The prospect of a hard Brexit has raised the spectre of civil unrest on Britain’s streets, food shortages and chaos at our ports – but there is a silver lining. Of sorts.
There will be Dairy Milk. Lots of it.
Cadbury owner Mondelez International has reportedly revealed it is stockpiling ingredients, chocolates and biscuits in case of a no-deal Brexit.
Hubert Weber, the European boss of Mondelez, said the UK was “not self-sufficient in terms of food ingredients” and confirmed the stockpiling as part of contingency plans for a hard Brexit, according to The Times newspaper.
It marks the latest revelation over stockpiling ahead of Brexit as fears mount that the UK may fail to agree terms of its withdrawal by the Brexit deadline next March.
Weber said: “Like the whole of the food and drink industry in the UK, we would prefer a good deal that allows the free flow of products, as that would have less of an impact to the UK consumer.
“However, we are also preparing for a hard Brexit and, from a buffering perspective for Mondelez, we are stocking higher levels of ingredients and finished products, although you can only do so much because of the shelf life of our products.
“We have a contingency plan in place to manage (a hard Brexit), as the UK is not self-sufficient in terms of food ingredients, so that could be a challenge.”
He warned that shoppers may face higher prices and fewer choices if a deal is not agreed and added he wished Britain was “at a different stage (in negotiations with the EU) at this stage”.
Europe is Mondelez’s biggest global division, accounting for 40% of revenue last year.
A raft of firms across the industry are said to be stockpiling and making no-deal plans.
Matt Hancock, Britain’s new health and social care secretary, said in July that officials were considering working with industry to stockpile drugs, medical devices and supplies in the event of a no-deal scenario.
Drugs giant AstraZeneca said in August that patients in the European Union may not be able to receive medicines from the UK post-Brexit if it does not “prepare well” for a no-deal scenario.
Setting a new bar in punnery, a spokesperson for the People’s Vote campaign told HuffPost UK: “No-one should be Reveling in the news that the owners of Cadbury are already stockpiling ingredients due to the risks of Brexit. This is just the latest sorry Twix in the Brexit saga.
“It’s becoming clear there’s no Brexit Bounty. We mustn’t Rollo over and accept whatever terms are offered by a Flake like Theresa May. Whispa it quietly, but the calls for a People’s Vote are growing by the day.
“The Brexit that is being delivered is a Galaxy away from the one that was promised. And a Brexit Fudge is not good enough.”