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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Will new Brexit rules limit the variety of food products on sale on Green Lanes?

In the latest instalment of Brexit red tape, there are new requirements for documentation starting now, and later in the year there will be new inspections of food products coming in from the EU.

The food shops of Green Lanes are mainly independent businesses, importing food from a wide range of countries in the EU or in customs union with the EU (like Turkey).

What is the impact going to be?

This Guardian piece outlines some of the concerns, for example:

'Andrea Rasca, the CEO and founder of Mercato Metropolitano, which runs a number of sites in London hosting dozens of independent food outlets, agreed that the new rules would deter EU suppliers, and urged the government to rethink.

Rasca said: “For independent retailers, these new import rules could result in many specialty retailers or delis having empty shelves and at worst having to close down due to the limited supply of produce coming into the UK.”'

'Nick Carlucci, the sales director at the Italian food importer Tenuta Marmorelle, said that he had heard of several suppliers in Italy opting against exporting to the UK because of the post-Brexit red tape.

He said: “They have said it is not worth our while – the UK is not a big enough market for us. It’s a shame because the end user will ultimately lose these specialist products.”'

Tags for Forum Posts: Brexit, Food, Green Lanes, shops

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Saturday's Guardian has an update on this story:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/09/not-a-sausage-how-...

The new checks are starting to have an impact on Delis and specialist food suppliers:

"Offering 22 types of fresh sausage, from the classic Bavarian leberwurst to the Oktoberfest currywurst, the online retailer has become popular with expats and lovers of German cuisine since it launched in 2004.

But the company’s accounts manager, Susann Schmieder, says: “We only have stuff left over from before the new border changes came in, and those are approaching their best before dates.”

It has not received a delivery of sausages at its warehouse in Walthamstow since 31 January, when the government brought in the first stage of its border target operating model (BTOM), which requires a vet to sign off all meat and dairy imports before they can be shipped."

...

"Another key supplier had abandoned the UK completely because it did not have the resources to cope with the paperwork, instead focusing on its domestic market, he said.

Schmieder, who says she has lost sleep over the situation, said German authorities were still unsure of what exactly UK government required"

Sounds like an opportunity for someone to start a German-style sausage factory locally.

Looks like there is also an opening for UK replacements of Scandinavian products:

"At the moment you might be wondering what is happening to your favourite meat/fish/dairy products from the Nordics. Why is it out of stock?

Yes, it’s Brexit. Again. You may have assumed that this was all so very 2018, but no, rules are still changing and causing issues for the end consumers (that’s you).

The latest rule to come into force happened on 31st January 2024 which meant that every single product imported into the UK from the EU that is meat or fish (and some dairy products) has to have a so-called “vet certificate”"

 

I’ve been having problems getting repeat prescription medication for the past few months - and it seems I’m not the only one.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nhs-brexit-medicine-...

Another update this week, as the Government has announced the fees that will be payable from the end of the month for those companies importing food:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/04/our-profits-could-...

"The charges, which are capped at £145 for mixed consignments, will see importers of “low risk” goods paying £10 for each product line, while those bringing in medium and high-risk goods, which include most meat, dairy and plant products, will have to pay £29 for each item type. This means a small shipment containing just five different types of meat, poultry, egg, milk or plant products would incur the maximum bill...

Andrea Rasca, the chief executive of the London food market chain Mercato Metropolitano, said the new fees and time-consuming checks would discourage businesses from Europe sending goods to the UK, reducing the products it could offer at its sites.

He said about 60% of its suppliers from Italy had already stopped sending goods to the UK because of the additional administration and costs since Brexit."

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