London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Food production in the UK at risk of moving overseas, warns industry

Food production in the UK at risk of moving overseas, warns industry

Food manufacturing in the UK is under such strain due to staff shortages that some production may have to move out of the country, a retail group has said.

Andrew Opie from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said shortages of HGV drivers and other supply chain staff meant that the sector was "just on the edge of coping" right now.

He warned the Christmas period would be "incredibly challenging" in some areas.

Factories cannot recruit enough staff, he said, adding: "We are struggling."

Mr Opie, the BRC's director of food and sustainability, was speaking at a special session of the UK Trade and Business Commission, an independent group of business representatives and MPs looking to make recommendations to the government.

Asked about the impact of driver shortages, Mr Opie told the commission it was incredibly challenging for the industry, but said he was more concerned about shortages in manufacturing and food processing.

"Despite every effort that's being made by food factories, we cannot recruit enough indigenous people here. They just do not want to do those roles for whatever reason," Mr Opie said.

"That leaves the government with a choice. Does it want to maintain the level of food manufacturing as it stands at the moment in this country, or does it risk offshoring that production to other countries and then we import those finished goods into the UK," he added.

"We've got a very highly skilled, well run food manufacturing sector in this country at the moment which exports quite widely. It's under such strain at the moment and if we cannot recruit people and fill those vacancies, then retailers who buy those products to sell to us as consumers will need to look elsewhere and will end up offshoring some of that production into places like Europe," he told the commission.

"I think the government faces quite a stark choice here about where it wants to put its resources, where it wants to put its immigration policy, and where it wants to put the economy, in terms of the products that are manufactured here in the UK," he added.

A government spokesperson said the UK's food supply chain was "highly resilient".

It said it had expanded a pilot scheme for six-months visas for overseas workers to come to the UK to 30,000 workers this year, but urged employers to "make long term investments in the UK domestic workforce instead of relying on labour from abroad".

'Perfect storm'


Richard Harrow, from the British Federation of Frozen Food, agreed that there were shortages across the sector, not just drivers.

"We've got a shortage of engineers, of butchers, of production operatives," he said.

"And if you haven't got the staff to produce the product, even if you've got a lorry to transport it, you can't supply that product."

He added: "I've never seen the pressures our members are under right now, from labour costs to the price of raw materials. We are facing what I can only describe as a perfect storm."

Alex Veitch from UK Logistics said the backlog in HGV drivers test because of the pandemic was one of the main factors behind driver shortages.

UK Logistics said it would like a temporary visa for drivers to come and work in the UK

"People will be attracted to these roles because wages are rising substantially. We estimate that starting salaries have gone up by at least £5,000 from a base of £25,000.

"It's not so much a problem of finding people who want to be drivers. It's getting them a driver test," he added.

"Short term, we'd like movement on a temporary visa for drivers to come and work in the UK."

The BRC's Andrew Opie agreed, telling the commission the industry just needed "breathing space" to allow for UK drivers to be recruited and tested.

"We've got vacancies. We will pay more to attract drivers here. We don't see it as a major change in immigration policy. It would be a short-term measure," he said. "That could make a massive change for us overnight."

Less choice


During the hearing, all three business groups acknowledged that Christmas could present problems, though they didn't anticipate any major shortages.

"We're not seeing major shortages and not anticipating that, but it's the constant challenge, trying to keep head above water. There's no slack in system," Mr Opie said

"Christmas is going to be incredibly challenging in some areas. There might be small scale disruption. Even delivery times for online could be more difficult. It's too early to predict, but not too early for the government to do something to make sure there isn't a problem," he added.

Mr Harrow from the British Federation of Frozen Food said his members would normally be laying down stock for Christmas right now, but that they currently haven't got the capacity to do that, though he said he doesn't expect big shortages at this stage.

"What we are more likely to see is a reduction in choice, rather than shortages," he said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×