MEMBERS UPDATE – 10 APRIL 2023

ButcherSafe Consultation

Food Standards Scotland along with Scotland's Local Authorities are undertaking research to determine how best to help food and catering businesses to fully understand food safety and the requirements of businesses to stay safe, train staff and to prepare for local authority inspections.

Since 2002 the main information provided in this area has been covered in the FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM documents- Cooksafe, RetailSafe, ButcherSafe.

FSS now feel these need to be updated to ensure that they provide guidance that is accessible and useful for businesses like yours.

To help with this, they have commissioned the JRS Research Consortium to undertake research. It is hoped that you can help us with this research by answering some simple questions about how (if at all) you use the current documents, and how, ideally, you would like to see them developed- both in terms of content and the format they are delivered.

To this end, JRS would really like to meet with you (via TEAMS, ZOOM or Face to Face) to conduct a short interview.

The interview should take no more than 40 minutes and everything you tell the JRS team will be treated with absolute confidentiality.

This means that when they present findings back to FSS and the Local Authorities, they will not attribute comments or thoughts to you.

If you are willing and able to get involved all you need to do is email Alyson Kyle at [email protected].

She will then set up a meeting between yourself and one of the JRS interviewing team.

To thank you for your participation, JRS will be delighted to pay you £75.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme Update

The regulations are expected to come into force in late April 2023 and the scheme will not be finalised until then.
There is no link to register just yet. We will advise members as soon as it becomes available.
If your business is successful in applying for the scheme then payments will be backdated to the 1st April.
The UK government have announced more details on energy discounts for business post 1st April; GUIDANCE LINK
Butchers' businesses, if they qualify, are eligible for higher tier support.

1. The Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) discount will provide a higher level of support to businesses and organisations in eligible sectors – you will need to register to get this support

This appears to be for businesses who meet the criteria and fall into the following SIC code categories (comes down to the interpretation of the title)

We appear to qualify under the following.

• Division 10: Manufacture of food products
This division includes the processing of the products of agriculture, forestry and fishing into food for humans or animals, and includes the production of various intermediate products that are not directly food products. The activity often generates associated products of greater or lesser value (for example, hides from slaughtering, or oilcake from oil production).This division is organised by activities dealing with different kinds of products: meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, fats and oils, milk products, grain mill products, animal feeds and other food products. Production can be carried out for own account, as well as for third parties, as in custom slaughtering. Some activities are considered manufacturing (for example, those performed in bakeries, pastry shops, and prepared meat shops etc. which sell their own production) even though there is retail sale of the products in the producers' own shop. However, where the processing is minimal and does not lead to a real transformation, the unit is classified to wholesale and retail trade (section ##G).Preparation of food for immediate consumption on the premises is classified to division ##56 (Food and beverage service activities).Production of animal feeds from slaughter waste or by-products is classified in ##10.9, while processing food and beverage waste into secondary raw material is classified to ##38.3, and disposal of food and beverage waste in ##38.21. This division does not include the preparation of meals for immediate consumption, such as in restaurants.

10:11 Processing and Preserving of Meat
10:12 Processing and Preserving of Poultry Meat
10:85 Manufacture of Prepared Meals and Dishes

The detailed descriptions are here.

Sectors were defined under the SIC hierarchy. A more detailed description of each SIC code, including inclusions and exclusions, is available here [Link to definitions of SICs e.g. https://onsdigital.github.io/dp-classification- tools/standard-industrial-classification/ONS_SIC_hierarchy_view.html]

Bob Lauchlan

Peacefully, in his hometown of Crieff, on Saturday, 1st April 2023, Robert (Bob) Lauchlan, beloved and cherished husband of Dorothy for 60 years, dearly loved father of Murray, Linda, Robbie, and Emma, a much-loved father-in-law, a loving, fun, and devoted Papa to his nine treasured grandchildren, and a good friend to many. Bob will be sorely missed but always remembered with love and affection.
Funeral service, to which all are warmly invited, at St. Andrew's Church, Crieff, on Tuesday, 18th April at 11.00am, Interment thereafter at Crieff Cemetery, cortège arriving 11:50am.
The family welcomes donations to Alzheimer Scotland, in Bob's memory.
Many of our members will remember Bob working for Scottish Meat Training as an assessor. Bob helped to develop the skills and confidence of many individuals in the meat industry across Scotland. Everyone at Scottish Craft Butchers sends their condolences to the Lauchlan family at this sad time.

Labour Conditions

A reminder that the wages survey is on the members only website and that to allow the membership in general to access up to date information, we need information input regularly to keep an accurate reflection at all times.

The Government has announced the rates of the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) which will come into force from April 2023. In doing so, it has accepted in full the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission.
The rates which will apply from 1 April 2023 are as follows:
Rate from April 2023 Annual increase (£) Annual increase (per cent)
National Living Wage £10.42 0.92 9.7
21-22 Year Old Rate £10.18 1.00 10.9
18-20 Year Old Rate £7.49 0.66 9.7
16-17 Year Old Rate £5.28 0.47 9.7
Apprentice Rate £5.28 0.47 9.7
Accommodation Offset £9.10 0.40 4.6

Coronation Bank Holiday

Our employment law advisors Lindsays have sent us the following regarding the above

“There is no statutory right to public holidays, and accordingly all public holidays an employer gives can count towards the 5.6 weeks' statutory minimum.

There may be a contractual right depending on the wording of the individual employees' contract, such as 'in addition to all public holidays.'. However, our templates would usually not include wording to this effect.

For most members, their employees will not have a contractual entitlement for a paid day off for the coronation bank holiday. If they do decide to give their employees a paid day off, this can come off the statutory minimum holiday entitlement.”

Big British Butchers Survey 

Our industry partner, National Craft Butchers, are on a mission to collect the right data about Independent Butchers; we want to tell your customers and the UK about the vital services you provide to your communities, and we need your help to do that.

The time to highlight the importance of meat in a balanced diet and that you as Craft Butchers are the key to a healthy high street is now, and this survey will help us achieve that.

We will use this information to help Butchers stay competitive in times to come, promote the industry and also use it inform the help and representation we provide our members and the industry as a whole.

Filling in any part of this survey is a great help but we hope that most of you will complete all of it; the responses are anonymous unless you choose to provide your information and even then individual responses will not be shared outside of National Craft Butchers.

Whilst this survey is named the Big British Butchers Survey those in all parts of the UK are welcome to complete it!