Supplies of beer rationed amid fizz shortage

WITH the World Cup and the heatwave in full force, there couldn’t be a worse time for a beer crisis.

But that’s exactly what Britain is facing after its biggest food and drink wholesaler announced it is rationing sales of beer, cider and soft drinks because of a shortage of CO2.

Booker, which sells to bars, restaurants and traders, is capping sales to five cases of soft drinks or cider and ten cases of beer. And the effect will soon trickle down to thirsty drinkers across the country.

The shortage of carbon dioxide, which puts the fizz into drinks and is also used in food production, has seen brewers such as Heineken halt keg supplies of big brand beers to some pubs.

And the Wetherspoons chain has warned that pubs are likely to run out of some beers and soft drinks. The

‘Production restricted’

brewery and bottling company, Holden’s, based in the West Midlands, has also stopped the bottling of beers and soft drinks for 80 firms across the UK.

Bacon butties could also be in short supply. There are concerns that pork production may have to be restricted as CO2 is normally used to effectively put the pigs to sleep before they are killed.

Scotland’s biggest pig processor ran out of CO2 yesterday, forcing it to halt the slaughter process. Quality Pork Limited, which normally puts about 6,000 pigs a week through its abattoir in Brechin, may now have to send some animals to England.

Coca-Cola was also forced to halt UK production of fizzy drinks for a period over the weekend.

The CO2 gas has been in short supply since producers cut back production over the summer for maintenance work to take place.