A food and drink boss is preparing to give evidence of the government’s handling of the food and drink sector during the Covid crisis at a public inquiry.
Panic-buying in March 2020 as a result of the lack of planning for the pandemic was slammed by retail trade body the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Last week, former High Court judge Baroness Hallett began an inquiry into the pandemic. The first stage of Hallett’s inquiry will focus on how well-prepared the government was for the crisis.
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Former health secretary Matt Hancock was accused of false claims of safeguarding supermarkets and lack of PPE contracts, among other issues with his handling of the pandemic.
The evidence being prepared will raise issues such as the management of food supply and the designation of key workers.
The inquiry is expected to look at the impact of the lockdowns on the hospitality sector, as well as its effect on food poverty and food waste.
Retail trade body the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) are not giving evidence to this inquiry but are praising the response businesses had to the pandemic:
“Throughout the pandemic, the UK’s food and drink manufacturers demonstrated enormous resilience, keeping the nation fed at a very difficult time thanks to the efforts of the half a million ‘hidden heroes’ who work in our sector in every part of the country,” said FDF director of policy, Jayne Almond.
She added: “Manufacturers quickly put plans in place to keep staff safe and production lines going, so shoppers could still access a wide range of food and drink. Those businesses who previously supplied the hospitality sector were particularly badly impacted, but adapted by changing product lines and finding new customers.”
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