“A bread and butter issue”: catering and food chain opportunities ramp up for SZC

“When you think of all the local and regional business opportunities that will arise if and when Sizewell C is approved, those for our catering companies might not be top of the list. Yet, these are likely to be some of the very first contracts on offer, so now is the time for food businesses to register their interests”.

Ashley Shorey-Mills, head of Sizewell C supply chain engagement and the person responsible for the Sizewell C supply chain portal (https://www.sizewellcsupplychain.co.uk/) is keen that more Suffolk and East Anglian catering and food preparation companies are ready to take advantage of such opportunities.

Ashley believes that catering arrangements for the construction phase of the project to build a new nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast could become available as early as the autumn of this year, with a view to food being served in 2022.

The Sizewell C supply chain team is organising an event in the early autumn to bring suppliers fully up-to-date.

“The aim of the catering supply chain for Sizewell C, is to truly offer a field to fork ethos, by us helping to showcase and utilise the extensive and successful food and drink sector across our region.

“We will support everyone from the solitary beef farmer or vegetable grower all the way to a large scale multi-site catering service.  It is truly a monumental opportunity to keep the prospective Sizewell C workforce fed, happy and focussed.”

The scale of the opportunities for local and regional food businesses is shown by the data coming out of Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C’s sister project in Somerset, where  the amount of produce consumed, all from local food producers, is vast and includes annually:

  • 400,000 tonnes of vegetables
  • Over two million sausages
  • At least three tonnes of baked beans
  • Over one million eggs

“So catering and food supply is very much a bread and butter issue for the Sizewell C project and we’d urge those businesses who haven’t signed up to the supply chain portal to do so as soon as they can and those who’ve already joined to keep a look out for specific updates and advice” added Ashley

Source: Paul Simon | Head of Policy & Communications
Suffolk Chamber of Commerce