If you’ve been into one of Huddersfield’s supermarkets recently, you may have felt a little underwhelmed in the vegetable section.

Following from the courgette crisis, fruit and vegetables have suddenly come in short supply, with some chains even limiting customers to how much they can buy.

Morrisons has rationed each customer in all its stores to three iceberg lettuces and three broccoli heads each following extreme weather conditions in the Mediterranean.

Some Tesco stores are also limiting customers to three lettuces each following the crisis.

Areas of the Spanish coast have been hit by floods and snow over the past month, meaning farmers have struggled to produce a good crop.

One shopper hit by the rationing was Natalie Robertshaw, who runs the GC Coffee House on Bradley Business Park at Bradley.

Natalie said she attempted to buy lettuce from Tesco in Brighouse on Friday morning but was told she couldn’t.

After resorting to going to Asda on Bradford Road, she was only able to buy two lettuces, and had to put up a sign notifying customers.

Bradley café owner Natalie Robertshaw had to put up a sign notifying customers after she was unable to buy lettuce for sandwiches
Bradley café owner Natalie Robertshaw had to put up a sign notifying customers after she was unable to buy lettuce for sandwiches

She said: “They said I can have no more than that. It wasn’t until I came back to the shop and looked on the internet that I realised it was because of the weather in Murcia in Spain.

“I’ve noticed that lettuces have been really tiny. I’m paying 50p for one but it’s probably only worth 25p. Asda do have some bigger lettuces and are selling them for £1.20.

“Our customers will still get lettuce in their sandwiches and in salads but we’ve stopped adding it as a garnish. It looks nice on a plate but it often gets thrown away.”

Natalie added: “When I put the sign out the first two customers just burst out laughing.”

Empty shelves at a Tesco store as lettuce became the latest staple to fall victim to the European vegetable shortage "crisis"
Empty shelves at a Tesco store as lettuce became the latest staple to fall victim to the European vegetable shortage "crisis"

The national shortage started with courgettes and aubergines, but now shoppers can also expect shortages in spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and even citrus fruits.

A statement from Morrisons said: “‘As a result of the fact that the Spanish harvest has been very difficult this year, we have just about enough coming in to supply our customers.

“We want to stop local tradespeople and restaurateurs coming in and buying lots of stock. It is important that there is good availability for our customers.”

Meanwhile a Tesco spokesman said: “We are working with our suppliers to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”