“One of the biggest problems has been the loss of trust between manufacturers and retailers and the growth of accreditation schemes – which have added an awful lot of costs to food businesses,” said Clothier.
British Retail Consortium audits are no longer trusted, said Clothier in this exclusive video interview, filmed at the offices of event partner Stephenson Harwood in London last week (January 21).
Extra costs
The extra costs were a particular burden for small-scale and medium-sized businesses, he added.
Food industry mergers and acquisitions were a key topic of discussion at the forum. Read more here.
The Business Leaders’ Forum, – chaired by Thorntons’ chairman Paul Wilkinson – was staged in association with Stephenson Harwood and sponsored by Agrantec, Intertek, Tata Consultancy, plus insurance firm Aon, Columbus IT and NSF International.
Meanwhile, Clothier is taking part in one of four Big Video Debates to be staged on Monday March 24 and Tuesday Mar 25 at the Foodex trade event at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. The Wyke Farms boss will be joining Black Farmer entrepreneur Wilfred Emmanuel Jones in the debate Social Media – threat or opportunity for food and drink manufacturers.
To reserve your place at this free event, email Michael.stones@wrbm.com.
Other Big Video Debates will include: Horsemeat: Could it happen again, Plugging the food and drink industry skills gap and the challenges of lean manufacturing.