After Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced on Friday that he was offering more support to hospitality venues that face closure from further local lockdowns, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has called for suppliers to also be given help.
The government’s new six-month scheme will cover two-thirds of staff wages at closed workplaces, and companies in England can also get access to further grants.
FDF’s Chief Executive, Ian Wright, welcomed the move but highlighted that it does not address the difficulties for those suppliers to businesses which are forced to close.
“These – including many food manufacturers which provide meals, drinks and other products – are equally vulnerable to the impacts of Government measures,” he said.
“Through no fault of their own, they face being shut with no income. Without additional support for the supply chain throughout lockdown, many of these ‘squeezed middle’ suppliers will simply not survive.
“While many manufacturers are managing to adapt and find new routes to market, that just doesn’t work for others. When the government is ordering businesses to close it is the duty of the Treasury to intervene at scale and with speed. Otherwise thousands of jobs, companies and livelihoods will be lost for ever.”
