Eateries urged to source locally as lockdown lifts
LEADERS in the beef sector have urged the Government to “go one step further” in their efforts to help food producers as they recover from the impacts of the coronavirus lockdown.
Writing in an open letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, the National Beef Association (NBA) praised the new ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme, which will give customers a 50 per cent discount of their bill during August, under plans to support the struggling hospitality and leisure sectors.
But the NBA said an “opportunity has been missed” to help producers.
The organisation, which promotes and supports the British beef sector, is calling on ministers to create a campaign to stipulate that cafes, pubs and restaurants source their food from within the UK.
In the letter sent to Mr Sunak’s office on July 13, Neil Shand, interim chief executive of the NBA, explained: “We do feel that you have perhaps missed an opportunity to go one step further and to help our food producers – both beef farmers whom we represent, and also the wider agriculture industry in general.
“Perhaps now is the time for the public and the service sector to thank their food producers by lending their support in some small way. It would be a way of showing the country’s appreciation to those who have worked tirelessly to feed the nation if the Government were to apply some pressure to the pubs and restaurants who will benefit from the extra funding.”
He added: “Please can you ensure that they buy local and support local producers.”
Mr Shand said the NBA believes that a “well-devised PR campaign” to stipulate that eateries source their food from within the UK would give the financial incentives, ultimately paid for by the British taxpayer, a double benefit, helping to secure jobs within the industry and in turn providing a well-deserved “thank you” to those who have worked so hard to help us through this crisis.
Acknowledging the resurgence of patriotism in recent months, which has helped during the darkest times, Mr Shand continued: “There are even more difficult times ahead. If we are to emerge from this crisis as a stronger nation, we need to pull together, making use of our inherent strengths and helping each other to recover our economy, our financial security and our way of life.”