As 2023 draws to a close it is a good time to take stock of the year that has just passed and look forward to the future. 2023 provided challenges for many businesses with high potato costs and high energy costs. The Government’s strategy of providing support for consumers with their energy seemed to be the right one to keep a little more disposable cash in their pockets and helped to keep trade at a respectable level on the whole. Fish and chips is still extremely well placed when it comes to price compared with other option, it does however still suffer from its long heritage and the perception it should be cheap.
The NFFF worked hard to represent the industry in the media and with the Government to try to get the key issues we face across and provide Government with valuable information to help them make decisions.
In February the NFFF delivered the first National Fish and Chip Awards under their custodianship. The event was a huge success, and we would like to thank all off the entrants and sponsors for helping us get the event back onto the fish and chip calendar. The awards help to highlight the great work the fish and chip industry does and generates a lot of media attention.
We have also launched new iPhone and Android apps for the Fish Friers Review to ensure we can get news to you first. When you install the app it will give you breaking news in the form of push notifications to your phone or smartwatch. These apps will be further developed as time goes on.
As we look to 2024 we have a few big projects ahead. We have the National Fish and Chip Awards on February 28th 2024, this year hosted by Rob Beckett. We can’t wait to see who will lift the trophies on the day! This year we also have a new category, Employee of the Year, to help show some of the amazing people we have in our industry and what a great career it can be. We also see the return of the Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year, which is such an important category for the future of the industry.
Our focus in the first quarter of the year will be the spring budget. Independent businesses can play an important role when it comes to getting the economy growing but Government do seem to find it easier to deal with larger business due to there being one point of contact. The NFFF and our partner associations in the Indie sector hope we can help to provide that conduit for Government to help work with the sector. With changes to the way tax is levied on hospitality we can play an important role in the economy and also help valuable independent businesses continue to serve their local communities.
The NFFF are currently developing a new main website. This site will have more functionality than the current website for NFFF Members and also streamline the operation of the office so we can support your business better.
On June the 6th the NFFF will be supporting Bruno Peak with the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings. NEODA have brought National Fish and Chip Day forward one day to coincide with the event too and working with Chippy Chat we should see some great coverage of fish and chips and the role the industry played during the war. You can purchase lanterns by going to https://lamplightofpeace.co.uk/.
We hope you have had an amazing festive period and we look forward to supporting you in 2024
Andrew Crook and the NFFF Office and Board