Imagine.
Imagine a world, where the British Government was held in high regard by the UK’s food system. Such a thought seems more unachievable and fantastic than thinking there is no heaven above or hell below, above us only sky.
It seems an age ago when amongst the true heroes of the United Kingdom were the collective members of its food system. The Coronavirus pandemic showed the true sense of purpose, importance, and dedication of the members of the largest industrial system in these Isles. However, the British State has forgotten those true heroes that fed the nation in 2020.
Indeed, quite the opposite mood seems to have prevailed, one where the British Government seems to dislike, disrespect and undermine the industry, even though it speaks to food security being a policy priority. Quite how the Cabinet and relevant senior civil servants view domestic food security, one dread not imagine, if it thinks about it at all.
Indeed, there is a more serious, worrying and arguably insidious issues here, the latter being the rather gradual and subtle disregard of not just the British food system but business in general by the present crop of Ministers and senior civil servants as they simply do not understand entrepreneurs, firms, or markets full stop. Appallingly, it appears that collectively they do not really care, either.
Such a flaw is serious because business needs to make an economic return if it is to invest in everything, in a food system sense, from farms that can meet environmental standards to factories that can safely and adequately fulfil supermarket orders to restaurants than can simply stay open.
The State is right to require through regulations and multi-agency guidelines and standards, that firms must comply, but it simply does not see that such requirements come at a considerable cost. What is even more frustrating to put it at the most polite is that successive UK Government’s for all their propensity to tax, do not provide an appropriate service to business either be that failing to offer a skilled workforce, a competitive energy source, functional planning, a satisfactory trading backdrop, an appopriate transport system; heads you win, tails I lose.
I argued around Tesco’s H1 FY26 results update that the UK Government sees the food system, business, as a money tree, but when business asks the simple question, what do I get for my taxes, the fees, the consultations, the bureaucracy from a public sector where productivity has collapsed, then its sticks in the throat. Indeed, it is noticeably evident that the UK food industry is rightly becoming more belligerent with Government, evidenced by Tesco’s CEO, Ken Murphy, challenging the Chancellor not to seek another raid on it in the next Budget, and if she does, expect it to be passed on in higher food prices.
The British food system deserves better from its Government. The State should start by thanking the trade for what it does, seeking a different approach to listening and priority setting within the construct of an industrial strategy for the food system, including where the State should stay out of matters, where it asks; how can it help to increase domestic production to make us more, not less secure, how can the human capital of the industry be advanced, how can it be easier to invest and so collectively; fulfil economic potential too. Imagine eh?
In this respect, bringing the many moving parts outlined above together, improving the availability of safe, high-quality, food in ways that meet societal and regulatory requirements means that food will have to be priced more highly. Such requirements cannot involve a race to the bottom, that leads to compromised standards, business failure, and the simple importation of more goods, which undermines the whole principle of security.
To meet this ambition, however, needs a well-invested, confident domestic system that attracts the best people, grows investment, and fulfils potential. All that means a major change not just of attitude but probably structures and personnel of the British State too, and here I do not really care what political party is in place, apart from the lunatic Greens, over just competent folks. The present crop of DEFRA people are simply not fit for purpose on this front, and I, once again, call for a Minister to coordinate food policy in the cabinet, because the ubiquity of food makes this essential.
Thankfully, British food system does not wholly depend upon Government, if it did so, it would be bust by now. Indeed, it is amazing that the UK’s food system is as advanced and robust as it is, given the State based headwinds. Just imagine its potential if the Government’s attitude, capability (better people), and policy support, allowed it to flourish whilst meeting the needs and wants of the society that the food system implicitly supports. Imagine.
Amongst these headwinds and frustrations, Coriolis is a firm that is an enabler of better productivity, which within the confines of the reality of the British food system today, over what we may like to imagine, I see as a valuable and helpful too. Away from day dreaming it may make sense to give Mark Dudley and his colleagues a call. They will not imagine on your behalf but add value. Really.
Dr Clive Black
Vice Chairman
Shore Capital Markets
October 2025
