Category Archives: News

Brexit opportunity prompts MDS investment

Christine Tacon

Fresh Produce Journal – 26th January 2021

More young people are looking to pursue career in food, reports grad training organisation, with Brexit expected to boost efforts to nurture homegrown talent

Agrifood graduate training organisation MDS has reported “unprecedented” demand from graduates as well as new member companies over the past 12 months. 

Its chair, the former groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon, said she expects to see no levelling off in interest from companies looking to invest in developing graduate talent, nor in young people seeking a long-term future in the sector.…

Tacon appointed chair of Red Tractor Assurance

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.…

Tacon named new chairman of Red Tractor scheme

Christine Tacon

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.…

2020: a year of great progress for the Drop and Drive Claims Workgroup

Christine Tacon

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.…

Tacon enters final week as GCA

Christine Tacon

Fresh Produce Journal – 28th October 2020

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

Tacon, who was the inaugural adjudicator, setting up the organisation seven years ago and establishing it as the arbiter of supermarket-supplier relations, was due to step down earlier this year but agreed to stay on to oversee issues arising out of the Covid pandemic. 

However as no specific Covid-related issues have been reported, she said it was now the right time to step aside. 

“As it is now over six months since supply arrangements had to be reviewed and revised to ensure essential groceries reached the supermarket shelves at the onset of the lockdown I would not expect any supplier now to raise an issue based on those actions.

…

Christine Tacon marks final week in role as GCA

Christine Tacon

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.

…

Christine Tacon fires parting shot over second wave supermarket delistings

Christine Tacon

The Grocer – 23rd October 2020

Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has fired a warning shot to retailers facing a new demand spike because of further lockdown measures, saying that what was acceptable delisting behaviour in March would not wash with the watchdog in the second wave.…

MDS and Redfox in graduate push

Christine Tacon

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.…

Why the new Groceries Code Adjudicator might be just what the industry needs

Christine Tacon

The Grocer – 21st July 2020

New Groceries Code Adjudicator Mark White announced as Christine ...So the government has turned to Mr White to try to ensure a level playing field between suppliers and the supermarkets, with the belated appointment of a new Groceries Code Adjudicator.

Alas, Boris hasn’t seconded Harvey Keitel from his Direct Line ads to bang a few heads together, much as he would have been perfect for the job in many ways.…

GCA still needed to maintain retailer compliance

Christine Tacon

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.…

Groceries Code Adjudicator still needed and ‘highly effective’, says review

Christine Tacon

The Grocer – 16 July 2020

Christine Tacon

The Groceries Code Adjudicator is still needed to ensure retailer compliance with Groceries Supply Code of Practice, the government’s latest review of the body has concluded.

The GCA will therefore be maintained with funding to continue policing the code, according to the statutory review, which assesses the ongoing need for the role every three years.…

Tesco responds to ‘speculation’ around Aldi ‘price war’ as deadline looms

Christine Tacon

The Grocer – 9 July 2020

Tesco has insisted its latest push towards everyday low prices is not a ‘price war’ and rejected claims suppliers haven’t been given enough time to respond.

The supermarket unveiled its latest pricing strategy last month, telling branded suppliers they would be expected to match Aldi prices, and promotions would be canned unless they come under its Clubcard loyalty scheme.…

Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon signs off on a high

Christine Tacon

Horticulture Week – 24th June 2020

Christine TaconGCA’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.

She said: “Since the beginning of the emergency I have been urging suppliers to raise any issues straightaway with the retailers.

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Edition 22: News from the Adjudicator

Christine Tacon

gov.uk – 24th June 2020

Serving the sector through the COVID-19 emergency

I am writing this newsletter as we begin to see the first significant easing of restrictions across the economy. The groceries sector has been operating at full throttle throughout these immensely challenging times and I want to pay tribute to the way both suppliers and retailers have performed to keep supermarket shelves stocked.…

GCA’s tenure instils confidence in suppliers

Christine Tacon

Food Manufacture – 24th June 2020

Suppliers have gained confidence at the negotiating table thanks to the work of the Groceries Code Adjudicator 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. …

Grocery Code Adjudicator Newsletter & Annual Survey 2020

Christine Tacon

Mills & Reeve Food and Agribusiness – 23rd June 2020

The latest newsletter from the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has been published featuring the GCA’s response to Covid-19 and the 2020 survey results.

This is the final newsletter of Christine Tacon as the outgoing Grocery Code Adjudicator, the new GCA will be announced shortly and Christine Tacon will be staying on for a short period after 24 June to deal with any issues arising from changes to supply arrangements during the early stages of the emergency.…

Biggest barriers to new entrants

Christine Tacon

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.…

Groceries code compliance

Christine Tacon

Vegetable Farmer – 1st June 2020

Retailer compliance with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice is at an all-time high, initial analysis of the groceries code adjudicator’s annual survey has found.

Of the almost 1,500 direct suppliers who responded to the survey, 36% said they had
experienced a code-related issue in the past 12 months.…

Adjudicator Stays On

Christine Tacon

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.…

Christine Tacon: COVID-19-related delistings prompt no issues yet

Christine Tacon

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.…

Co-op shoots up rankings in Tacon’s final GSCOP survey

Christine Tacon

The Grocer – 21st May 2020

The Co-op has been praised for a “massive improvement” in its behaviour towards suppliers, as it rose from third from bottom to second from top in adjudicator Christine Tacon’s final YouGov supplier survey, published this week.…

Groceries survey shows UK supermarket compliance at record high

Christine Tacon

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.…

Survey shows retailer-supplier dealings continue to improve

Christine Tacon

Farmers Weekly – 14th May 2020

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has reported a record improvement in retailers’ trading relationships with their suppliers.

Adjudicator Christine Tacon acts as a watchdog for dealings between suppliers and the 13 largest UK retailers through the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.…

Number of suppliers experiencing GSCOP-related issues continues to fall

Christine Tacon

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.…

Will Covid-19 spark change in the UK supplier payment terms?

Christine Tacon

Just Food – 13th May 2020

Read the full article here.

Christine Tacon, the UK’s Groceries Code Adjudicator, is impressed with the progress – not least because her own supplier surveys are also showing delays in payments have tumbled down the list of concerns.

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