Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Jamie Greer

We saw the tomato shortage first hand in Liverpool as shelves lie empty across the UK

Britain is in the grip of a tomato shortage, with shelves in Liverpool's supermarkets empty of fresh produce.

Shoppers across the UK have been frustrated by the lack of fresh food, a staple in many meals from sandwiches to pasta. Morrisons recently explained the shortage, claiming bad weather in Spain and Morocco is "significantly" impacting the fruits availability in stores.

Spain and Morocco are where the majority of Morrisons' tomatoes come from. The supermarket has said the current shortage is "likely to improve in the coming weeks".

READ MORE: Part of city centre was a 'wasteland' but new venue could add to 'edgy vibe'

Energy prices have also been blamed. Tomato production in the UK requires greenhouses to be heated to 20C, leading to claims UK tomato growers are struggling to heat their greenhouses due to lack of funds.

To see how bad the problem really was, we took a quick tour around shops and supermarkets in Liverpool City Centre. We started our fact finding mission in the Tesco Express and Sainsbury's Local.

There was no sign of fresh tomatoes here, with missing limes and lettuce thrown in for good measure too.

Aldi in St John's Shopping Centre was also feeling the tomato shortage (Corbyn John McCallum/Liverpool Echo)

Hoping that the problem might be confined to smaller shops, we headed to some larger outlets. We had no luck either in these places either.

In fact, the problem was even more stark, as the large sections dedicated to massive amounts of fresh produce lay worryingly empty. The Tesco on Hanover Street was home to a busy lunchtime crowd, but there was no fresh tomatoes for them to choose from.

The only tomatoes available here were pre-packaged baby plum tomatoes. It was the same story in the Tesco on Lord Street, the Aldi at St John's Shopping Centre and the large Lidl by Lime Street Station.

Let's hope Morrisons is right, and the situation really does improve. Otherwise, one of the most popular fruits may be lacking from our handmade BLT's for some time.

Discover, learn, grow. We are Curiously. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Share a Random Act of Kindness and celebrate Merseyside's warm heart

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.