Nothing compares to EU

Whether you’re an innie or and outie, the EU Referendum is the talk of the town right now.

Its significance is monumental and without a doubt will have a lasting affect on our thriving food and drink industry in Brighton.

In order to get an educated opinion on the topic I talked to a good friend of mine, Terre à Terre’s Olivia Reid, to see what affects Brexit could have on the Sussex food and drink industry.

“The hospitality industry in the UK is highly dependent on a good working relationship with the EU not only because it’s a tourist-related business with huge visitor traffic from Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the Netherlands annually but, mainly, because all hospitality businesses have a high contingency of European staff on their payroll,” explains Olivia.

“The idea of the UK working under an umbrella of EU employment law, assuming that’s what would happen, would involve changes to current employment terms and contracts and an unpredictability that many from overseas may not be willing to take.

“I hear many supporters of Brexit saying great jobs for our own but that is not the case.

“The UK has been struggling for many years with recruitment issues within the industry, enticing skilled professionals from overseas has been essential for growth and development of the sector as there is a huge shortage of skilled professionals being produced internally and any departure from the EU would make this worse; more complicated and expensive. Vote to stay in the EU this June and keep feeding our growing industry.”

www.terreaterre.co.uk

About Nick Mosley
As food festivals director and awards co-ordinator Nick writes occasional columns for Title Sussex Magazine focusing on the freshest and finest cuisine from across the county. He can be found Tweeting @BrightonNick