Takeaway sector calls on government to back the £9.4 billion industry
The unity call was spearheaded by Just Eat.
The British Takeaway Campaign (BTC) is urging the government to recognise its economic, social, and cultural contribution to the UK and to back its growth by boosting training and access to skills.
A new research commissioned by Just Eat for the BTC and compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) reveals takeaway restaurants directly contributed £4.5bn in gross value added (GVA) contributions to GDP in 2016 – an increase of 38% since 2009. The said amount will rise to £9.4 billion when factoring in the multiplier effect of supply-chain and employee spending – equivalent to 0.5% of GDP and more than the holiday industry and passenger air travel.
But despite the sector creating record numbers of jobs, its many smaller businesses are facing a challenging operating environment as skills shortages, business rates and inflation are starting to bite.
Among the measures the BTC is calling on the Government to introduce are: ensuring vocational training is relevant to the industry and addresses skills shortages in cuisines like curry, sushi, Chinese and fish frying; ensuring the immigration system enables the takeaway sector to access the skills it needs from within and outside of the EU, and overhauling the current business rates regime to make it fairer and more transparent, including more frequent revaluations.
UK MD at Just Eat and co-founder of BTC Graham Corfield said, "Everyone loves their local takeaway, but few would realise these small, often family-run businesses, are behind so much of the UK’s economic growth. These high street heroes have experienced a digital revolution enabling them to offer even more choice and convenience. British consumers are now increasingly enjoying North African and Middle Eastern takeaways – with orders for Syrian food increasing ten-fold since 2014. That’s alongside firm favourites like Italian, Chinese and Indian and all at the touch of a button. This report shows that with the right policies from the Government, the takeaway sector can continue to thrive.”
The BTC is backed by major industry bodies representing fish and chip shops, kebab and curry houses, and pizzerias across the country.
Chair of the British Takeaway Campaign Ibrahim Dogus added, “The takeaway industry has transformed the high street and the British palate – from fish and chips to the latest fusion food. Takeaways up and down the country contribute billions to growth and are behind thousands of jobs. But many are being hamstrung by skills shortages, rising food and wage costs, as well as business rates. We want to get more young British people fired up about working in this exciting industry by ensuring they get the right training to build successful careers in the sector. While the Government’s move to clarify the status of EU nationals is a welcome step, more needs to be done to ensure takeaways can access the skills they need. That’s why we are calling for an immigration system that addresses areas of genuine skill shortage, rather than one that focuses on skill level alone.”
