Retailers blame Brexit as food shortages hit Scottish stores

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INTERRUPTIONS in the food supply to Scottish shops and restaurants are largely due to Brexit – not the ‘pingdemic’ – according to independent food retailers. They report that a major problem is that EU carriers have cut the UK off their routes. Some suppliers in European countries also find other buyers for their products, due to the costs associated with post-Brexit paperwork.

Other commentators have pointed out that Scotland does not actually have a ‘pingemia’ as the Scottish Track and Trace app only alerted around 2,500 people last week to isolate them. On social media, skeptics shared images of plentiful fruit and vegetable displays in supermarkets in EU countries, which are also suffering from heat waves, Covid, and use testing and traceability apps.

A YouGov poll last week showed that more than a third of people across the UK are experiencing food shortages in local stores. Scots could, however, be particularly affected by the shortage of truck drivers caused by Brexit and Covid. Most products from EU countries pass through England. After partial border checks, it has to be transferred to trucks for longer journeys. In response to concerns about the supply, Independence Live launched a campaign for food sovereignty.

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The toilet paper and paper towel aisles at Pitlochry Co-op were completely empty this weekend. The water racks were full – but instead of the usual variety, only with Co-op brand water. A staff member said: “A lot of our drivers were from the EU. There were around six people delivering to this store – and they’re all gone now because of Brexit. No one in the store was self-isolating.

Award-winning grocer Francesco Cosentino, who runs Il Fruttivendolo in Linlithgow and opens a store in Edinburgh’s Dalry district, said: “I don’t think people in this country have any idea of ​​our addiction to it. screw EU food. Even something like cheddar – people think it’s British, but a lot of it is made in Ireland.

Francesco imports products from Italy. He said: “Before Brexit it was so simple. The food was delivered by an Italian haulier. But since Brexit, they have cut the UK off their roads because of red tape. I now have 77 pages of customs declarations that I have to check every week.

“Now the food goes through London. He may be delayed there because of border controls. I import high quality items – Italian mozzarella and romaine lettuce. They have a shelf life of one week. Before Brexit they left Italy on Friday and were in my shop on Monday and I had all week to sell them.

“But if they are delayed in London, they can miss their time slot in Scotland. There are now only slots available about twice a week instead of every day. If I don’t get them by Wednesday, that only gives me two days to sell them. A load was so delayed that I couldn’t sell it at all – I lost £ 2,000. I had to swallow this loss – I am not eligible for any help. It is devastating.

“I pay more for the shipments; I pay to work with each individual supplier. People don’t want to pay more for paperwork.

“This will have an impact on the quality of the food available in Scotland. It particularly affects the Italian, Spanish and Polish communities. Many have businesses that depend on these supply chains. It also has an impact on the quality of life. ”

GARTH Gulland from Glasgow Roots and Fruits said: “Brexit is a nightmare. It was so smooth. The trucks were greeted head-on. The problem is, we’re not dealing with things that are made in a factory and can be left somewhere until we need them. The fresh food supply chain needs to be carefully thought through. This is not happening.

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“It’s like riding a bike left in the rain for two years, it squeaks, all the gears are shaking, we do our best to get it to roll, but it keeps stalling. It’s heartbreaking. Previously, all of this. was so easy, now we have to put all of our energy into standing still. ”

Giovanna Eusebi, from Eusebi’s grocery store in Glasgow’s West End, said: “I see that I am losing some of my suppliers in Italy. These are small family businesses that I have worked with for years and they cannot afford the administrative costs of paperwork since Brexit. It’s sad.

“We have adapted our menu, so we only bring dry products from Italy, such as coffee beans, pasta flour, olive oil. Everything costs us more. And there are delays – it takes up to six weeks. Now we mainly use fresh local produce – today we bought some beautiful zucchini flowers from The Wash House. We base our promotions on everything we have. If we get a glut of something, we’ll save it for use in coffee this fall.

“When my mother first opened a grocery store in Shettleston in the 1970s, she had to buy olive oil from the chemists. I hope we won’t come back to this! Scotland has many health issues linked to poor quality food and I am concerned about the potential impact of the rising costs. ”

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