# The Haribo shortage of 2021

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## Summary

In July 2021, Haribo said a shortage of lorry drivers was making it hard to get its sweets to UK shops. What happened, and why there were too few drivers.

## Description

In July 2021, Haribo said it was struggling with Britain's shortage of lorry drivers. ConfectioneryNews reported that the problem threatened the availability of sweets such as Goldbears and Tangfastics.
What Haribo said
On 2 July 2021, trade and news outlets reported that Haribo was struggling to get its sweets to UK retailers. A spokesperson said the company, like many manufacturers and retailers, was experiencing challenges with deliveries, and LBC quoted Haribo as saying it faced several challenges throughout its supply chain, including a shortage of drivers. The company said it was working with partners across the food and drink industry to resolve the problem, and, according to ConfectioneryNews, it pulled promotional activity to protect its stock levels.
Why there were too few drivers
The shortage had several causes, and Covid and Brexit were both part of it.
Lost driving tests. Grocery Gazette reported that around 30,000 HGV driving tests did not take place in 2020 because of Covid, so fewer new drivers qualified.Drivers who went home. Kate Shoesmith of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said, as reported by ConfectioneryNews, that many lorry drivers in the UK had been EU nationals, from countries such as Romania and Bulgaria, who left during the pandemic. Some did not want to return because of Brexit or the pandemic.A wider problem. The Road Haulage Association warned of a shortfall of tens of thousands of drivers. The Department for Transport said it was making progress with driving tests and recruitment.
Not just sweets
The problem reached far beyond sweets. The British Retail Consortium called on the government to rapidly increase the number of HGV driving tests, LBC reported.
Haribo in Britain
Haribo, founded in Bonn in 1920, came to Britain in 1972 when it bought Dunhill's of Pontefract, and it makes sweets at Pontefract and Castleford in Yorkshire: see what does Haribo stand for? and Hans Riegel and the gummy bear. Lorries have made sweet headlines for other reasons too: see famous sweet thefts from lorries

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