Marmite lovers across Britain are up in arms after it was announced that one of Britain's biggest supermarkets has stopped selling dozens of products, including the nation's favourite salty spread, following a pricing dispute with the supplier Unilever.
Tesco has also removed PG Tips tea, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Hellmann's mayonnaise, Pot Noodles and Surf washing powder from its online store, the BBC reported.
The reason? Unilever, the biggest food and grocery manufacturer in the UK, has reportedly demanded the prices of its products rise by 10% to compensate for the plunging value of the pound.
Many of its products are made outside the UK, so the company said supermarkets should be paying more pounds for them, reported the BBC.
But Tesco has resisted the price rise, so while the products are still being sold in stores, supplies are running low and Unilever has stopped delivering to the supermarket.
People trying to buy Flora margarine and Surf washing powder on Tesco's website yesterday encountered the message: “Sorry, this product is currently not available," reported The Independent.
Unilever's chief financial officer Graeme Pitkethly said the disagreement with Tesco "will be resolved pretty quickly", but other supermarkets are also reportedly in disputes with the company, so it might be worth stocking up on your favourite products before the crisis worsens.
The value of the pound has fallen dramatically compared to the euro and the dollar in recent days at the prospect of a "hard Brexit".
A Tesco spokeswoman told The Independent: “We are currently experiencing availability issues on a number of Unilever products. We hope to have this issue resolved soon.”
Predictably, people have taken to Twitter to vent their anguish at the prospect of a nation-wide Marmite shortage.
Good people of Britain. No matter how terrible this Marmite war becomes, we must not go to the dark side.....Vegemite #marmite #Marmitegate
— Ben Fogle (@Benfogle) October 13, 2016
British people panic buying #Marmite perfectly sums up the hysterical insanity of 2016. #Marmitegate #Brexit pic.twitter.com/Yt0DS4TkLY
— Tom King (@tallgeekychap) October 13, 2016
I was fine with the increase in hate crime, but expensive branded yeast extract is a step too far! #Marmitegate #Brexit
— Phil (@philmoore79) October 13, 2016
Brits everywhere right now:#Marmite #Marmitegate #Brexit pic.twitter.com/mc8551sHJ2
— Lee Thacker (@FubsyShabaroon) October 12, 2016
While for others, the crisis is their time to shine...
Believe 🙌🏻 #Marmitegate pic.twitter.com/hxWvpjyEPw
— Bene Fits (@Bene_fits1) October 13, 2016
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The 10 Most Popular Brands Among Millennials In 2018
Women Know Why Christine Blasey Ford Apologised
'Average' Looking Men Are The Surprise Winners Of Online Dating, Here's Why