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 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 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 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…
Read moreConfusion over coronavirus catering contingency plans
Ministers have had frequent meetings with supermarket bosses to discuss their response to any food supply threats posed by coronavirus. So why haven’t the public sector catering chiefs been called in too? By David Burrows. George Eustice has made no secret of the effort he is putting in to ensure there is enough food on…
Read moreBioplastics at a crossroads
Questions surrounding the taxation and regulation – as well as the very definition – of bioplastics have to be resolved before we can know what the future holds for a still nascent sector, writes Nick Hughes. Amid the ongoing assault on the plastics industry, its bio-based cousin is booming. Data from trade body European Bioplastics…
Read moreScotland ‘ditches disposables’
From the elimination of single-use sachets to deposit return schemes for coffee cups, Scotland’s hospitality businesses are taking part in a £1m reusable revolution. By David Burrows. “Too much time, energy and money is being spent searching for alternatives to single-use packaging. But which brands are prepared to step away from single-use materials?” This was…
Read moreWith poultry production and standards on the up, will emissions follow suit?
Foodservice companies have committed to higher chicken welfare standards, but there could be a carbon cost in doing so, asks David Burrows. UK consumption of chicken needs to be dramatically reduced, according to a new report, which outlines the environmental impact of poultry production as well as concerns relating to animal welfare. Dropping red meat,…
Read moreThe price of ending cheap foreign labour
Following the government’s announcement of a new immigration policy designed to exclude “low-skilled” migrants, Nick Hughes says we might all miss their contribution to the economy when they’re no longer here. Some years ago, after graduating from university, I spent several months working in a newly opened branch of Carluccio’s in Tunbridge Wells. It was…
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