Christmas favourite foods would be on people’s plates this year.

“Owing to a supplier issue, our pigs in blankets will be without their blankets,” the pub chain wrote on posters in its chains.

It followed warnings from the industry that it will not be able to fulfil orders this year due to Brexit.

Twitter users complained that the pub chain was serving the pigs without the blankets as part of their meals.

“Now I’m no chef but I’m pretty sure my pigs in blankets are meant to come with the blankets,” tweeted one.

In October, Nick Allen from the British Meat Processors Association said a combination of a shortage of labour from the EU, and the fact the goods are hand-made, meant it was one of the products at risk this year.

He said: “These are incredibly fiddly and very labour intensive.

“Packing plants need 10-15% extra labour to get everything ready. And this is a challenge at the moment because of Brexit.”

Christine Jardine, Liberal Democrat MP, saw the irony in the news.

She said: “Every pig deserves a blanket this Christmas. The fact that some Wetherspoons’ customers were deprived of this time-honoured British tradition looks like it’s the fault of one thing only: the Conservative’s Brexit policy.

“The fact that Wetherspoons – the face of Brexit – could no longer serve pigs in blankets as a possible result of the shortage of EU seasonal workers would be laughable if it wasn’t such a dire warning of what is yet to come.

“We haven’t even left yet and Boris Johnson is already threatening a damaging no deal Brexit. The prime minister is looking more like the Grinch than Father Christmas.”

A Wetherspoon spokesperson said it was a “blip” in the supply, and that they would now be serving them again.

He said: “There was a blip in supply, but that has been sorted and we now have a full supply of pigs in blankets.

“When the blip occurred, the company purchased some pigs that were missing the blanket to maintain availability.

“Customers can be assured that pigs in blankets are available in our pubs.”