Food and drink wholesalers share £5m from coronavirus resilience fund

Food and drink wholesalers affected by Covid-19 restrictions over the winter have received new funding support.

The Scottish Government announced that 40 eligible businesses have been awarded a total of £5.37 million from the Scottish Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund.

It aims to support wholesalers which sell food and drink into the hospitality sector and on-trade, and which encountered financial hardship as a result of pandemic restrictions.

Applicants had to fit strict criteria in order to apply for the scheme, including a fall in sales by 20% or more during the period of December 1 2021 to January 31 2022, compared with the same period two years ago.

Mairi Gougeon, rural affairs secretary, said: “This government remains firm in its commitment to support food and drink wholesalers who have been hit disproportionately by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund has had a very positive response and I am pleased that 40 Scottish businesses will now benefit from it.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in making this fund a success and we will continue to work closely with the sector and provide support where appropriate.”

The application process opened in January and successful applicants were determined by a panel comprising individuals from the Scottish Government’s Food and Drink Policy Division, the Scottish Wholesale Association and an independent representative from the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society.

During public health restrictions imposed on hospitality and on-trade from January 2021 to the end of August 2021, the Scottish Government issued a share of £10 million for eligible businesses who had suffered financially because of coronavirus.

The grant funding has been applied to businesses across Scotland, with funding calculated based on need.