Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Inverness food and drink firm plots path to success amid labour shortages

Williamson Foodservice boss says businesses are facing major challenges after Brexit

Hauliers like Williamson Foodservice are already helping supply communities in need with food - but what could your business do as part of The Big Food Appeal? Pictured: Gary Williamson, managing director, with dispatch coordinator Andy Mitchell.
Recruitment remains a key issue in the Highlands. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson

Williamson Foodservice is looking at ways to further improve contract flexibility to incentivise workers amid chronic labour shortages in the UK economy.

The Inverness-based food and drink wholesaler cited recruitment as one of its most pressing challenges.

There is not a lot of fresh immigration replacing the workforce and we are all fighting for the same people – it is a smaller pool.”

Managing director Gary Williamson said: “We have a general labour shortage: people not wanting to work the same amount of hours, people leaving the workforce early.

“We have seen some of the Polish staff we had return to Poland.

Brexit Britain

“There is not a lot of fresh immigration replacing the workforce and we are all fighting for the same people – it is a smaller pool.”

Brexit has impacted immigration and slowed the movement of goods through continental Europe to the Highlands, he said.

Rising energy costs are also a pressing issue, but it is labour which is “probably number one” for him and his customers, he added.

Gary Williamson
Gary Williamson. Image: Paul Campbell

The wholesaler – which only last week saw the triumphant return of its Williamson Walkabout trade exhibition, welcoming 60 food and drink suppliers and 400 business owners, chefs and retail staff – already uses a range of incentives to address the labour issue.

These include a bonus scheme for employees who recruit other staff and flexible contracts.

But the family-owned firm is now looking to make its contracts even more flexible in a market where “customers all want deliveries at times which suit them”.

It will also do whatever it can in terms of wage increases to “keep the business viable”, Mr Williamson added.

Willamsons' Walkabout trade day with bottles on tables
The return of the Williamson Walkabout trade show was a huge success. Image: Paul Campbell

One bright spot amid a raft of economic challenges is that fuel costs are now falling for Williamson’s 40-strong fleet of refrigerated vans and lorries.

But the cost-of-doing business crisis is a constant worry.

“Inevitably some costs get passed on and you see what you can mitigate,” Mr Williamson said, adding: “We definitely have to look at how we move products.

Inflationary impacts ‘everywhere’

“Sometimes the efficiency of moving product allows you to absorb some of the cost.

“There are hard choices. Inflationary impacts are everywhere.

“Is this a new normal and people have adjusted? Maybe people will eat out slightly less, dine in a different way; it’s difficult to see exactly what will happen.”

The return of Williamson Walkabout was hailed as a major vote of confidence in the Highland food and drink sector after the Covid disruption.

Williamson trade day in Inverness with produce on table
Williamson Walkabout trade exhibition in Inverness. Image: Paul Campbell

Hundreds of attendees packed the aisles of Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness.

A Scottish Spirits bar showcased around 12 gin, whisky, rum and vodka brands, while there was also a dedicated fish, shellfish and artisan meats section.

Mr Williamson added: “With all the turmoil of the last few years, this was the first opportunity to run our Williamson Walkabout.

“We see it as a thank you to our customers for their ongoing loyalty.

“Suppliers have shown remarkable commitment to the Highlands and Islands by signing up, and they travelled in from all over the country in challenging weather conditions to share their knowledge about their particular food and drink category.”

Prestigious supply chain award

Williamson employs more than 100 people across operations in Inverness, Stornoway and Glasgow.

The firm was recognised during 2021-22 for its community credentials amid the pandemic.

It also recently won the supply chain gong at the 2022 Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards.

Conversation