In an email seen by The Morning Advertiser (MA), Bidfood apologised to its customers for its service being “below usual standards”.
It went on to say as a result of issues caused by Brexit and Covid-19, it was unable to offer delivery slots or service accounts, with the decision being based on the cost of labour against expenditure.
Significant pressures
The MA understands the strain of the impact from Covid-19 and Brexit has meant the company had to make some changes including delaying deliveries, cutting off order times earlier in the day, reducing the frequency of deliveries, increasing minimum order value to £150, reducing the number of slower selling lines in some depots, and moving customer deliveries to depots with greater capacity.
A spokesperson for Bidfood said: “As a result of the impacts of Brexit and Covid-19 continue to have on our industry, Bidfood, like many wholesalers and retailers, are experiencing significant pressures across the supply chain, including shortages from manufacturers and fuel suppliers, and challenges with HGV driver recruitment, and these factors have impacted on our ability to deliver our usual levels of service in some depots."
Greatest pressure
The spokesperson added: “The past 18 months have, and continue to be, extremely challenging for wholesalers generally, and our teams are working around the clock to put in place, measures to mitigate these issues and to reduce the impact on our customers.
“However, the strain on the supply chain continues to take its toll, which has meant that at a very small number of depots, which are experiencing the greatest pressure, we have not been able to offer some customers delivery slots, and among these have been some pubs.
“We want to sincerely apologise to any customers that have been affected. We hope this to be a short-term measure and are extremely grateful for the patience and understanding these customers have shown in these very challenging circumstances.”
