The Rank Group, owner of Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casinos chain have drawn up a contingency plan for food and drinks supplies, as border delays are likely if a no-deal Brexit goes ahead.
Difficulty With Fresh Produce At Borders
John O’Reilly chief executive for Rank said,“ We do not rely on foodstuffs coming through our ports from the continent. For example, the menu has drinks and all sorts of beers that are UK-brewed as opposed to coming from the continent.“ And we would use British sourced langoustines, (prawns) instead of imported. The menus are raring to go for both Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casinos. We will all face those challenges of the difficulty getting fresh food produce in to ports.”Bidfood UK, who supply food to the UK prison service, schools and care homes have already spoken to customers about a change to menu, in light of delays at borders if a no-deal goes ahead at the end of October.
Potential Problems For Rank Staff
Ranks digital headquarters in Gibraltar could see staff being affected by a no-deal outcome. Around 100 staff cross the border on a daily basis so could face lengthy delays. Already, staff crossing the Spanish-Gibraltar border are facing delays, but Rank have plans in place for staff to be able to work more from home, but this is only a short term solution, which is not ideal.There are also staffing concerns in London, 25% of its workforce in the capital are EU nationals, there are roughly around 2,000-2,500 staff working in London and 600 of those are EU nationals. Rank have said they would struggle to replace staff in the capital if the EU nationals are not able to work freely in the UK, according to the Guardian.