GUILD TALK

View from HQ

By John Farrand managing director

THE GUILD HAS recently supported a local (but with national and international reach) festival. We introduced a talk on rural and farming life from the 1940s to the present day and beyond, making the obvious link to food and drink. It was only 12 miles or so from the o ce but a quick glance at the fuel gauge meant I needed to ll up.

As the numbers on the pump sped towards £50 and then £60, and then over £70, I had to release the trigger and the tank was not much over halfway full.

In late June the rate of in ation hit 9.1%, a 40-year high and, as our lead news story explores the costof-living crisis on page 5, it hits our sector as much as any other in food and drink.

History and hearsay dictate that the deli and farm shop sector weather a recession reasonably well. The early 1990s and late 2000s were a relative boom time for many, as shoppers traded-up at home rather than eating out to save money. That trend was re ected in lockdowns, although the stayingat-home was enforced for di erent reasons. Reading comment from retailers, I have some doubts we will relish this inevitable recession with such glee.

Our talk at the Chalke Valley History Festival drew parallels between hard times, exploring postwar Britain and how that in uenced food and farming dramatically then, and has done until the present-day. 90-year-old Allen Chalk, one of the speakers, had worked on the same farm in the local area since he was 14. He described the scarcity of meat, catching the odd hare and hiding it in his jacket to smuggle home, and how locals grew or foraged (now, of course a food trend) their own, simple, nutritious, and sustainable food.

The discussion moved on with a stat from the Chair, that in the 1950s we spent a third of our income on food shopping, but in 1974 this had gone down to 24%. By 2016, food shopping accounted for

just 10.5% of our income. The trend has continued.

And that makes you think. There is certainly a cost-of-living crisis caused by the well-known external factors, but should the nation be looking at how we divvie up our monthly or weekly wage?

Food and drink has been too cheap for too long and perhaps our priorities are out of kilter. Nutritious, healthy ingredients wouldn’t feel more expensive right now if households had been spending a third of their income over the last decade.

Should we be looking at how we divvie up our monthly wage? Sign-up for our support bulletin

Our industry continues to face an incredibly challenging time, that’s why the Guild has continued to send out its support bulletin via email every fortnight. It aims to identify the information and Government support specifically relevant to independent food retailers and the producers who supply them. It also includes practical business advice and ideas from our community on smarter retailing, industry connections, and provides some much-needed “good news” stories. Sign up at:

bit.ly/support-bulletin

Great Taste runs the numbers

The Word on Westminster

By Edward Woodall ACS

FOLLOWING THE CONFIDENCE vote in the Prime Minister, there is much speculation about the future of Boris Johnson. His victory in the vote is not clear cut, ultimately 148 MPs do not support his leadership – not a great endorsement.

Nevertheless, the current Conservative Party rules mean he is safe for 12 months and he doesn’t look likely to throw in the towel.

The results of the two by-elections came in as this magazine was going to press and the Conservative Party has lost both seats. No doubt, the Prime Minister’s detractors will use this to further undermine his leadership. But the real worry should be the impact of this instability on the Government. Can the Prime Minister and the Cabinet focus on policy delivery when they are fighting internally?

The proposals to review the use imperial measures on goods suggests they are not focused on policy outputs.

Imperial measures have not been on businesses’ radar or the minds of consumers. In fact, it would increase administrative burdens on businesses and confuse consumers.

There are other signals too. For example, the publication of the Food White Paper with some high ambitions, including greater partnership with businesses, but little detail on how to achieve them. With inflation now over 9% and likely to increase further as fuel and food costs rise over the next 12 months, we need focus in Government. This means helping business weather the storm as well as consumers.

Retailers we speak to are seeing product, utility and labour costs increasing at such a vast rate they cannot protect their customers from higher prices.

What we need is support to invest in energy saving equipment, more flexibility to train staff and a tax and regulatory system that instils confidence to invest.

Edward Woodall is government relations director at the ACS edward.woodall@acs.org.uk

More than 3,500 food & drink producers will be eagerly awaiting their results and feedback from Great Taste 2022 after judging concluded in June. 14,205 products have now been through the Great Taste judging system and over 500 judges have joined the Guild this year, to determine who has won a 1-star, 2-star or 3-star award.

Mark your diaries for results day on Monday 1st August to find out who all the winners are.

gff.co.uk/greattaste

The Guild of Fine Food represents fine food shops and specialist suppliers. Want to join them? gff.co.uk

GENERAL ENQUIRIES Guild of Fine Food

Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Road, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0) 1747 824065

info@gff.co.uk gff.co.uk THE GUILD TEAM: Managing director:

John Farrand

Special projects director:

Tortie Farrand

Sales director:

Sally Coley

Operations & marketing director:

Christabel Cairns

Sales manager:

Ruth Debnam

Sales executive:

Becky Haskett

Marketing manager:

Sophie Brentnall

Operations coordinators:

Chris Farrand Sepi Rowshanaei

Data & systems project manager:

Lindsay Farrar

Finance director:

Ashley Warden

Financial controller:

Stephen Guppy

Accounts assistant:

Julie Coates

Chairman:

Bob Farrand

Director:

Linda Farrand