Morrisons has imposed a shopping limit on all customers amid a vegetable shortage following a cold snap across Europe.
Shoppers will now only be able to buy a maximum of two peppers each after unseasonably cold weather in Spain resulted in fewer being grown. The supermarket said it was hoping to lift the cap in the next week or so because supplies were improving.
Waitrose has also been hit by supply problems. It said it was working hard with suppliers to get a full range back on shelves and expected stock levels to stabilise in the coming weeks as the UK moved into its growing season.
READ MORE: 'I tried Aldi's £1 hand wash that's a dupe for Molton Brown's £22 soap but wish I hadn't'
British supermarkets source peppers exclusively from Spain during the winter months. Supermarkets were forced to ration a range of fruit and vegetables earlier this year due to poor weather in Europe and Africa leading to shortages.
Customers also saw shortages of tomatoes in February, with retailers saying a combination of bad weather and related transport issues in north Africa and Europe were causing significant supply problems. The shortages spread to other products, leaving shelves bare of fresh produce items including cucumbers, peppers and lettuce.
At the time Tesco, Aldi and Lidl limited purchases of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers to three items per person, while Morrisons set a limit of two per customer on tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.
Production problems in Morocco began in January with unusually cold night temperatures affecting tomato ripening. Supplies from Britain's other major winter source, Spain, were also badly affected by weather.
At the time, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said shortages of some fruit and vegetables in UK supermarkets could be "the tip of the iceberg". Deputy president Tom Bradshaw said a reliance on imports had left the UK vulnerable to "shock weather events".
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up to our what's on newsletter
READ NEXT:
- I did a workout in H&M's new £40 activewear and I've got mixed opinions
- Pocket-sized island 40 minutes from Liverpool home to the 'best beach in the world'
- Live updates as final Eurovision 2023 tickets go on sale
- George at Asda's 'lush' £7 sandals that look 'just like Birkenstocks'
- The village where you need to ask permission to paint your front door
