REVOLUTION Bars' boss has said supply chain disruption has left his staff unsure of what products will show up when.

The group said its sites in England had traded 21 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels since being able to operate free of Covid restrictions.

The Revolucion de Cuba owner published a trading update looking at the period from 19 July - known as Freedom Day, when all existing Covid rules for businesses were scrapped - to 2 October.

While the business was "pretty well covered" at the minute, it hadn't been "without problems," chief executive officer Rob Pitcher told City A.M.

"It's very sporadic," he said of the impact of the HGV driver shortage. "There's an unpredictable nature of what's turning up on the order. It has added pressure on the teams, they don't know what's turning up or when.

"One week we have a problem with fresh fruit and veg - the next it's 'is all the vodka turning up?'" The group was a "little nervous" about whether corporate Christmas parties would see a full recovery this year. Bookings for large events were "well behind what they would normally be," but Pitcher said he was hopeful of a late bookings surge.

Providing the business has a "normal-ish"Christmas, it would likely upgrade its year end forecast. Pitcher joined other bosses in calling for ministers to relax immigration rules to help plug staff gaps. Many workers left the country last year and have not returned to the UK.

"We have not got a skills shortage, we have got a labour shortage," Pitcher added, with many catering colleges shut during lockdowns. For the Government to say 'business sort this out,' it's not wholly fair."

(c) 2021 City A.M., source Newspaper