Brew've got to be kidding! Tea shortages warning sends shoppers into a meltdown as Brits flood social media with hilarious memes

Sainsbury's has warned of 'nationwide problems' with supplies of black tea 

Brits have flooded social media with hilarious memes after supermarkets warned the country could be facing tea shortages.

People have been vowing to hoard teabags with fears there could be stampedes at supermarkets following Sainsbury’s warning there are ‘nationwide problems’ with supplies for black tea.

But retail bosses have said the problems are ‘temporary’ and stressed that the impact on consumers is expected to be ‘minimal’.

It is understood that the supply problems, which are partly linked to the attacks on cargo boats by Houthi rebels in Yemen, are specifically linked to just one supermarket tea supplier.

Many chose to handle the fear of not being able to have their morning brew by making light of the situation on social media.

Some have drawn comparisons to the notorious toilet roll shortage during the Covid-19 pandemic, while others have said they will stock up on boxes to ensure they won’t go without.

Hilarious posts include pictures of Sesame Street’s Elmo with a raging fire burning behind him, while another person suggests they will be running as fast as Forrest Gump in a dash to the shops to stock up on supplies.

Brits have been making light of the tea shortage warning with hilarious memes on social media

Others joked people may see empty shelves because their mother has ‘half the world’s supply around her house’.

Another feared the apocalypse was on the horizon saying it was the ‘end of days’, while another quipped that tea was the new gold.

Sonia Chislett said: ‘Yikes. Let the hoarding begin,’ while Dawn Robinson fumed: ‘This is worse than the toilet roll shortage.’

People feared it could spark panic-buying again, and Liz Lyons said she would ‘refuse to work’ without being able to have a cuppa.

Sainsbury’s sparked fear by displaying signs in shops about the availability of black tea.

A sign in one store read: ‘We are experiencing supply issues affecting the nationwide supply of black tea. We apologise for any inconvenience and hope to be back in full supply soon.’

But there are more warnings in stores around the UK.

However, non black-teas such as Twining’s Lemon Green Tea and Peppermint are currently on offer.

Andrew Opie, Director of Food & Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: ‘There is temporary disruption to some black tea lines, but the impact on consumers will be minimal as retailers are not expecting significant challenges.’

Tea is largely produced in Asia and East Africa, with China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya producing around three-quarters of tea globally.

Sainsbury’s has cautioned shoppers in some stores that there are ‘nationwide’ problems which could impact the availability of black tea

It is understood that the supply problems, which are partly linked to the attacks on cargo boat by Houthi rebels (pictured) in Yemen, are specifically linked to just the one supermarket tea supplier

Freight shipments from these regions have faced major disruption over the past two months due to attacks in the Red Sea.

Violence by Houthi rebels in the region caused most shipping firms using the key trade route, which heads towards the Suez Canal, to redirect shipments around the Cape of Good Hope at the foot of Africa.

This adds roughly 10 to 14 days onto shipment times, as well as increased costs for shipping firms.

Sparsh Agarwal, owner of several tea gardens in Darjeeling in India and founder of Dorje Teas, said in December that tea shipments were being stalled due to the disruption.

‘We sent shipments to the US and Europe two weeks ago, but they are still in Bombay port and have not been picked up yet,’ he told the newspaper at the time.’