The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) has joined other business and industry groups to give oral evidence to the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry.
Having provided substantive written evidence to the inquiry in August, SWA chief executive Colin Smith and Margaret Smith, the organisation’s former head of public affairs who retired at the end of last year, shared in detail the impacts of Covid on SWA members and wider wholesale channel.
They also told how, in their view at that time, the Scottish and UK governments did not fully understand or consider the vital role of wholesalers when making initial decisions on market closures, support mechanisms, or key worker status – all with little to no warning in allowing businesses to prepare.
Smith said: “We articulated to the inquiry how wholesale is not a homogenous sector and that every wholesaler is inextricably linked to the national food and drink infrastructure, food resilience, and food security.
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“We wanted to show that regardless of size or markets supplied, every wholesaler suffered in some way. Through our evidence, we to tried to ensure that no wholesaler has to relive the same experiences, and that no-one is left behind in the future.”
He continued: “It was the first time, out with our conversations with the Scottish Government, that we were able to articulate the combined impacts faced by our sector, including the personal mental stress and trauma members, their employees, and their families faced. Yet despite this, wholesalers and their staff continued to serve their customers, and kept the nation fed.”
Mr Smith gave first-hand evidence on what the Christmas restrictions on 19th December 2020 meant for wholesalers.
Recounting what he saw and heard, while sitting in a foodservice member’s boardroom listening live to the then-First Minister restrict Christmas parties and socialising, the inquiry heard about the phones immediately starting to ring from customers cancelling their orders, leaving the wholesaler with 700 turkeys and a warehouse full of stock valued at £1.7 million, 35% of which had a short shelf life.
