The Grocer – 10th March 2021

Aldi is to fund 60 management apprenticeships in the fresh produce industry over two years to help nurture talent in the sector.

The move is in partnership with fresh produce management training scheme MDS, chaired by former GCA Christine Tacon.…

The Grocer – 21st December 2020

Former Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has been appointed chair of the Red Tractor Assurance scheme.

Tacon, who stood down from her GCA role in October after more than seven years at the helm, replaces Lucy Neville-Rolfe, whose three-year term ended in November.…

Farmers Weekly – 18th December 2020

Former groceries code adjudicator Christine Tacon has been appointed as the new head of Red Tractor.

Ms Tacon has been named as the chairman of Assured Food Standards (ASF), the company that operates the Red Tractor Assurance scheme. 

She will take up the role on 1 January 2021, replacing Dame Lucy Neville-Rolfe, whose term ended last month.…

Simply Supply Chain Blog – 27th October 2020

Despite the considerable impacts on the grocery supply chain this year, the Drop and Drive Claims Workgroup has continued to make great progress during 2020 and we were able to celebrate some incredible results at the final review of the year last week.…

26th October 2020 – GOV.UK

Christine Tacon, the UK’s first Groceries Code Adjudicator, has announced she will step down from the role at the end of this week, handing over to her successor Mark White.

She said:

I agreed to stay on beyond the end of my second term to oversee any COVID-related issues that may have arisen in the early days and weeks of the pandemic.

Fresh Produce Journal – 17th September 2020

Redfox and Management Development Services (MDS) have announced a new initiative to help MDS graduates secure roles with horticultural businesses.

MDS is the leading training provider in the fresh produce sector, and has expanded steadily as companies seek to safeguard their future by attracting and providing training for the highest-calibre recruits.…

Food Manufacturer – 17th July 2020

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is still required to ensure retailers comply with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code), according to a Government review.

The review covered the period from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2019 and assessed the GCA’s performance based on evidence from a number of stakeholders. 

IN a foreword to the review, parliamentary under-secretary of state for small business, consumers and labour markets Paul Scully said, “The Government agrees with the overall evidence provided in response to the Review that there is still a need for the GCA to ensure Code compliance and encourage best practice.…

Horticulture Week – 24th June 2020

GCA’s Christine Tacon is retiring after seven years and has listed her successes in a final newsletter, with 10 out of 13 supermarkets at 92-96% complying the code.

Food Manufacture – 24th June 2020

Food and drink suppliers have been granted more power at the negotiating table after seven years of successful regulation in the groceries sector, according to the exiting Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). 

Click here to read the full article. …

Farmers Guardian – Friday 19th June 2020

The amount of capital required to start up as a new entrant alongside misconceptions swirling about the industry are two of the biggest barriers facing young farmers and new entrants across the UK.

Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) webinar, Christine Tacon, Groceries Code Adjudicators and charwomen of the Management Development Services graduate scheme, highlighted misconceptions surrounding careers in agriculture continue to challenge and hamper the industry’s ability to attract new entrants. 

“In terms of recruiting bright young people, we have seen huge numbers from a variety of backgrounds, but they do not know an awful lot about the industry.”

Read the full article here.…

British Farmer & Grower – 1st June 2020

Christine Tacon has been re-appointed as Groceries Code Adjudicator for a period of up to six months.

Ms Tacon was due to complete her term in June, but will stay on to provide “continuity and reassurance” as supply chains feel the impacts of coronavirus.…

Food Manufacturer – 22nd May 2020

Some major grocery retailers are reversing all supplier delistings made at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, while others are considering making them permanent, according to Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon.

At an online press briefing on 22 May covering the results of the latest Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) supplier survey, Tacon said she had contacted all GSCOP compliance officers at retailers covered by the code in the past week.…

New Food – 18th May 2020

Early analysis of suppliers’ responses to the comprehensive annual groceries sector survey has shown that retailer compliance with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice is at “an all-time high”.

UK supermarkets have achieved a record improvement in their dealings with groceries suppliers, UK Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon has revealed in her final GCA survey.…

The Grocer – 13th May 2020

Supermarket behaviour in dealing with suppliers is at an all-time high, despite the pressures of coronavirus, according to an official survey by Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon.

A YouGov survey of almost 1,500 direct suppliers, on behalf of the GCA, found more than a third (36%) said they had experienced a code-related issue with one of the 13 retailers covered by GSCOP in the past 12 months – down from 41% in 2019.…