Europe’s influence on UK food culture has been positive
Chefs who have been immersed in European cuisine have returned with techniques, ingredients, and contacts that have helped to make the UK food scene so vibrant and rich. The UK’s thriving food industry has encouraged expatriates and talented chefs to invest in UK restaurants and choose the UK to work.
In addition to the UK’s food scene, the variety of employment opportunities available in the hospitality industry also attracts European workers. There is a shortage of chefs in the UK, which makes it difficult for employers to fill vacancies. In 2017, People 1st, the sector skills council of hospitality and tourism, found that 25% of hospitality businesses had vacant positions. 22% were chefs. There were many vacancies that were difficult to fill due to a lack of qualified applicants. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, in 2018, 15% of the 330,000 chefs working in the UK were EU immigrants. Of those, 28% of them were graduates. 22% of new hires also came from the EU.
This shows that EU workers play a key role in the success of the UK’s restaurant industry. The EU workers are not cheap labor as they are often thought, but are well-educated, skilled individuals who contribute positively to the industry. Although many workers are highly skilled, their wages remain low. Any move to set a threshold of PS30,000 for obtaining a visa would exclude most EU hospitality workers. It is hard to imagine how the hospitality sector could continue to flourish without the EU immigrants’ labor.
Free movement of ingredients
Food is delivered to Britain in the best possible condition thanks to seamless trade. All year round, supermarkets, and restaurants receive food items like strawberries, peppers, or chilies. Britain imports huge amounts of fresh produce. In fact, due to a lack of investment in agriculture over the last two or three decades, the UK cannot and will not be self-sufficient.
Heston Blumenthal’s “culinary adventure” at The Fat Duck. By First Class via Shutterstock
EU guarantees that the UK imports and exports foodstuffs efficiently since there are no delays due to embargos or customs checks. It is hard to imagine how the UK can continue to enjoy the food they are used to without interruption if it does not remain part of the EU’s customs union.
The 163 Michelin-starred restaurants in Britain are proud to source high-quality seasonal food. The EU’s certification of farming standards, as well as subsidies, have supported many sustainable farming practices. The EU also has strict rules on how to grow products, pesticides, and genetically modified processes. These standards are all higher than those of the US and other new trading partners. Over 47 years, the UK and EU have developed set criteria for food production and safety that are among the strictest in the world.
This philosophy has directly affected the quality of food that consumers and restaurants have access to. In a January 2018 government briefing document, Brexit : Future UK Agricultural Policy, there are few details about how food and agriculture policy will look after Brexit.
Even if the UK agricultural sector could increase production and variety, it relies on seasonal workers in the EU for harvesting produce.
Cheap sausages: what’s the alternative?
The UK’s vibrant food culture depends on EU innovation, influence and skilled labor. The EU is responsible for the vibrant food culture in the UK, which can be seen from Aldi’s and Lidl’s shelves to the five Michelin-starred restaurants of the UK. If I’m right that food and cuisine are expressions of culture, then Britons must be European. Robin Leach, a social critic and writer, stated the following just before his passing in 2018 .
