Christine Tacon CBE has been appointed Chair of Assured Food Standards who operate the Red Tractor Assurance scheme.
The former Groceries Code Adjudicator takes up the role on the 1st 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.…
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.
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.
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.…
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.…
The Grocer – 21st July 2020
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.…
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. …
The Grocer – 16 July 2020
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.…
Christine Tacon, the Groceries Code Adjudicator, has warmly welcomed the findings of the Government’s Statutory Review of the GCA’s work between April 2016 and March 2019.
She said: “This is a highly positive report that recognises the importance of the GCA in creating a more level playing field for the groceries sector.
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.…
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.
She said: “Since the beginning of the emergency I have been urging suppliers to raise any issues straightaway with the retailers.
gov.uk – 24th June 2020
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.…
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.…
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. …
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.…
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.…
The Grocer – 29th May 2020
Suppliers have saved tens of millions thanks to sweeping changes to the ‘drop and drive’ procedures that saw them fined for inaccurate deliveries to supermarkets
Read the full article here.…
Food Manufacturer – 22nd May 2020
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.…
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.…
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.…
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.…
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.…
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.
Groceries Code Adjudicator – 13th May 2020
The UK’s supermarkets have achieved a record improvement in their dealings with
groceries suppliers, Christine Tacon’s seventh and final GCA survey has revealed.
Read the full press release here.…
The Grocer – 27th April 2020
Tacon had been due to stand down in June, seven years after taking up the role
“I want to play my part in the response to Covid-19”, the adjudicator said
Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has agreed to stay in the post for a further six months, amid fears GSCOP is coming under pressure from retailers during the coronavirus outbreak.…
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy – 27th April 2020
Christine Tacon will continue as Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) for a period of up to 6 months.
Small Business Minister Paul Scully today (Monday 27 April) confirmed the reappointment of Christine Tacon CBE as the Groceries Code Adjudicator for a period of up to 6 months.…
Listen again here. Access Code: 3K.@Wz7&
The potential impact of coronavirus to the retail economy is as of yet unfathomable, as shoppers turn to survival mode. Groceries and household essentials are the only port in this storm. Beanstalk discuss how this will shape future retail with experts.…
The Grocer – 14th April 2020
Tacon has urged retailers to use the flexibility within the code.
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). 