Shoppers in Belgian 'British' store -- now supplied by Ireland -- slam 'irony' of UK's trucker visas

Record ID: 1638894

  • Title: Shoppers in Belgian 'British' store -- now supplied by Ireland -- slam 'irony' of UK's trucker visas
  • Date: 28th September 2021
  • Summary: KORTENBERG, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 28, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EMPLOYEE OF BRITISH GOODS SHOP 'STONEMANOR' PUTTING BOXES OF CRISPS ON SHELVES ENGLISH WOMAN WHO HAS RESIDED IN BELGIUM FOR 21 YEARS, JULIE FRASER, PICKING PRODUCT FROM SHELVES JARS OF 'MARMITE' SPREAD ON DISPLAY SHOP STAFF PUTTING TEA BOXES ON SHELVES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGER OF BRITISH GOODS SHOP 'STONEMANOR', R/YAN PEARCE, SAYING: "I think what we experienced (shortly after Brexit) was worse (than the current situation) because we had no good come in for two months. Zero good at all crosses from the UK to Belgium to our stores here, which forced us to close for two weeks across two or three periods of time. Essentially we were closed for just over two weeks (and) we never closed in 42 years of business. We never had to close like that, which is a shame. We then overcame that by starting to work closely with suppliers in Ireland and we're getting 80 percent of our goods now from Ireland and the following 20 percent from the UK. We're pretty much back to normal supply, with some tweaks to our range of course. Mainly in the chilled and frozen section." BOXES OF TEA BAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGER OF BRITISH GOODS SHOP 'STONEMANOR', RYAN PEARCE, SAYING: "I think the phrase 'I told you so' comes to mind. Not to be childish but we could see this coming. There had to be repercussions of Brexit. There had to be issues that weren't thought of beforehand and we are now seeing that." TEA BOXES TEA BOXES, SIGN BEARING BRITISH FLAG AND READING (French): "Waitrose. Quality foods from Britain's favourite grocer" BRITISH FLAG CUSTOMER PICKING PRODUCT FROM REFRIGERATOR VARIOUS OF FRASER PICKING BEER BOTTLE FROM SHELVES CHOCOLATE BISCUITS ON DISPLAY BEER BOTTLE ON SHELVES BEER LABEL, READING (English): "Premium British beer" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLISH WOMAN WHO HAS RESIDED IN BELGIUM FOR 21 YEARS, JULIE FRASER, SAYING: "I think it's a shame. I think what's really stupid of the English government is that they said that this new three-month visa for the lorry drivers to try and attract them to the UK. Why tell them that they have to leave on the December 24, which for most Europeans is the most important day over Christmas, not Christmas day? 'Thanks for all your hard work but now bye bye and you can go back to your houses'. I think it's totally wrong." BELGIAN RESIDENT MONIQUE BRAEM STANDING BY FRIDGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER BANK EMPLOYEE FROM MACHELEN, MONIQUE BRAEM, SAYING ABOUT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S PLAN TO PLAN TO ISSUE TEMPORARY VISAS FOR THOUSANDS OF FOREIGN TRUCK DRIVERS: "It's a little bit ironic. Yes, they have to do it. There's no other solution. It's not easy. It's not easy." VARIOUS OF ITALIAN MARKING EXECUTIVE FROM MILAN LIVING IN LEUVEN, JIADA FECHINO LOOKING AT PRODUCTS FECHINO PUSHING TROLLEY THROUGH SHELVES (SOUNDBITE) (English) ITALIAN MARKING EXECUTIVE FROM MILAN LIVING IN LEUVEN, GIADA FECHINO, SAYING "It's a bit ironic because now the Brexit has consequences, then of course now they start to show so it's sad because I think it's really a nice country and it was sad to see them leaving the EU. But people have voted willingly or unwillingly they made their choice so that's it. It's - I wouldn't say karma - just the consequences of what happened." CASHIER AT WORK FECHINO STANDING BY CASHIER EXTERIOR OF BRITISH GOODS SHOP 'STONEMANOR' BRITISH FLAG HANGING ON SHOP'S FACADE
  • Embargoed: 12th October 2021 16:34
  • Keywords: Belgium Brexit Britain Business EU European Union Trade United Kingdom driver fuel gas haulage industry lorry panic buying petrol reaction shortage station truck
  • Location: KORTENBERG, BELGIUM
  • City: KORTENBERG, BELGIUM
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EWMX2DJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Shoppers in a Belgian store which specializes in British products but was forced to switch to Irish suppliers post-Brexit on Tuesday (September 28) slammed the "irony" of a lorry driver shortage in Britain that led fuel pumps to run dry amid panic-buying by motorists.
    The shop's manager, Ryan Pearce, said the import difficulties linked to Brexit had already led its company to source the bulk of its supplies from Ireland instead of former EU member Britain.
    "We then overcome that by start working closely with suppliers in Ireland and we're getting 80 percent of our goods now from Ireland," said the Belgian-born Pearce, whose family founded the business on the outskirts of Brussels in 1982.
    Pearce said the ongoing crisis, which led the world's fifth largest economy to issue temporary visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers, to suspend competition laws and to put its military on standby, did not come as a surprise.
    "I think the phrase 'I told you so' comes to mind. Not to be childish but we could see this coming. There had to be repercussions of Brexit," said Pearce, adding the current shortage only had a limited impact on the shop's supply so far.
    One of Perch's customers, British expatriate Julie Fraser, called a "shame" the British government's attempt to attract foreign drivers for a limited period of time only.
    "Why tell them that they have to leave on December 24, which for most Europeans is the most important day over Christmas - not Christmas day? Thanks for all your hard work but now bye bye," said Fraser, who has lived in Belgium for 21 years and was opposed to Brexit in the first place.
    "It's a bit ironic because now the Brexit has consequences," said Giada Fechino, an Italian on a hunt for the British tea brand she got accustomed to when she previously lived in Britain.
    (Production: Bart Biesemans, Johnny Cotton, Clement Rossignol)
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