Christmas dips and party nibbles run short as Bakkavor factory strike continues

Affected products include cheese & chive dip, soups, pasta sauces and taramasalata at Waitrose, Tesco and M&S

It could be crunch time for picky teas" and party nibbles this Christmas amid fears of further shortages of cheese and chive dips, soups and pasta sauces after hundreds of workers at a food production site voted for three months of further strike action.

Industrial action at the Spalding plant of Bakkavor, a large supplier of savoury dips, hit supplies of taramasalata in supermarkets last month. As the strike enters its third month, there are now gaps on shelves in Waitrose, Tesco and Marks & Spencer as the action affects production of cheese & chive dips and other items.