Festive supply worries demand

Chaos at fuel pumps and shortages of CO2 supplies have raised fears that there could be gaps on supermarket shelves leaving consumers facing a shortage of seasonal products. sau Farmison & Co.

The firm has seen orders at its Ripon headquarters increase by 150 per cent over 2020, over 800 per cent over 2019, with new customers doubling compared to last Christmas.

John Pallagi, founding CEO of Farmison & Co, said: “We have never been busier in the run up to Christmas and part of that is because customers across the country are worried distribution problems will put a damper on their celebrations.

“Our network of local farms, our short supply lines and our team of in-house skilled butchers insulates us from the problems the big retailers are facing and makes us confident of fulfilling all our orders in time for Christmas.

“The current crisis, on the back of the challenges thrown up by Brexit and Covid, once again shows the immense value of this country’s army of local food suppliers and how they are vital for the health of consumers and the British economy.”

He said there is strong demand for turkey, as well as ham and beef, but also for trimmings such as pigs in blankets and cranberry sauce that make up a traditional Christmas dinner.

The Yorkshire-based company works closely with more than 40 hand-picked farms across the county and the north of England, giving it the advantage of very short “field-to-fork” supply lines.

It does not rely on CO2 in its packaging – used by others to extend shelf life – because it believes it takes away the natural smell of the meat.

Farmison & Co is part of a network of local producers, with short supply lines and dedicated suppliers that are going to play a key role in helping save Christmas.

A spokesman for Farmison added: “Over the course of the last 12 months Farmison & Co has invested in its operations to boost capacity and delivery slots.

“That investment gives it confidence it can meet this unexpected demand as Christmas shoppers look to buy their Christmas dinner in a more sustainable way.”