Isle of Man Meats has praised the Island’s food and farming community — and shoppers — for their support during the COVID-19 crisis.
Phil Parsons, Plant Director at Isle of Man Meats, said: “At the start of the crisis our first priority was to protect our employees, and visitors to the plant, while also maintaining the operation of what is a strategic asset that’s vital for the Island’s food chain. From that moment on we have received fantastic co-operation from our employees who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, all of our 220 producers, network of retailers, hauliers, suppliers, and of course DEFA and Isle of Man Government generally. Equally important has been the support from shoppers who have responded magnificently to our #MakeSureItsManx campaign and the ‘buy local’ messages from across Government and the Island’s food and drink sector."
"There’s no doubt that this has been a very challenging time for all of us, but there are some positives which we can draw on too. Firstly, it has been inspiring to see how the community has worked together to meet the Island’s needs. Secondly, the increase in demand for locally produced meat has been very welcome and we’ve had lots of feedback which clearly demonstrates that many customers on the Island have discovered the benefits of buying local for the first time. In fact, local meat sales were up 42% in April when compared to the same month last year. Of course, we can’t be complacent and assume that this trend will continue so we are already working hard to ensure that this local market growth continues in the long-term."
“Growing our markets both on and off-Island will mean adapting our business strategy to the economic and social realities that emerge following the current phase of the COVID-19 emergency. This is just the end of the first phase of what will be a long journey for everyone in the Island’s food and farming sector, but Isle of Man Meats is in a strong position thanks to everyone who has supported us over recent months — so we want to say a big ‘thank you’ to you all."
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