Care home and 'meals on wheels' suppliers stockpile food for no-deal Brexit

Major food suppliers to care homes and elderly who rely on ‘meals on wheels’, are busy stockpiling food to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.

The companies Apetito and Bidfood provide specialist food to care homes, hospitals and elderly and disabled people living at home, many of whom have complex needs.

As part of the firms’ ‘hard Brexit’ contingency plans, the companies have said they are making sure they have extra stock, in case Britain faces supply chain problems after it leaves the EU on 29 March.

Apetito provides ready-made meals to 450 care homes, 400 hospitals, nurseries and more than 100,000 people needing care at home.

Paul Freeston, chief executive of Apetito UK said: “Given the level of uncertainty, we are investing heavily in a contingency plan to protect our customers.

“We are proud to serve some of the most vulnerable in society and we are determined to do everything we can to maintain supply.

“Meanwhile, we believe it is essential the current political stalemate is resolved so the food and farming industry can get on with its job of feeding the nation.

“This in turn requires frictionless trade with the remaining EU members, who form a vital part of the UK supply chain.”

Mr Freeston said the company’s key aim is “to optimise its ability to supply customers, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable people, in hospitals, care homes and their own homes. “Given the level of uncertainty, political stalemate and the consequent risk of a hard Brexit, under which the UK food industry could be severely disrupted”, Mr Freeston said the firm kick-started with its stock contingency plan.

Apetito has invested £5 million in its preparations for no-deal Brexit.

In the lead up to 29 March, Apetito began increasing stocks of its ‘high risk’ raw materials after analysing its food and packaging supply chain -which involves the purchase of approximately 700 items.

It has doubled its raw material stocks from four to eight weeks and stocks of its ready meals have also increased. Apetito has secured additional storage for the next six months to house the extra stock at a cost of over £100,000.

Identified alternative products for 'at risk' items

Bidfood supplies food to nearly 4,000 care homes, almost 1,000 hospitals as well as schools. It has built up extra stocks - up to eight weeks- and has invested in extra warehousing to house its no-deal stocks, as the end of March approaches.

“Bidfood has been shaping plans for some time to ensure that we are in as strong a position as possible to mitigate against potential impacts to our customers”, said Jim Gouldie, supply chain and technical services director at Bidfood.

"We have looked closely at the products which are important to sectors that have a duty of care, for example education, healthcare and public services.

“Over the last few months we have been engaging directly with Government departments, EU and UK Customs, as well as consulting with UKHospitality and the Federation of Wholesale Distribution, as part of the extensive work we have been undertaking to prepare for different scenarios, including a no deal Brexit.”

Bidfood has written to more than 700 of its core suppliers to find out their plans for a no-deal Brexit and ”identified key lines where we would need to build additional contingency stock levels of up to eight weeks, taking into account what suppliers have said about their own plans to hold contingency stocks."

“We have identified alternative products for those which we believe are at risk, as well as lines where we feel we need additional stocks."

'Duty of care'

"We have looked closely at the products which are important to sectors that have a duty of care, for example education, healthcare and public services."

With the UK leaving the EU, many firms fear the cost of raw materials could soar, if UK began trading on World Trade Organisation terms with the EU. Care homes too fear the extra costs could then be passed on to care providers.

Meanwhile, the National Care Association has said the majority of care homes it represents are ready for a no-deal Brexit with enough food stocks, in particular dried and canned food.

A government spokesperson said: "We are working closely with the NHS, Defra and healthcare providers to ensure the uninterrupted supply of food and specialised nutritional products to patients, as part of our preparations for a no-deal EU Exit."

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