A strike in Nova Scotia is to blame for an ice cream shortage in New Brunswick. (CBC)

It's getting hard to find some popular flavours of ice cream in New Brunswick — thanks to the Farmers Dairy labour dispute in Nova Scotia.

Ice cream shops around New Brunswick that normally rely on distributor Northumberland Co-operative Dairy in New Brunswick for products say their ice cream supplies are fading fast.

Northumberland's ice cream supply comes from Farmers Dairy, a processing and packaging plant in Bedford, N.S.

The most popular flavours are all but gone, Caroline Coulomb said as she was scooping ice cream at Cremiere Caro in Moncton on Tuesday.

Owner Caroline Richard said they've been short 10 flavours so far in August, and the hot weather has made things worse.

"A lot of customers have turned around because I didn't have the flavour they wanted," she said.

Richard said she understands Northumberland is doing its best to restock flavours, but it's not always possible. Northumberland is supplying her shop with other brands of ice cream from different companies, Richard said.

She said her next step will be to contact Scotsburn, which is Farmers top competitor.

At the Magnetic Hill Wharf, Sheila Weir said they have had to substitute many popular flavours. For example, instead of peanut butter mudslide, they've brought in chocolate caramel surprise.

"Hopefully, they'll get the strike over with and we'll be back to normal," Weir said.

'It's been difficult'

Jansen Somers, who runs Ice Cream Delight in Shediac, said that some days he's been unable to get five of his shop's top 10 selling flavours.

"It's been difficult. It's been frustrating," he said.

Customer Joline Richard had her heart set on the flavour turtle tracks but had to settle for cookie dough.

"They didn't have it here today," she said, "but usually they have it."

Somers said his supply dried up almost as soon as the strike started early last month.

"It didn't take long to notice, probably the first or second week of July when we were out of stock," he said. "And you look to the order form and it's out of stock, out of stock, out of stock. Like I say, it's something we've never seen before."

While some customers have been satisfied with substitutes, Somers said some ice cream addicts have left empty-handed when their flavour of choice hasn't been available.

Jack Christie, general manager with Northumberland, said it's been a great season for ice cream so they are working to fill their orders any way they can.

"Customers did experience some shortages because we weren't able to get all our products from Farmers," he said. "But over the last week, we've been able to find alternative suppliers. We're pretty well back to normal, we've got close to 40 of our 45 flavours."

A spokesperson with Farmers Dairy said they are still in talks with employees. Workers at the plant have been on the picket lines since July 10.