Yesterday the Chancellor John Healey gave his first budget. As ever with all budgets, the devil is in the detail which will come out in the coming days, but Healy’s first budget address was a long one and full of lots of small measures rather than any significant ones. The focus was very much on the cost of living with the view of giving both families at home and businesses some ‘breathing space’.

The full government budget paper can be found at Budget 2026 document – GOV.UK

Talking to the press yesterday, Rupert Ashby said,

“The business rates measures announced in the Budget will be welcome for those smaller businesses in the frozen food sector that qualify for the additional relief. However, the wider cost base facing the food industry remains a serious concern.

“Previous Increases to employer National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage have placed significant pressure on businesses. With the minimum wage rising again, employers face further costs at a time when they need to recruit, develop the next generation of talent, and invest in the resilience of the UK food supply chain.

“Our members have worked hard to absorb these pressures, but there is a limit to how long businesses can continue to do so. A resilient food industry needs the capacity to invest, innovate and create jobs, rather than simply manage another round of rising costs.

“For a government focused on the cost of living, BFFF members may have a wry smile looking at our recent research that shows that a family of four could save around £1,300 a year by choosing frozen fruit and vegetables over fresh alternatives for their daily fruit and veg. That compares extremely favourably compared to the benefits afforded by the budget”