'We apologise': Aussies forced to change orders at fast food chain after unexpected condiment shortage strikes

Subway Australia is currently experiencing a temporary pickle shortage at a number of its fast-food outlets across the country.

Hungry Aussies have been forced to change their sandwich and salad orders in recent days, with a notice alerting customers of the unexpected outage.

The sign, spotted in the queue at Subway's North Sydney location, reads: "Temporarily Unavailable. Pickles.

"We are currently experiencing a supply shortage of this stock and it is therefore temporarily unavailable at this store.

"We apologise for any inconvenience and we expect to offer this product again very soon. Thank you."

Rodica Titeica, CMO at Subway ANZ, told nine.com.au: "Well, we found ourselves in a brief pickle! Yes, it is true that due to a damaged shipment we had some intermittent outages of pickles in some areas.

"We take the quality and safety of our product seriously and as a result we had a brief lapse in product supply.

READ MORE: Supermarket with the most affordable Christmas groceries revealed

READ MORE: New supermarket app feature solving common grocery problem

READ MORE: Expert tips that will slash how much you spend on seafood this Christmas

"But rest assured, we are definitely not out of pickles across our whole network, just in some stores and are we are working hard to replenish this stock as quickly as we can."

Sliced cucumbers, which pickles are made out of, are still available on the Subway menu.

This isn't the first time there has been a pickle shortage at Subway in Australia.

In 2022, Subway Australia experienced a significant pickle shortage due to a reported global supply chain disruption which affected their suppliers leading to temporary unavailability of pickles in many stores.

That same year Subway experienced a Garlic Aioli shortage.

At the time, we were told: "Due to nationwide supply pressures, our garlic aioli sauce may be temporarily unavailable at select Subway Restaurants. We anticipate supply will improve in the coming weeks."

These issues eventually resolved, however as recently as December 2024, another pickle shortage impacted Subway stores in Australia and around the world, according to social media posts.

"Is there a shortage of pickles? 3 different subways, 3 different days and still no pickles," one customer wrote on Subway Australia's official Facebook page.

We contacted McDonald's Australia to find out if they too are impacted by the pickle shortage, and were assured they have plenty in stock.

"We are not impacted by this," a spokesperson told nine.com.au.

McDonald's Australia serves up 100 per cent Aussie-grown pickles on their burgers.

For more than three decades, their iconic pickles have been sourced from a local family farm in Griffith, New South Wales.

Internationally, one of Subway's pickle suppliers is Hausbeck Pickle Company. Locally, pickles are sourced from "various food producers".

Subway first arrived in Australia in 1988, opening their first outlet in Perth, but didn't gain real traction until the 2000s.

It is now one of the largest fast food chains in Australia, with over 1,200 stores across the country.

READ MORE: 20 fun Kris Kringle gift ideas under $20

Subway Australia's most popular sellers are their chicken subs.

Their latest data, released in 2023, showed the Chicken Classic was the most popular choice in NSW, Qld, VIC, SA and TAS.

Chicken Teriyaki is the top pick in WA and NT. And those in the ACT love their Meatball Sub.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.