Recent research from takeaway platform Foodhub has revealed that the nation’s takeaway restaurants have been struggling following the UK’s departure from the EU.
Ardian Mula, CEO of Foodhub, said: “It’s incredibly important to us that we support the British high street – we’ve built our whole business model around this with 0% commission on our EPOS services to all our partners, which differs hugely from the usual 10-15% seen by our competitors. But it still stands to be seen just how our industry will navigate the changes that are sure to keep coming as we continue to get used to life outside of the EU.
It’s been a clear issue across the board, and to find out more about exactly how takeaways have been struggling, Foodhub has been speaking to Phil Adams, General Manager at Stoke on Trent takeaway Tiger Bite, who says the rising cost of ingredients and port delays have caused significant issues within his business.
Phil Adams said: “Since leaving the EU, we have seen price increases in flour, chips, chicken and cheese, which are four of our most heavily ordered items. The main problem was the lack of information we had prior to this, as it just made forward planning impossible.
As flour, chips, chicken and cheese are so popular, Phil said his business simply didn’t have the choice to remove these from the menu, and so had to pay the increased costs.
The port delays that took place over Christmas also crippled Tiger Bite’s supply chain.
Phil said: “A huge amount of our food is imported, and we simply could not risk disappointing the volume of customers we serve.
“If a business doesn’t have a core item available, you lose a whole order of £15-£20, not just the £2 portion of chips. And you’d lose a massive percentage of those orders. Overnight your business has the potential to slip away.”
And so, Phil had no choice but to delay any business investment into Tiger Bite. This also meant that he could not recruit any more team members as he had to protect the income of his existing family of workers.
As the future still looks uncertain, it is now more important than ever for takeaways to have full control of their business.
However, this can be difficult when relying on many of the popular aggregator sites such as Just Eat and Deliveroo. These charge commission rates of up to 35%, meaning takeaways are already facing a hefty charge before they have even considered the difficulties coming from leaving the EU.
Foodhub, on the other hand, is the champion of local takeaways. Launched in 2017, its leading 0% commission EPOS system gives restaurants access to numerous features such as digital billboards, pay at table and pay via QR and an advanced ordering system, all via an app that is designed to make their business run as smoothly as possible.
In addition, the online food portal operates a 0% commission model, instead charging a flat monthly rate. This allows partners to operate flexibly and remain in control of their business – saving on average £2,250 a month versus using our competitor sites.
Mula added: “Feedback from our partners has been that they have been caught in the perfect storm during the last few months. The national lockdown has unequivocally saved the livelihoods of many takeaway owners, and while we are proud to have been supporting the public during this time, the industry cannot rely on this for much longer.”
Foodhub is encouraging independent business owners to take advantage of the current appetite for e-commerce and delivery orders and sign up to the site.
For more information visit https://foodhub.co.uk/become-a-partner
