Central Foods shares insights into impact of pandemic and Brexit Most sectors have been adversely hit in some way by the twin effects of the covid pandemic and Brexit. Leading frozen food distributor Central Foods sheds light on how the foodservice industry has been affected
“D
uring the pandemic, frozen food sales in the retail sector went through the roof
The impact of the Covid pandemic, combined with Brexit, caused a perfect storm in the sector.
as families restricted shopping trips to
“Like all distributors, although we had to write off some
the supermarket and bought more in
stock as it went out of date, we tried to maintain stock levels
bulk and online to tide them over until their next visit,”
of popular lines in anticipation of the sector re-opening,”
explains Gordon Lauder, MD of Central Foods. “But it was
explains Gordon. “This was not easy due to various
obviously a very different story in the foodservice sector.
factors, including new, highly complex Brexit legislative
Some takeaway and fast food operators managed to trade
requirements, capacity reduction due to implementation
again once the first lockdown ended on 4 July last year,
of covid-19 factory shift patterns and the short supply of
but pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues
ingredients from suppliers with their own covid-19 issues,
managed little trading during each of the lockdowns.
but we did the best we could.
“Demand for foodservice products continued from
Central Foods, which supplies a wide range of frozen
hospitals, care homes, prisons and schools open for key
products to the foodservice sector, believes that the
worker children, but no one can deny the foodservice sector
effects of lockdown may last for a while.
was hit significantly by the lockdowns and restrictions.”
“Despite pent-up demand, many consumers are still
“Recent figures from The ONS reveal how the industry
nervous about going out to eat and have got used to
continued to be disproportionately hit by the pandemic,
enjoying takeaways and meal delivery kits and boxes
with 355,000 fewer employees than a year before,
during lockdown; so this pivoting away from dining-in may
accounting for 43% of the national unemployed total.*
affect demand for some time,” adds Gordon.
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Fastfood Professional • August and September 2021
August and September 2021 • Fastfood Professional
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