The Environment Secretary George Eustice has sent a letter of thanks to all those working hard to keep the country supplied with food, drink and other essentials during the coronavirus crisis.

Acknowledging the immense effort been made across the whole supply chain to keep food and drink on the shelves and in our homes, Mr Eustice has praised the spirit shown by the food and drink industry in meeting the unprecedented challenges of the last few weeks. He also noted that guidance has been issued by the Government to ensure the safety of workers and reiterated that there is very little risk of the virus been spread by food or packaging.

The Environment Secretary said that, “everyone working in the food and drink industry has rallied in an extraordinary way to respond to this unprecedented challenge. Having worked in the food industry myself, I am personally enormously proud and thankful for all the work that you have done in recent weeks, and will be asked to do in the weeks ahead. In many cases you are the hidden heroes, and the country is grateful for all that you have done."

The BRC is in regular dialogue with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and across Government. We continue to highlight the amazing work undertaken across the retail industry and make the case for continued support in the weeks ahead.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:

“The Environment Secretary’s letter demonstrates the immense gratitude that all of us have for colleagues working tirelessly to ensure that everyone has access to the essentials they need during this difficult time. From those working in distribution centres and warehouses, to shop workers and delivery drivers, the entire food and drink industry has stepped up to the challenge. We are all incredibly proud and thankful to them for their hard work.”