Before Covid-19 shunted Brexit into the background the UK government revealed its priorities for a trade deal with the United States. Nick Hughes looks at the detail and the implications for the food sector. What does the UK want from a US trade deal? In short, a bigger slice of the trade pie. Total trade…
Read moreNews Alert: Wetherspoon To Pay Supplier Invoices Due On Monday
J D Wetherspoon has said that it will settle supplier invoices due at the end of March, but those due next month face an anxious wait. In an email sent to suppliers and seen by Footprint, the pub chain said clarification from the government on its Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has “greatly helped our financial…
Read moreThe week that broke Wetherspoon?
Competition is stiff, but we may as well start etching Tim Martin’s name on the inaugural “Boss you don’t want in a covid-19 crisis” trophy, says David Burrows. At the beginning of March, Edelman asked 10,000 people whether they trusted their employer to respond effectively and responsibly to the coronavirus outbreak. The average was 62%…
Read moreWetherspoon to withhold supplier payments
JD Wetherspoon has said it does not intend to pay money owed to its suppliers until after its pubs reopen following the coronavirus crisis. In an email sent to suppliers and seen by Footprint, the pub chain said: “We are asking for a moratorium on payments, until the pubs reopen, at which point we intend…
Read moreCoronavirus: the week ahead
The government offered foodservice a lifeline on Friday. Now it must get to grips with the huge shift in demand from on-the-go to grocery. By David Burrows Across the UK, hospitality businesses pulled the shutters down on Friday night as the government ramped up efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19. However painful for the…
Read moreFoodservice steps up to coronavirus challenge
Businesses have announced a raft of new measures as the food sector recalibrates to cope with the fallout from the spread of coronavirus. Across the country, restaurants are switching to delivery services of pre-prepared meals to cook at home after the government said that planning rules will be relaxed so that pubs and restaurants can…
Read moreScottish DRS delayed due to coronavirus
Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will not be introduced until July 2022 due to the impact of coronavirus. The Scottish Government has moved swiftly to delay the ‘go-live’ date by 15 months from the planned date of April 2021 following consultation with stakeholders. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said the delay would give businesses more time…
Read moreReusables added to ONS basket
Reusable bottles and mugs have been added to the ONS’s basket of goods reflecting a growing number of people switching away from single-use products. The shopping basket of over 700 goods and services is used to measure consumer price inflation. Items are added and removed each year based on a range of factors including availability…
Read moreCoronavirus: What we know so far
Government measures to put the UK into effective lockdown have thrown the foodservice sector into a state of turmoil. Nick Hughes looks at the short-term implications. UKHospitality describes it as “catastrophic”. The British Beer and Pub Association says the sector is facing an “existential crisis”. Never in living memory has the business response to a…
Read moreThe last straw?
Bans on plastic are simply sucking businesses towards alternatives. Whether these are recycled doesn’t seem to matter to ministers or brands. But it certainly should, says David Burrows. In three weeks’ time a ban on plastic straws (and drinks stirrers) will come into force. Or will it? Footprint revealed in January that Defra had been…
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