Grab & Go Opportunities?

The global whitefish supply chain has also been under significant pressure in recent years due to Covid (global impact) and EU Exit (UK impact). Recently there have been constraints on production in parts of China as some of the seafood processing hubs (Zhuanghe, Dalian) were put into lockdown in December and are only now reopening. This has constrained the volume of processed seafood available and ongoing logistic issues in the shipping and freight sector are further delaying supplies reaching the UK.

It’s Not Just Fish Exports And it’s not just whitefish imports that are affected. Russia and Ukraine combined produce a quarter of the global wheat supplies, any disruption to this supply will affect the production of the batter and the breadcrumbs used by fish and chip shops, and frozen fish products sold in supermarkets and restaurants. Ukraine is also the main global producer of sunflower oil and while there are other vegetable oils available (rapeseed etc.) disruptions to market supply, price increases and production challenges will be inevitable as businesses seek to access and use alternative products. This will impact everything from fish fingers to fish and chips to tinned mackerel and tuna.

Exports to Russia and Ukraine from the UK There has been limited export trade to Russia following the trade ban in 2014. However, there is a sizeable pelagic trade with the Ukraine. In 2020 the UK exported £25m worth of pelagic product. There are also some exports of salmon. This product will now need to find alternative markets.

Sanctions, trade disruption and price rises While no formal sanctions or trade measures against seafood have been put in place, the current global situation is expected to result in significant disruption to UK seafood processing; rising fuel prices, delays to supplies, competition for product. This inevitably will result in cost increases and are expected to translate into higher food prices for consumers. It is impossible to predict how much prices will rise by, but they could be as high as 20-30%.

UK seafood businesses understand how difficult this will be, particularly for low-income families who are already struggling, so there is a great deal of work happening by businesses to find ways to minimise the impact this will have on consumers.

We’re working with the seafood industry to support them with any changes they may want to make to their supply chains in light of this situation. or any food outlet, a grab & go menu offers the opportunity to sell dishes to take-away where seating may be limited, or time may be constrained for the consumer, but operators shouldn’t be concerned about the need to invest in multiple items of equipment in order to provide a wide range of hot items. The Panasonic NE-SCV2 speed convection oven can replace the need for several items of light equipment as it will grill, toast, bake, re-heat, cook, brown, fry, poach, etc., and doesn’t need extraction, therefore can be located anywhere, in the smallest of establishment, so toasted sandwiches, baked potatoes, pastry goods, even chips, can be offered.

Jared Greenhalgh, Business Development Manager, Panasonic UK; “We’ve seen some imaginative uses for our microwaves such as making lemons more squeezable and even disinfecting chopping boards, but when it comes to grab & go, microwaves will re-heat quickly from fresh or frozen, save on energy costs and can result in less waste. When used for reheating, wet foods such as lasagne or chilli do best, and you can even cook items from scratch such as sponge puddings and brownies as they only take minutes!” *https://www.streetdots.co.uk/2019/11/21/mobiletrading-trends-2020/ To find out more about the range of Panasonic microwave ovens, call 01344 862444 or go to www.panasonic.co.uk/pro-cooking

Grab & Go

Opportunities

According to Bartlett Mitchell, demand for quick and convenient lunches prior to the Pandemic was in growth, with grab and go sales estimated to be worth £20bn in 2018 and making up 70% of all lunchtime choices. And streetdots.co.uk, a business that finds street food pitches, is in agreement - according to them, the UK food-to-go market is worth £20bn annually and street food alone contributes £2bn.*