The Covid-19 measures are adding significantly to the pressure on the foodservice equipment supply chain, because hospitality operator outlets have been forced to close.
To that end the Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) has called for targeted, immediate and continued support for the sector on behalf of its 194 members who supply 80% of new equipment sold into hospitality, and who also design install and service equipment in a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Its members are wholly dependent on the operator sector for their business. Any recovery is unlikely to be evident until Q3 2021.
The letter reads as follow:
Dear Prime Minister,
We are grateful to your Government for responding to the requests for support that we have made during 2020.
The Covid-19 measures are adding significantly to the pressure on the foodservice equipment supply chain, because hospitality operator outlets have been forced to close.
To that end we call for targeted, immediate and continued support for the sector on behalf of our 194 members who supply 80% of new equipment sold into hospitality and who also design install and service equipment. Our members are wholly dependent on the operator sector for their business. Any recovery is unlikely to be evident until Q3 2021.
For businesses wholly or significantly dependent on hospitality operators, we call for direct financial support to cover the following costs until 30th September 2021.
Business Rates – to be cancelled through Council subsidy. Rents – contracted rental costs to be covered by Government grants. VAT – deferral to ease business cash flow. Furlough Scheme – extension to prevent the loss of experience, knowledge and skilled jobs.
Announcement of such support will give security and peace of mind to foodservice equipment supply companies and will ensure business viability and long-term sustainability.
In return for this investment our sector will be able to ensure that it is well positioned to be able to respond to the needs of the operator sector when the recovery inevitably commences, hopefully in Q3/Q4 2021.
Yours sincerely,
Keith Warren
Chief Executive