Keith Warren, chief executive of the Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA), commented on the value of the equipment industry following prime minister Boris Johnson’s weekend statement.

According to the new on The Caterer, Warren said: “From FEA’s point of view, the critical thing is that the equipment supply chain gets the same support as the hospitality industry. There are 10,000 workers in the foodservice equipment supply chain, who support the three million-plus workers in hospitality. Without the equipment supply chain, the foodservice industry cannot function. So, government needs to ensure manufacturers, dealers, consultants, designers, and service supply companies are still around when lockdown is lifted for foodservice operators. We believe the government should also supply financial aid to support continued R&D, so that manufacturers can develop the equipment that the ‘new normal’ will need – such as cooking appliances that can produce more menu items from a smaller footprint, in order to aid social distancing in the kitchen area.”